Fast and simple ways to build your website

It’s difficult to imagine yourself living in a world without the internet. Even with all the opportunities that exist online, there are hundreds of businesses that don’t have a website. A 2017 survey released by Clutch, a research firm based in Washington DC, shows that only 71 percent of small businesses have a website. Although this is an improvement from 2016’s survey that showed only 46 per cent of small businesses owned a website, the data is still worrying, considering the many resources available.

So, Why Is It Important for Your Business To Have A Website?

• Proves the existence of your business

Consumers are 84 per cent more likely to trust your business and find it genuine if it has a website. In the same breadth, 65 per cent of consumers will trust your business emails if they are company branded as compared to having a generic one.

• Increases your company’s visibility to existing and new clients

Out of every ten consumers, nine admit to having used the internet to search for products and services before making a buying decision. Thus, having a website and getting it optimised for people to find it in their search results is essential. If you find it difficult to rank in search engines, consider taking help from the SEO agencies that are skilled and performance oriented.

• Provides your company a global audience vis-à-vis a local one

Your website allows different people in different time zones to access your products across the globe, increasing your visibility and sales revenue.

• Analytics

Having a website allows you to track real-time user data and discover what exactly it is your consumers are interested in.

• Expansion into different markets

Those looking to expand their business to other markets or regions stand to benefit a lot if they have a website that consumers can visit to get information.

How Can You Build Your Website?

There are more than hundreds of companies dedicated to offering web design services to, not only small to medium-sized businesses, but to startups as well.

25 percent of small businesses surveyed by Clutch said their lack of a website was due to lack of technical skills. Although a website is very crucial for your business to thrive, a professional website will need a web hosting account. A web hosting account enhances the efficiency and functionality of your website.

There are four ways you can use to build a professional website at an affordable cost.

• Use free website builders

Some people are more inclined to use free website builders as it helps keep their budget spending on the minimal. Most of the free website builders are quick and easy to use. However, their quality may not be worth your while. Moreover, they have limited functionality design. Free website builders can be a good option if your website needs to be simple.

• Template websites

The most consuming thing in any website development is the design. Template websites are of good quality and help you cut costs and save time. The only setback with the template website is that some of them lack a Content Management System (CMS), and you may also not be able to customize it to suit your needs. You will, therefore, be forced to hire a programmer to get a freelancer to do it for you.

• WordPress

According to most developers, WordPress is by far the best design you can use to build your website. It’s suitable for professional website owners as well as beginners. With WordPress, you can choose from two versions:

i) Self-hosted version

The WordPress self-hosted version has plenty of themes, plugins and tools at your disposal. These come in handy when creating your website as it gives it a more professional and unique style.

1. ii) Fully hosted version

Fully hosted versions, on the other hand, are limited when it comes to the functionality and design.

• Do-It-Yourself Website Design

If you have the time to learn how to code or know how to code, you can easily build your website by yourself. There are plenty of tutorials available on YouTube that can give you the basics of what’s needed to build your website. Even though you might not spend much as you will to do the creation on your own, the quality of the website might not be professional enough, and it’s time-consuming.

• Professional website design

This is by far the most suitable option if you want to have a website that is, not only good looking but professional as well. Remember, traffic on your website translates to sales revenue. A website that offers the best user experience is a sure way of retaining your customers. Although hiring a web designer can be costly, it’ll save you time and you’ll end up with a website that’s of good quality and that caters to your need.

What Platforms Can You Use to Build Your Website?

There are several free or paid for website builders that you can use to create your website. Below is a list of some of them:

1. Squarespace

One of the most commonly used website builders that rarely misses a spot on any reviews is the Squarespace. It has plenty of themes, tools, and features that enable you to create a desktop or mobile responsive website. It also has access to some analytic tools. However, Squarespace has no free version and has limited templates.

2. Weebly

Weebly’s interface is quite attractive with themes that are very responsive. It allows for analytics, email marketing and is quite easy to use. Weebly’s App Centre, the only one of its kind, gives you the ability to install apps that add to the functionality of your website. You can use it to create a blog or for eCommerce.

3. Wix

If you are looking to design a website that will guarantee you full control of your website, then you should consider using Wix. The fact that it is a blank canvas editor allows you to customize items as you wish. It has tools that can fully help you create a professional looking website.

Tips to keep in mind when building your website

1. Domain name

Having a domain name is crucial to successfully create a website. Different companies will have different offers when it comes to the registration of your domain. Some companies may offer you free registration of your domain but charge you a monthly hosting fee.

Your domain name needs to be relevant and memorable. Difficult domain names can be hard to find on the internet. An easy to remember domain name makes an easy to find a website. For example, if your business name is ‘Reliable Logistics’, your domain name could be as simple as “http://www.reliablelogistics.com”. It’s short, simple and clearly gives consumers an idea of what your business does.

2. Website account hosting

Any professional website needs a reliable web hosting service. Most web hosting services usually have discounts for first-time clients. Furthermore, they may also have a money back guarantee if their web hosting services don’t meet the needs of your business.

Depending on the company, their new client special offers may go as low as up to 50 percent for the first few months or for a whole year. This allows you to try out the effectiveness of their hosting services to establish whether your business will find value in it.

Before settling for a hosting company, it’s advisable to do due diligence and look at online reviews and discussion forums. Pay attention to their customer service care. A good web hosting firm will have around the clock customer support and offer quality products.