How to design a website – Gone are the days when businesses could operate solely with a brick-and-mortar presence. Now, having a broad and well-crafted digital footprint will be everything.
Consumers turn to the internet for everything – from product research to information on sourcing and operating hours. Thus, prioritizing your website and its online verticals will go a long way in supporting your customers through their purchases.
This, in turn, is an excellent growth strategy. But what are the main capabilities a business website needs to have? Our guest Lance Cody-Valdez breaks it down below.
How to Design a Website to Support Your Business Needs
1. Good Design
Design is one of the critical indicators of the idea and style of your brand. By looking at your layout, images, and even fonts, customers can quickly glean whether or not your products are for them.
A poorly designed site can thus be a deterrent to sales. Therefore, break down all the visual elements of your site and improve their look (don’t forget to make sure they flow well together).
For example, if you don’t have a logo or your present one is basic, try to level up the design. This will build brand awareness and create a stronger first impression.
If you’re on a tight budget, opt for an online logo design maker instead of paying for design services, which can be pricey. You’ll need to choose your style, icon, fonts, and colors and can then customize it according to your preference.
2. A Clear Purpose
Generally speaking, a business website is a space to share information about your company. With an increase in online retail sales, many companies also use their site as a selling platform for e-commerce.
To make the most of your efforts, make sure your customers know what they can expect from your site. For example, suppose your site is intended to educate clients about your products.
In that case, you need to have relevant content that provides value. If your site is a place for clients to make reservations, then have that functionality well-sorted.
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Want to use your site to redirect clients to social media? Design your site so the redirection is easy to navigate! Your site will stand out as a better user experience by having a clear purpose.
A clear purpose is essential in order to design a website that stands out.
3. Hosting Resources
Your business website will need a couple of different resources to get going. Let’s take a look at the primary building blocks of every website:
- Website building platform: Opt for a user-friendly platform that will allow you to design a website without prior coding experience. Many providers offer these services, including WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix. Here is a guide on how start a wordpress blog on hostgator. Skip this step if you’re hiring a developer to build your site.
- Domain name: Make sure your website address is short, easy to spell, and indicative of your business. This guide by Themeisle offers excellent advice on choosing a domain name.
- Hosting provider: A great hosting service will offer you all-in-one features such as customer support, free domain name, and built-in security features.
4. Plan For Expansion
You will want to ensure that your site supports your plans for future expansion. Thus, try to plan for growth in advance when planning to design a website.
A great way to do this is to choose a platform that can handle an increase in traffic or bandwidth needs. Another example is to ensure your site is flexible and adapts easily to new pages and changes.
If you’re planning to start online sales down the line, make sure the provider you choose offers e-commerce functionalities that you can use when you need to. Ways how bloggers make money.
5. Optimized Internal Processes
Your website is also a tool you can use to simplify your internal processes.
For example, by integrating your Customer Relationship Management and Enterprise Resource Planning systems into your website, you’ll be able to reduce time spent on functions like accounting, inventory tracking, and more.
You will also have better analytics that you can use to track trends in sales and customer feedback, thus perfecting your internal systems and optimizing for revenue.
According to an article by Verisign, over 65% of small business owners say that well-designed websites improve credibility and potential for success.
And we wholeheartedly agree – there is nothing that supports your growth strategies like a beautifully crafted website. So take the time and effort to invest in a stellar site today – your business will see the benefits.
Want to learn more about setting up your site for content creation? You need to check out The Online Pursuit site for informative resources and guides on all things blogging.
Guest post by Lance Cody-Valdez
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Hey, I’m Frank! A Digital Entrepreneurship enthusiast. I help people understand the fundamentals of digital entrepreneurship. I created this site originally to hone my web design skills, motivate & inspire people who also love to dream big! Read more...