It’s no secret, a website can be a business owner’s most valuable asset. As of March 2023, 99% of customers use the internet to find local businesses and 81% choose to research a business online before making a purchase [Zippia, 2023]. But a website can also be a big investment, especially for a start-up. Only 73% of small businesses have a website and with the average cost ranging between $1,000 and $10,000, it’s no surprise many businesses are forced to use alternatives.
Even the simplest websites require maintenance and the most successful have regularly updated content (videos, blogs, etc.), automation, search engine optimization, and more. Of course, the bigger or more feature-heavy the site, the more resources you need to maintain it so keeping things simple is essential for independents. I typically recommend minimal design, distinct branding, and only the pages that are absolutely necessary.
Nonetheless, there are a lot of parts to planning any website project. Some websites start with design or structure and some don’t. We’ll start with new websites, so we’ll start with structure but websites require a strategy
A strategy is a customized process (or combination of proces... More like any other marketing
Marketing is a series of steps used to achieve a sales goal.... More tool. New websites require the basics, of course, but still require the same strategic planning and management as any other website.
So if you’ve already built your website, skip ahead. Otherwise, we’ll start by walking you through the simplest ways to build a website. Then we’ll work our way up to maintenance, sales
Sales is any set of activities related to selling products a... More and marketingMarketing is a series of steps used to achieve a sales goal.... More.
- A Solid Website Foundation
At the very minimum, building any website requires:
- A web address to call home – known as a domain name. Preferably an easy-to-recall, branded domain for businesses.
- Hosting – gives this domain “land” (or webspace) to live in.
- A content management system (CMS) to easily manage the page content.
While there are many domain registration and hosting options available, their pricing and customer service can vary. While you don’t typically need customer service from your domain name registrar, a small business typically needs all the help it can get from its host. So unless you prefer green hosting, an industry-specific host, or any non-standard preference, I recommend using one of the major players – WordPress.com, Bluehost, etc.
The major players typically have all the features small businesses need to get their websites up and running well, and quickly. They may also be cheaper than alternatives because they sell such high volumes. You can also expect industry-standard service, comprehensive documentation, and 24/7 customer service of some kind.
Bluehost, for example, provides a free SSL certificate, one-click WordPress CMS installation, and guarantees 99.9% uptime. Like most hosts, you can also buy your domain at setup, expect some renewable energy use, and possibly receive a money-back guarantee. Their security, features, and speeds are typically about the same too so it really boils down to price and features.
Content Management Systems (CMS) vs. Website Builders
Content Management Systems and website builders are different but website builders are often compared to CMS and vice versa. In general, Content management systems have a higher learning curve for set up and use, while website builders make both easier but have fewer features.
For example, WordPress can do just about anything a brand needs, including competing powerfully in search results. But, while fairly easy to use, setup and training can take weeks, maybe months, and years to be truly mastered. Web builders like Squarespace, on the other hand, have much less of a learning curve but limit your search optimization options.
Learn more about the differences in this video from Expert Market:
Whichever host, CMS, or platform is used, regular maintenance is crucial for security. Themes, plunging, and CMS itself may need manual updates or to be checked on after automatic updates. (These can cause errors.) Additionally, regularly content updates help keep users engaged by keeping the site looking fresh and running faster. Adding new content will also keeps search engines happy. So, while many people hate blogging it is often a great way to keep a website competitive.
Even without a blog, website performance and search engine optimize are key to being found in search engine like DuckDuckGo, Bing, and Google.
2. A User-Friendly Structure
What people experience when using a website is known as user experience. It’s one of many places where marketingMarketing is a series of steps used to achieve a sales goal.... More and web design overlap. Of course, having access to a user experience (UX) designer is ideal but when that’s not possible, a simple bullet-point list can outline the simplest navigation. Like a restaurant, a website menu should display what visitors are looking for in an easily-readable form. Keep things simple to avoid overwhelming or confusing the audience by following three rules:
- Use a hierarchical structure (importance, alphabetical, chronological)
- Use as few menu items as possible (usually 5-10 main items)
- Avoid using more than 3 levels (or submenus)
Look for examples on sites in similar niches to see how their menus are set up. Don’t copy them but keep them in mind while considering what users will be looking for when they reach the site. Typically, they are looking for contact information or more about a business so there are mostly “contact” and “about” pages out there. The best experiences are often on pages that embrace their branding to make the pages their own so remember to stick to brand guidelines to do the same for any site. More on that is in item #3 below.
Before adding content, ask “how would this particular brand say this?” when titling pages or “how would this brand show this?” when adding imagery. Then block plenty of time to have fun with it. Brainstorm with your team, ask friends and family, or do a social media poll to simultaneously tease your new website. Remember, you can put as much or as little time into it as you like. A boring, old-fashion contact page still works.
- An Aligned Brand
Back to the second part of any well-designed, DIY, marketingMarketing is a series of steps used to achieve a sales goal.... More tool – branding. Branding plays a key role in user experience by signaling your website’s values. A rushed website may signal urgency but it could signal a lack of concern. An old website may signal the owner values function over vanity or it may signal a lack of resources. The difference not only depends on the other features of the website or brand but also on the user. Remember, it’s the user experience that matters so the user matters – their mood, environment, life experience… any of it can affect their experience of the website.
While we can’t control all aspects of the user experience, we do try to make the “on-site” experience as enjoyable as possible so the user returns or converts. Whether beforehand or as it happens, writing down design or brand guidelines helps both the user and the brand by adding consistency to brand materials (logo, social profiles, etc.). Guidelines make it easier for users to recognize brands and for brands to create materials. Making product and service information, including FAQs, contact, and any other customer service-related information easy to find also simplifies the user experience. If it’s too much information for one page, link to it. If a user has to search for information, they’re likely to give up and find it elsewhere then they’re more likely to buy there too.
Finally, this brings us to marketingMarketing is a series of steps used to achieve a sales goal.... More or the long-term relationship management of the user. even if a user doesn’t convert on their first visit, we typically want them to return. So we encourage a lasting relationship with marketingMarketing is a series of steps used to achieve a sales goal.... More. We may reach out via phone or email if we already have a user’s contact information. If not, we may engage them on social media to obtain it. A marketingMarketing is a series of steps used to achieve a sales goal.... More strategyA strategy is a customized process (or combination of proces... More can be a single action or a complex series of steps, what’s important is that it achieves its goals.
The first thing any web designer, DIY or otherwise, should define is the goal of the website. Other than brand-informed decisions, all other marketingMarketing is a series of steps used to achieve a sales goal.... More decisions can be derived from there. Is the site simply collecting email addresses or it is automating a series of emails? That depends on the goals. Does the site need to integrate with social media? Does the site need membership features and if so, which ones? Again, it depends on the goal. The perfect site for one brand should never be the perfect site for another. For independents, this is exponentially true.
The goal may be a salesSales is any set of activities related to selling products a... More goal but it may not. Whatever the goal, in marketingMarketing is a series of steps used to achieve a sales goal.... More we want to be sure to turn visitors into leads. Anyone visiting a website is a potential lead (customer, vendor, etc.). Capturing their information allows a long-term relationship to be built. Maybe users provide an email address to subscribe to email updates. Maybe they opt-in to cookies that allow the website to personalize their experience. Again, it will depend on the goals of the website.
Once you know, begin creating all your content around that goal. Every piece of content developed should be in service to this goal. Of course, I’m a fan of outsourcing this but not just as a service provider. I also outsource as much of my content as I can, too. I also use AI when appropriate to lighten the load.
For those of you who will be creating your own content, here’s a weekly routine that will help keep you focused on track:
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