There are countless reasons why you may need a website in 2021: maybe that you need an online portfolio or a platform to promote your business. Whether you decide to work with an agency or build it yourself, there is a thin line between a great and a mediocre site. Here are 8 steps to help you create a great website.
1- Understand the purpose of your new site
What is the purpose of your website? Since making a website often costs time and money, start with understanding the desired outcome you are aiming to achieve. Will it enable you to sell a product or service? Will it enable customers to access information about you? Second question: who is your website targeted towards? You need to understand your potential visitors in order to fulfill their needs. Your site must be relevant and appeal to your audience. Your design will likely change depending on the intended market.
2 – Have a Plan
Next step, make a plan! Does it need a blog or an online store? What information should you include? How would you like this to be presented? Since there are many types of websites (landing pages, one-page sites, online portfolios, showcase sites), it is important to know what you need before contacting an agency or using a website builder. For example, if you organize events, you should include detailed information about the events, the artists, the schedule, the location, how to get there… but you will also need a page on your website specifically designed to sell tickets online or even a page on how cashless payment works if that’s the payment method used on your event. Regardless of your website’s purpose, the website’s architecture needs to be clear and it has to be easy for the visitor to find all the information.
Why not visit several different websites to get some inspiration? If you have a precise idea in mind, put pen to paper and sketch out your ideas. It will only ease the creation process.
3- Choosing a Domain Name
A domain name is the link leading to your site. It is an essential element of your online presence, and you must choose it carefully since it can help or hurt your credibility. What should you keep in mind when choosing a domain name for your website? It must be short, easy to remember, relevant, representative, unique, and available. Let’s be honest, which of the following potential domain names seems the most professional: “www.glasgow-videoediting.com” or “www.imakemovvies32-mysite.org”?
4- Add Relevant Content
Your site is the basis of your online presence. It is the place to discover information about you and your business, as well as answering any questions a potential customer might have. You can talk about your story, background, inspiration, past projects, etc. Keep in mind what content would interest your potential customers. Remember it is quite frustrating to look for something on a website and not find an answer. Good content will also help your site to be indexed by search engines.
5- Follow Basic Design Guidelines
Currently, graphic design trends are mostly about simplicity – keep that in mind when creating your website. Leave some space and use different pages to cover separate subjects. You could keep the look and feel of your site simple by not using more than three main colors or
fonts. The main goal is to design something well-balanced with strong branding. When you use too many elements, you confuse your visitors.
6- Use High-Quality Visuals
Everyone knows a picture is worth a thousand words; there is no excuse for adding low-quality visuals to your website in 2021! We can now easily obtain high-quality stock materials online, including video and audio. Royalty-free assets like the ones you can find on Videvo are perfect because you are safe using them for personal and commercial purposes, so you can use them on your website and other marketing campaigns with peace of mind.
7- Take the Time to Work on Your SEO
We could write a complete article on the importance of SEO, but we will leave that for another time. Search engine optimization (SEO) may seem complex; if you do not have the time to check it out yourself, feel free to get in touch with SEO specialists that can help you. In summary, if you want Google to show your site in its top results, you need to help it find and rank it in the first place. It is crucial because the higher you rank in the search engine results pages (SERP), the more traffic you’ll have. Start by looking at the best keywords to use, structuring your content, and writing relevant meta descriptions.
8- Avoid Spelling or Grammar Mistakes
One of the worst things that can harm your credibility is leaving spelling or grammar mistakes. Yes, no one is safe from making a mistake, but they are avoidable. Before publishing your site, take the time to proofread all the text, and test all links and buttons. If you are unsure, ask some friends or family to help you or ask a professional proofreader.
Following these steps is a great start to creating a great website. Take the time to look at as many sites as possible and note down what you like about them and how they are structured. Then make a plan, divide the work into sections, and develop a work plan to help you bring all the elements together!