How To Make A Website For A Small Business
If you have been thinking about setting up a website for a small business but have no idea where to start, don’t worry, I got you!
I remember the first time I had to build a website for a small business I was launching before I knew anything about website design and I had no idea where to start!
I’m going to save you some time with research and provide you with all the necessary steps it will take to get your website up and running (aside from actually building the thing!)
Purchase a domain
Now this doesn’t need to be the very first thing you do but it is important to start thinking about your domain name and check if it’s available.
The reason I want you to start thinking about it right away is because this is most likely going to be your business name.
It’s not always easy coming up with a name for your business, I mean I stuck with Designed by Harj because it was very easy!
But you can get as creative as you want or you can use your own name, whatever it is you want this finalized so you can purchase a domain for your business.
I have had clients who have felt rushed to figure out what their business name should be, therefore rushed to figure out what their domain is going to be. And the last thing I would want is for you to choose a name out of urgency, so just start thinkin’ about it.
Brand Photoshoot
Images have to be one of the most important aspects of your website.
I have said it before and I will say it again, the images you use on your website will make or break it!
No matter how beautiful the design layout is, low quality images will really bring the aesthetic down.
It’s also important to have images that are on brand. With online businesses you don’t have a space for your clients to physically walk into, your website is your store front. We want them to feel your entire brand when they land on your website!
Copy for your website
So we talked about how important images are for your website and the next most important will be the words you use to speak with your ideal clients, and how you use them!
When your ideal client is reading the words on your page (the copy) they should feel like you are talking directly to them – one on one.
They should feel heard, their pain point should be addressed in different ways. And then how you are going to solve their problem for them.
Your copy is going to build connections with your ideal clients. Not only do we want our copy to connect with your website visitor, we want it to convert them into loyal customers/clients! That’s what having a business is all about so let’s make sure we get our copy right!
You can either hire a copy writer or when you work with me I provide you with copy writing guides for each page on your website. So you will have the option to DIY and feel confident that you are writing in a way that connects and converts.
Decide whether you want to DIY or hire a Designer
Depending on where you are at with your business you will decide what works best for you. You can either DIY your website or you can hire a Designer.
Neither is right or wrong, do what works best for you at this time. If you choose to DIY you can always have a Designer revamp your website when you are ready to make that investment.
There are so many online resources you can find to support you while you build your own website. Stay tuned for some Showit web design tips I will be launching on YouTube!
And if you have any questions you can always feel free to send me an email at info@designedbyharj.com I would love to chat and support where I can!
Or if you are interested in working with a Designer I have something for you! Here’s a list of 10 questions to ask during your free consult call with a website designer.
Optimize for SEO
A website is so much more than just a place for your clients to visit and get information. You can use your website as a powerful marketing tool!
Having a website on its own is already great for marketing because your ideal client is learning (and feeling) your brand. But you can take this even further!
If you focus on SEO (Search Engine Optimization) you can use your website to generate quality leads for your business.
SEO is a huge topic! To break it down, you can focus on what we call “on-page SEO” which is adding Title and Descriptions to each page and element on your website. When you add these you want to make sure you are using “Keywords” about your niche.
If you want to learn more about Keyword research, I have a blog post for you!
4 Ways to do SEO Keyword Research and Where to Use Your Keywords on Your Website
You can also take your SEO strategy further by blogging. The more value you add to your website and provide to your clients the more reliable your website becomes in Google’s algorithm. Not only are you helping your ideal clients by providing information that they are searching for, you are also increasing your SEO.
Oh, and in case you’re confused about what SEO and Keywords are…
SEO is Search Engine Optimization. It is the process used to improve the ranking of your website’s search results.
“Keywords are ideas and topics that define what your content is about. In terms of SEO, they’re the words and phrases that searchers enter into search engines” – Moz
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