Are you running a business? If so, then you’ve probably considered creating a website for it. With a digital platform, you can promote your products and services to a wide range of people worldwide.
Today, websites are considered one of the most powerful marketing tools, along with other forms of digital marketing, including social media, email, and SMS. They allow you to not only build a strong presence online but also create a community that follows your brand.
However, running a website is no easy task, and just the thought of creating one can feel daunting and overwhelming. Besides, there are plenty of things you have to know to build and run a website successfully.
Knowing these things may also prepare you for all the challenges of running a business website. These may include the domain name of a website, responsive web design, search engine optimization, consistent blogging, etc.
If you don’t know where to begin, this post may help. Continue reading to discover things you should know before you start creating a business website.
1. Website Domain Name
Does this sound familiar to you when planning to build a website? That’s because a domain name is an essential part of a website. You can say that no website can exist without it. So, what is it, anyway?
A domain name is the address of a website. It’s what you usually answer when people ask for your website (e.g., www.abc123.com). In other words, your website is the house, and its domain is the address people use to locate it.
You can get a domain for your website with the help of a great provider. This may cost you around USD$8 to USD$22 per year, but that may still depend on what kind of address you want to get and special discounts.
2. Domain Name Vs. Web Hosting
Many people confuse domain names with web hosting, but they’re different from each other. If the former is the web address, the latter is the land where your website is built.
Web hosting is run by a computer called servers. It is facilitated by a third-party service provider known as hosting companies.
Both domain name and web hosting are important to building a website. However, it’s important to remember that these are two different services. In most cases, you can get them from two different companies, although some may provide both.
3. Responsive Web Design
Before you start creating a website, ensure you understand the importance of responsive web design. But first, what does it mean?
A responsive web design means a website runs perfectly across different devices, whether a laptop or mobile device. It’s capable of automatically adjusting based on different sizes and viewports.
If your website is nonresponsive, you’ll lose potential customers and take away all the traffic from your website. That’s because many people these days, young and old, use smartphones and other mobile devices to search through the internet to find something to buy.
Here are some tips to help you develop a responsive web design:
- Use breakpoints and media queries to optimize web layouts for different screen sizes.
- Use a viewport for optimized page dimension and scaling.
- Make your design touch responsive to allow users to hover across the webpage easily with just a touch of a button.
- Don’t forget responsive typography. Ensure that all the texts on your website are optimized for mobile devices as well.
- Ask the experts for additional advice.
4. Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most crucial aspects of running a website. This will determine the position of your website every time a user searches for a particular topic related to what you offer.
Of course, you want to secure the topmost position to generate significant traffic to your website because the higher the traffic, the higher the chances of earning sales. However, that all depends on your SEO strategy.
The following are some helpful tips to level up your SEO:
- Produce high-quality, SEO-optimized content. It should be original and evergreen (content that can stay fresh as long as possible, not seasonal content).
- Target featured snippets to ensure your page ranks higher than your competitors.
- Optimize your page title and meta description. Keep the title between 30 and 60 characters (160 characters and below for meta description).
- Use short yet concise URLs (e.g., www.travelwithme.com/tips-to-enjoy-Fiji).
- Optimize the loading speed of your website. You may consider removing all those you deem unnecessary, such as images.
5. Consistent Blog Creation
Did you know that consistency is also a key to running a website? To engage with your audience as much as possible, consider posting blogs regularly. However, it takes a lot of work and effort, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be difficult.
The hardest part of active blogging is always the first step, like going to the gym. In the beginning, working out can tire you out easily because your body hasn’t adapted to your new routine. Yet after some time, it will become a regular part of your life.
That said, consider the following to help you blog consistently:
- Come up with at least 10 ideas per day.
- Write wherever and whenever you want. Don’t lock yourself in a cubicle that would prevent you from enjoying the essence of blogging.
- Use your mobile devices when blogging. They’re great tools that would allow you to immediately create, publish, and share content right from your smartphone or tablet.
- Automate publishing schedule. This way, you don’t have to remind yourself when to publish something and you can focus your thoughts on creating new posts.
6. Website Security
Threats, such as viruses and malware, are the number one enemy of a website. Every day, websites fall victim to hacking by cybercriminals, stealing crucial information that may result in financial crises. So, it’s important to ensure the security of your website at all times.
Protecting your website from hackers and attackers is possible using web application firewalls and server-side solutions. You may start by looking for a trusted service provider that can help protect your website on all sides.
Final Words
Creating a business website is an effective way to promote your products and services to a wide range of people. However, there are things you should know before you build one. Therefore, consider implementing the knowledge presented above to have a successful business website.
