Are you a business owner looking to establish a web presence? Nowadays, it seems that all sorts of businesses are getting online. Designing and building a website can be a daunting task. Here are some guidelines to help you understand the steps involved.

Register a Domain Name

The first thing you must do is to Register a Domain Name. Refer to Choosing a Domain Name for more information.

Build Your Own Website?

There are many free web building tools available online. Some of these offer templates to work with, which can make building your own website an easy process.

One disadvantage of building your own website is that, very often they don’t achieve that professional look. You can easily spot the website that has not been built by a professional graphic designer. So, if you want to give a professional image and therefore beat your competitors, use a dedicated website design company.

Another disadvantage of building your own website, is that very often the tools available to help you, do not create websites that are search engine friendly. Imagine the disaster it would be if you spent many hours building your website only to find that the search engines can’t index it. Refer to this article on Search Engine Optimisation to find out more.

Design the Website

There are a number of stages in designing a website.

• Research

We recommend that you do some research on other websites that operate in your area of interest. See what they are doing on their sites so that you can get an idea of how you want yours to look. Check what sort of information they provide such as tools. Also it is a good idea to note anything of interest that appeals to you and note things that don’t.

• Logos

Look at what you already have in terms of marketing material and information. If you have flyers, brochures or business cards then a graphic designer can use these to roughly piece together the basic foundation of your website. If you want to give your business a complete new look, nows a good time to consider doing this. A new website can be the perfect time to launch your new image.
 

• Re-Evaluate your Business

Often creating something new for your business, such as a website, can be a good opportunity to re-evaluate your business. This may be a good opportunity to consider doing something new or different. An example of this could simply be a website promotion where customers contacting you via the website are eligible for a discount. Another example may be offering an eBook where viewers submit there details to retrieve the eBook. This way you get a database of potential clients to further market to.

• Content provision 

Have a think about what detailed information you have on your company, your products and services. Your graphic designer will request a copy of all content text and advise on any changes that may need to be made.

• Website Goal

Have a think about what the goal of your new website is. Is it purely an informative resource or do you want to sell directly to your customers. When you have decided on a goal, then the next step is to think of what tools you will have to make available eg shopping cart, calculator etc

• Images

If you don’t have images or photos to add to your website, think about hiring a professional to take some. Otherwise, talk to your graphic designer as they will have access to some that should suit your needs.

• Brainstorm

Often the best way to explore an idea is to talk to other interested parties about ideas for your new website. Describe what your image of the website might be to friends or colleagues and get their opinion. 

Once you have picked and registered your domain name, gathered content and images, jotted down ideas and preferences, then you are well on the way to getting your business online. 
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding our Website Design Packages.