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Nowadays, businesses require a web presence to effectively trade and reach clients, and so business owners have to adapt to changes currently taking place. However, many do not have time to research marketing themselves online.
With that in mind, let’s take an easy introduction on how to create a web identity and what options are available.
Examine your Goal
You know what you want to showcase, but you can overlook why it needs showcasing, to begin with. Ask yourself what you are looking to achieve from people who will visit your site.
Before building a site as you go along, plan out what you are wanting to say and research other websites. Seeing how businesses communicate to people not knowledgeable about your industry is of more value than you may realise.
What is a Domain Name and Why is it Important?
A domain name is how you will be identifiable in a URL; such as janescupcakes or janes-cupcakes. You will finish this off with a suffix such as .com, .co.uk, .net etc.
A major factor in choosing your URL is first checking to see if the domain is available to register. If another company has the domain you are looking to utilise, it could cause confusion for clients.
In finding an available domain name, it is also worth registering under the other domain’s to prevent mix-ups in client searches such as the .com as well as the co.uk.
Web Hosting
Web hosting is storing data on a server and is usually allocated to an external hosting service. This is an important decision for your website.
Look into specifics such as how secure your site will be and how much speed you will get, as well as the pricing involved. A cheap option isn’t always a safe option, so reading into the pros and cons and find the right option.
You don’t want a server slow to respond to any downtime in your website that may occur, so make sure to read reviews on any considered.
Building your Page
There are free options for building websites on the internet, however, they can fall low in customization and limit the number of pages available.
Many businesses utilise web development professionals who will create and maintain your website for a setup fee and a monthly charge, which not only utilises in house programmers and graphic designers to ensure your brand stands out and runs effectively, but frees up your time to concentrate on running your business.
An important factor to consider is to provide your own photographs instead of relying on stock photos on the internet. Make your brand relatable, giving an introduction to staff and work demonstrated. Remember that a website is an introduction about not just what you do, but what you can provide for them.
Get feedback from someone not working with you on it giving a clear overview of your business and values.
Payment Solutions
Are you planning on selling products through your website? Choosing the correct product for your business is very important.
There are many packages available, but overall you need an uncomplicated solution that offers easy interaction for your clients. Shopping cart software is an option to add to your existing website as an extra. If your website is mainly focused on being an online store then an eCommerce option is preferable.
Again, research into the right product is a must to ensure that the package is correct for your business needs. It is also important to learn about things related to an eCommerce business such as Customer Acquisition Cost and Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) and what they mean for your business.
As Common Thread Collective point out – even if you know what these terms mean — you may not know what they mean for your specific business and so it’s really important to learn as much as you can about them.
Review Before Publishing
Ensuring that functions, interaction and content is all correct prior to launching your site should not be undervalued. After all, you would not want customers noticing a flaw or misspelling on their first visit.
Take the time to test your website and allow someone to interact with it prior to launch. If you pride yourself on your work then your online presence should be the first introduction to that.
Social Media & Marketing
So you now have a website; next, you need to promote it for people to see it.
Your URL should be displayed on any business cards and promotional materials. Also, set up business pages for free on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin and include your URL for everyone to see. This is a very important identity to be able to generate traffic to your website. The internet is a big place, and you need as many avenues as possible to get your brand noticed.
There is much more that could be utilised to establish a strong presence on the web. Stockport website design companies have some of the most reputable and established developers helping brands with SEO to generate strong search results, as well as the most responsive web design available.
This is a collaborative post.
Welcome to Birds and Lilies! I'm Lou: mother, blogger and freelance writer. This is my lifestyle blog, where I talk about motherhood, infertility and IVF, beauty, my love for food and wine, as well as my thoughts about stuff, and our real-life and travel adventures.
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