This should go without saying, but I myself am NOT a web designer. Given my time spent indulging in online classes and assessments learning all the in’s and out’s, I will tell you now that you may find your head spinning. However, I am here to tell you that building and developing a website has never been easier. Though, there are still some things to consider along the way.
Communication is key for your business. Become accessible!
Most brands, services, products, companies, and (sometimes) people have their own website. It is somewhere they can call their own. This space on the web allows them to be freeform creatively. A website is how you connect with the world. The boundaries are limitless to what you can do. Whether you start locally or internationally, you can target and reach just about anyone given the costs you are willing to pay. For example, once your website is built and you are ready to take it mainstream, you will want to consider developing a strong search engine optimization (SEO) plan. Targeting keywords and searches you would associate with what you or your company offers will determine how you will be seen by the public eye. Also, keep in mind that if anyone ever has a question or issue to provide contact information. Regardless of what business you are involved in, always listen to your customers/users!
Anyone can become a Webmaster. You just need to put in the time!
The web provides multiple options for individuals starting their path to creating a website. For those of you looking to market yourselves: consider website builders. These are the ones you hear about and are advertised such as HubSpot, Wix, Weebly, and even Squarespace. With these, you can create a site that is visually appealing. You will still need to invest time into how these sites function. These builders provide templates that will allow for a clean layout of what you are trying to showcase. Over time, I recommend migrating your site to a CMS, or a content management system. A CMS is an open-source website creation tool that virtually allows limitless options. A perfect example of this is WordPress. According to W3Techs.com, 35% of websites are powered by WordPress. Why is that? It is robust. It is adaptable and scalable. It suits a one-man team just as well as it suits a billion-dollar organization.
You’ll want to track key metrics. Discover your audience!
The website has been created, a marketing plan in place, accessible to anyone at any time, content is ready, and can be contacted. So, what next?? As point 3 states: Discover your audience! A web analytics service is highly recommended. These track report on your website’s traffic. They allow you to pull any type of report. If you generate revenue, you will want to see what your users purchase and what they do not. Trust the data. According to BuiltWith, a website that tracks what software is used on websites across the internet knows of 29.3 million websites using Google Analytics, which comes out to 8.4 percent of the 348 million websites tracked in its database. An example of these analytics would be the demographics of your website users. You will want to take note of the types of individuals interacting with your site. Do they stay for a long duration of time? When they navigate your site, how many pages do they visit? Is your site attracting a younger or older audience? These are just a few of many questions to consider when it comes to your site. Vast amounts of data are at your fingertips.
I know this all may seem quite daunting, but there are many resources available to help get you started. Find a website that will help you make a website! Haha. You could even find a video on YouTube and follow a tutorial step-by-step. During this journey, have fun and learn as much as you can. Putting in the time to create a website will pay off and be extremely beneficial to you moving forward. Trust the process!
