If you are a business owner and you are still “invisible” on the Internet, creating a website should really be part of your business plan. Today, the Internet is an indispensable tool for all business people, and online communication with potential users can significantly improve your business, and you are not even aware of it.
Why do you need it?
It does not matter what the sphere of your activity is. It can be selling, providing services or anything else. It is essential that you have one so that people can find you when they need the service you provide.
A serious business website will help you introduce yourself, promote and generate more customers, which before the advent of the Internet was acceptable to a small number of companies – only those who could afford it, by paying for large advertising campaigns.
Today, things have changed and the possibility of online business is something you should not ignore and we cannot emphasize it enough… The advantages are numerous, and here is an example… when a client:
– conduct an Internet search on who can help him solve his problems… the client can find you
-wants to find more information about specific companies, in order to determine credibility, in most cases he will use the information available to him on the web;
-wants to contact you by email or phone… will almost always use contact information from the website, because they are expected to be up to date.
Basic things that everyone should have
It represents you – your business, so it needs to present you as well as possible. The design itself (appearance) is very important, but there are factors that are more important than the design itself.
1. URL
This is one of the most important items when building and planning it. The address must be such that it makes sense for your business. Let’s say you’re into jewelry making. An example of a bad address would be just your or some random name because it does not give any description of your business. An example of a good address is one where you mention jewelry because this address describes your business and as such is good for SEO as well.
Therefore, by choosing a good address, you start quality optimization for search engines.
2. Sitemap – structure
Before starting the design, it is best to make the correct structure (map) of it. It is very important to design a good structure, so that the user who views it, would not be confused with the content and topics. The map should be branched pyramidally, from the top (home page), then down (categories-> items), so that everything has some logical meaning and so that the information on the site flows incorrect order.
Note: Google values sites that have a well-designed hierarchy much more. That is why it is very important to create the correct structure of navigation.
3. Reliable Hosting
Don’t neglect to host and set up a site somewhere where it is often unavailable. Avoid free hosting. Look for hosting with good customer support, which is available 24 hours a day.
Poor hosting affects a site in several ways. Slow loading can be frustrating for your visitors. Frequent non-availability and server errors are very bad for SEO optimization. If you have not yet decided on a hosting provider, WebpageScientist has done all the work for you, you just need to read their reviews and choose the right one for you.
4. Key business information
The most common mistake people make is that a website is made based on your desires and what you like, and not based on what others need.
Don’t post unnecessary things like the big page About Us, inappropriate flash animations, music and the like.
What you need to pay attention to are key information about the products and content, contact information and location (location with instructions). Write a text that will show you the whole world with dignity.
Depending on the topic of it and the business you are in, there are some things that should also be found on your site. For example, for restaurants, it is necessary to have a menu. If you have multiple branches, then the list of locations is important. If you have a web store, you need quality product images. For a service-based business, it is necessary to have quality customer support as well as visitor comments. For example, wedding planners should have reviews written by former users.
5. Contact info
We all know that contact information is most important for any business. That is why they must have a special section. Every visitor is most frustrated when they cannot find contact information on it. Information such as phone number, mail, address, contact form, must be easily accessible and visible on it.
When you post this information, it is not recommended that it be within the image, but that it be written as text so that users can copy it as needed. One way to gather contact information is thru web scraping, if you want to learn more, click for more information.
6. Easy navigation
A sitemap is useless if you do not have easy and understandable navigation. Navigation should have its own categories, and if necessary subcategories, in order to be better organized.
7. Security
If you sell some products (or services) over the Internet, it would be desirable to raise the level of security for your site, with an SSL certificate.
SSL will encrypt the communication between your site and the customer, which will protect important information, such as your credit card number, and thus gain more trust from your customers.
However, there are many SSL certs available from reputed certificate authorities and resellers like SSL2BUY that offers SSL certifficate at lower price. While choosing SSL certificate, you should consider validation type, number of domains, price and after sales support.
8. Integration with social networks
Today, there are a large number of social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Youtube, Linkedin, Instagram, Foursquare and the like, and you should have your presence on them. This means that your brand should have its side on as many of these social networks as possible, with as frequent updates as possible.
This will make it easier for people to find you and contact you. Be sure to point out that presence on social networks on the site.
9. Mobile version
Mobile phones and tablets are increasingly being used to browse the internet. That is why you should pay great attention to their adjustment.
For example, if someone searches for a restaurant on the Internet over the phone, it is very likely that they will also visit the restaurant they find. Therefore, it should be optimized for different screens.
In the past, the design was made especially for computers, and especially for mobile phones. Today that has changed and the design is done universally, for any device on the internet. This means that one is created, which is adapted for several types of screens – laptop, tablet, phone… and it is called Responsive design.
You can learn more about Simplilearn’s full-stack web development course.
Conclusion:
We believe that from our article you have understood the necessity of having a website in today’s world, as well as the most important factors to consider. And remember, sometimes less is actually more.
