Whether it’s for business purposes, to share your ideas and thoughts with the world, or to connect with like minded individuals who share your passions, you may be interested in creating your own website to build an audience. If you haven’t got experience in HTML or web design, the prospect of building a website can seem daunting, however, knowing the right tools to use and what steps to take can help get your idea off the ground and achieve the traffic you envisage. To help, here are a few things you need to know on how to build a successful website.
Establish Your Website Goals
Planning and preparation is key before launching a successful website. Before you get to work on building your website, you need to have a think about what you want your webpage to achieve. If you are creating a website for your business, your main objective will be to boost your company’s profits, but you should also break that down into more transitional and specific goals, such as increasing brand awareness. If your passion is blog writing and you want to share your thoughts and feelings with the masses, your goal should be to drive traffic and build a community.
Pick a Suitable Domain Name
Once you have outlined the reasonings behind setting up a website, the next step is to pick a suitable domain name that cements who you are and what your page is all about. Picking the right domain name can be difficult, so it’s best to stick with one that is easy to remember and lets visitors know who you are from the beginning. With millions of active websites on the internet, you will find that a lot of your ideas are already taken. To help you pick the right domain name, make sure to brainstorm different concepts and keywords that are relevant to what you plan to offer on your page.
Find a Hosting Provider
Finding the right web hosting provider is important for several reasons. Your web host is responsible for keeping hardware and software up to date, as well as server maintenance. Many web hosting providers include a domain name that is factored into the cost of hosting which can save you money. To find a reputable web hosting provider, there are numerous questions that you need to ask, such as whether the provider has a reliable server, and if they can handle your traffic. If your website takes off and gains traction, you will want to have a hosting provider that can cater to your needs.
Plan Your Site Organization
A successful website requires planning and proper organization. Before working on the website design, it’s best to sit down and work out what the categories and main pages your webpage will have. The most important pages should be listed in your main menu, making it easier for visitors when navigating to the most important areas of your site. To give your website structure, you should list the pages of your website, assign clear call-to-actions on each page, as well as use visual hierarchy to point consumers to the most helpful content.
Develop a Successful Website Design
Once you are confident with the main pages that you will be creating, the next step is to design your website. The two options you can pick from are using a website builder or asking a professional web designer for help. If you choose the former, it’s important that you research into the different web builder providers available.
Many website owners go for reputable providers like Wix or WordPress. There are key differences between Wix and WordPress that can help make up your mind. One of the differences between Wix and WordPress can be found in their types of templates/themes. They have different levels of customizability, and one platform may be better suited for your website needs. Once you weigh up the similarities and differences between Wix vs WordPress, you will feel more confident with your final decision.
Optimize for SEO
For people to find your website, you will need to understand the importance of SEO and how it can help build traffic. Learning the basics of SEO and optimizing your pages before going live will help boost your search engine ranking. Using relevant keywords and adding meta descriptions for each page on your website should be your first step. While search engine optimization is a lot to handle at first, once you brush up on the basics, you can help boost your websites ranking on platforms like Google and Yahoo.
Plan Your Marketing Strategy
Regardless of how great your website design is, you need to have a solid marketing strategy in place for your website to be seen by the masses. Tactics like social media marketing, content marketing, and paid marketing are all routes to consider. Setting up a business page on Facebook and linking your website will help point visitors in the right direction.
When launching a website, it’s only natural that you will want as many visitors as possible. For your website to gain traffic, all the tips listed above can help you on your journey to success.