Are you planning to build a website?
If you are building a website for the first time, you definitely need some direction. Building a website needs a lot of planning and several considerations. Newbies need to know a few things before starting a website so that their objective of having the website is fulfilled.
So, here are a few things which you need to know as you move ahead with your plans of starting a website.
Be Clear About the Objective of Your Website
So, the question is why do you want the website?
Do you wish to inform people that you have a business or is it that you want them to get in touch with you? Will you sell some products online or do you wish to showcase your creative side? No matter what it is, it is necessary to be establish the goal or objective of your website.
Do Your Research Well
Next, you need to look around and check all other websites which are there, with the same objective as yours. Research on the style of the most successful ones. Check their layout and find out what they are doing differently or how their design is which is working in their favor?
Understand your Target Market
This is the most crucial aspect. You should be completely clear about your target market as this will completely affect your website design. There are several other things that are dependent on your target market. These include your networking efforts, content, theme and also search engine optimization. Remember, everything related to your website is directly related to the target market.
Selection of the Domain Name
You just cannot select your domain name randomly. You need to select something which is easily remembered, it needs to be short and it needs to reflect the nature of your business.
Designing and Layout
Once your research is complete, you will have a rough idea about the design style of your business. You need to build a mood board with the right screen grabs from the different sites you like. For the layout of your website, you can sketch some drawings to ensure how your ideas come together on the specific page. These days responsive website designs are a must – ensure that your designer is ensuring the design is compatible with all devices.
Creating the Pages and Content
This is another important aspect which you need to be sure about before you start a website. Here are a few questions – the answers to which you need to know.
- What do you wish to tell your visitors?
- Do you have anything of their interest? What will your website have to excite them?
- Why will they stay on your site? What will be their motivation or what they will get?
- How many pages will you need to convey all the above and more effectively?
- Will you write? Will you hire a good content writer?
It is necessary to ensure that your copy is quite relevant and is able to hold the attention of your visitors.
Search Engine Optimisation
This will play a major role in bringing people to your website. You will be incorporating different search terms and keywords which your audience will type into Google. Thus, you need to plan for keyword research beforehand so that they can be used in the content of your website. Plan using Google Adwords as part of your strategy for increasing the visibility of your website. You might need help in this aspect. Here are a few things which need to be taken out:
- Your site should load fast
- It is easily found
- It has all the necessary social media buttons so that it can be shared easily
Have your Images Ready
You will need high-quality relevant images for your website. Before you start your website, you need to have all the images lined up. This will help in saving time as you pull different images together. The images should be clear and convey the message. They need to be relevant because selection of any random image doesn’t help.
Create your Logo
It is necessary to have your logo before you have your website LIVE. This will ensure that your brand is recognizable. How will you create your logo? You can hire a designer to create your logo. There are some professional software available as well such as Adobe which can help in creating the logo of your business.
Stick to Your Deadline
Remember, you need to have a deadline so that you can manage your time quite efficiently. You need to set yourself daily targets and get certain sections of your site done daily. Without any fixed deadline, you will keep putting off things and it will delay your website.
Go ahead and plan your website – with proper planning, you will have a site which serves your objectives.
