Building a website is among the top three technical challenges business owners face throughout their careers. Over 69% of small and medium-sized businesses struggle with website creation, and the process often seems overwhelming even before it begins.
While it may be the case for some, it shouldn't be for you, if you follow the listed steps.
1. Define Your Website’s Purpose & Requirements
Before you start building a website, you need a plan.
What's the company, product, or service you want to create a website for? Depending on the answer, the objectives you want your website to fulfill might change. An eCommerce website needs a secure payment system, while a portfolio website should showcase your best case studies and results.
A good starting point is to define your purpose by answering the following questions:
What is the website’s primary purpose? (Brand awareness, lead generation, e-commerce, content distribution, etc.)
What actions should visitors take? (Buy a subscription, buy products, read articles, contact for business consultations, etc.)
Who is your target audience? What are their main concerns?
This will help you identify the type of website your endeavor needs and subsequently the key pages it needs.
Let's have a look at some examples.
Service-Based Business
A website designed for service-based businesses should focus on booking consultations and lead generation. Essential elements include:
A homepage with clear value propositions and calls to action (like "Book a Free Consultation")
A dedicated services page detailing what is offered
A contact page with a simple inquiry form
Testimonials or case studies to build credibility
eCommerce Store
The focus for online stores should be on streamlined product browsing and checkout functionality. As an eCommerce website's specific goal is to sell goods, the navigation and design should contribute to this goal.
The key pages for an online store include:
A homepage that highlights best-selling or featured products
A shopping cart page that allows users to easily view, update, and proceed to checkout with their selected items
Detailed product listings and individual product pages with descriptive media footage
Portfolio Website
A portfolio website should highlight past work in a visually compelling manner. Professional photographers, writers, artists, and other creative professionals often use portfolio websites to showcase their unique talents. With this in mind, a portfolio website should include:
A homepage that introduces the creator and their expertise
A portfolio section showcasing the best-performing work and detailed case studies
A contact page with a simple inquiry form or booking option with available schedule times
Testimonials or reviews from satisfied clients to build credibility and trust with your target clients
2. Choose the Right Website Building Tools
Once you know the purpose of your future website and have a clear understanding of the message you want to convey, it's time to start building. The easiest way to create a website without technical support is by using no-code website builders with premade blocks. Some of the popular options available on the market are:
Wix: Ideal for beginners with zero coding skills, looking for premade and customizable website templates.
Webflow: A more advanced option with design control and customization. Webflow is suitable for non-tech people looking for high-end and visually unique solutions.
Softr: Great for building mobile applications and membership websites with zero coding input.
When choosing a website builder, consider:
Customization Options: Can you fully control the layout, colors, and fonts?
Scalability: Will the platform support growth if you need to expand features later?
SEO Capabilities: Does it offer SEO tools like metadata editing, mobile optimization, and fast-loading pages?
E-commerce and Integrations: Can you add payment gateways, forms, or analytics?
3. Designing Your Website Without a Designer
Working with a no-code website builder also means designing a future website without hiring a designer. Most such tools have drag-and-drop functionality, allowing you to change elements' size, positions, and style, and even add new components as needed. Look for pre-designed templates close to your goals and incorporate the key elements you might need.
Quick Branding Tips
If you want to have outstanding website design with minimal professional help, remember these tips:
Stay consistent in the use of fonts and main brand colors. Choose combinations that express your style and don't interfere with the core message.
Use authentic images instead of generic stock photos to enhance credibility.
Place calls to action strategically where users naturally navigate or where they need to take certain actions.
Use whitespace effectively to create a clean and uncluttered design.
Highlight important information with bold headers and visual hierarchy.
4. Content Creation & SEO Optimization
Visually appealing websites that promote valuable assets still need high-quality and persuasive content to engage visitors and prove the website’s credibility to search engines. Write compelling copy that converts and leads people toward the desired action.
Clear website copy speaks directly to the target audience, addressing their needs and challenges. It should sync with the visuals and the overall design of the webpage. Try keeping it simple and scannable by adding short paragraphs, bullet points, and subheadings.
Besides guiding visitors to the next step, website content also helps you rank higher on Google. Having relevant keywords and phrases in the copy can attract organic traffic to the website. However, avoid stuffing keywords and focus on providing valuable information for the readers.
Using AI Tools for Content Generation
Website content should always be valuable and unique so that search engine algorithms trust and rank it higher in search results. However, you can significantly streamline the content creation workflows with AI-powered tools.
For instance, tools like Jasper, Copy.ai, or ChatGPT can help you ideate and generate content ideas for different sections of your website. You can also use these tools to create meta descriptions or blog article outlines to speed up the whole content generation.
5. Integrating Essential Website Features
Adding third-party integrations may seem like a too complicated and technical task but it's not the case for those using website builders. Advanced tools already have built-in integrations with other software that provide additional features for websites.
Contact forms, booking tools, and email signup forms are such assets making websites more user-friendly and interactive. People are more likely to engage with websites that have advanced functionality rather than just displaying static content. Depending on your business type, the following tools can improve interaction and lead generation:
Simple contact forms allow website visitors to reach out to you instead of searching your contacts or social media.
Booking and scheduling tools are great for professionals whose work depends on appointments, like consultants, fitness trainers, or accountants.
Email forms help businesses capture potential customer and nurture leads with automated email sequences.
6. Website Security & Performance Optimization
Secure websites enhance user satisfaction and also win the trust of search engines resulting in higher rankings and increased traffic. Moreover, both sides equally prioritize fast-loading sites that work on any device.
Most website builders have rather advanced solutions for security and performance optimization.
SSL certificates and HTTPS protocols encrypt data transferred between your site and a user's browser.
Mobile optimization ensures that websites look great on any device they're accessed from. Building mobile-friendly sites using traditional development would require extra time and effort.
Website backups are essential for keeping your data safe in case of hacking, data breaches, or accidental loss. Website builders provide automated backup systems allowing you to stay calm about the safety of your content.
7. Launching & Promoting Your Website
After building and optimizing your website for search algorithms and visitors, the final step is to test and launch it. Don't forget to promote your website for maximum reach and engagement.
Final Pre-Launch Checklist
Before launching, conduct a thorough quality check to ensure everything functions properly. This includes:
Testing all links and forms to confirm they work correctly
Checking website responsiveness on mobile, tablet, and desktop
Verifying SEO metrics like meta titles, descriptions, and alt tags (image descriptions)
Setting up Google Analytics to track visitor behavior
Running speed tests with Google PageSpeed Insights
Tracking Performance and Iterating for Improvement
Once live, monitor website analytics to identify strengths and weaknesses. Try to identify the main traffic sources with AI sentiment analysis tools to understand what's working and attracting your target customers. This will provide actionable insights into how to improve your website and reach a wider audience.
Appearing in the search results may take weeks if not months. For wider exposure and quicker results, try sharing your website across social media channels and email campaigns. This will help drive traffic and increase engagement on your website.
Conclusion
Building and launching a successful website involves careful planning, thorough quality checks, and ongoing tracking to ensure it meets your goals. Don't be afraid to experiment and adapt your strategy as you grow.
Mike Hakob
Mike Hakob is a seasoned digital marketing maven with over 15 years of mastery, and the visionary Co-Founder of FormStory. As the driving force behind Andava Digital, he has dedicated his expertise to empowering small to medium-sized businesses, crafting tailor-made websites, and pioneering innovative marketing strategies. With a graduate degree in Management of Information Systems, Mike seamlessly blends the realms of technology and marketing, consistently setting new industry benchmarks and championing transformative digital narratives.
