Things to consider when creating a business website.

As we’re approaching the end of the year, maybe you’re taking stock of your life and realizing your job sucks. Maybe you’re saying to yourself, “I don’t want to do this anymore. I’d rather have my own business.” Fantastic! Go for it! However, before you fire up Wix or start fiddling around with Squarespace, there are some things you should know about creating a business website.

Brainstorm

I’m going to assume you’ve already done the business-y things associated with starting a business such as identifying your niche in the marketplace and determining what makes you unique. Next comes picking a domain name. The domain name is the URL of your website. It may or may not be the same as your business name. If you’re able to sync the two, that’s ideal because people are more likely to remember you, but if not, there are workarounds. Talk to us, your favorite Charlotte web designer, and we’ll explain the technical details.

Back to the domain name. Unfortunately, we’re no longer in the early days of the internet when domain names were ripe for the picking. You can’t purchase things like www.charlottemassagetherapist.com anymore. Those domains are taken. That means you need to be creative but not too creative. Slang, esoteric words, and words you created yourself are out. Easy-to-spell words are in. Also, avoid numbers and hyphens because they’re hard to remember. Best Dog Walker 43689 is not a great domain name. Danny the Dog Walker is.

If after all your noodling and scouring the thesaurus your desired domain name is still not available, check with the current owner about selling it to you. You might be able to purchase it for a decent price. For more on creating a stellar domain name, read our past post about it.

Choose a Host(ess) with the Most(ess)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: quality web hosting can make or break your business website. A host is a server where your website physically lives. You must have a website host in order to launch your site and have it viewable by others. How these things work I couldn’t tell you, but nonetheless, here we are!

As an NC web designer, we’ve seen some beautiful websites crash and burn because the web hosting was poor quality. Cheap web hosting can mean excessive downtime, slow site speeds, and limited or non-existent tech support. All of that leads to lost customers and lost opportunities. Do yourself a favor and choose a quality host. You can read about options here but I’ll save you some trouble and tell you the host we recommend is DreamHost.

Go for Your Goal

The next most important step in creating a successful business website is knowing what your goal is and going for it. When people visit your website do you want them to sign up for your email list? Do you have a product you’re selling? (If so, I have your ultimate eCommerce guide right here.) Or would you rather your website acts as the first port of call with the endgame being people coming to visit you or reaching out to you about working together?

Whatever your goal is, your website should be imbued with that target in mind. If you want people to sign up for your email list, you need to lead them to it on it every page, or entice them with a free offer. You need to explain they’ll get so much more by subscribing.

If you want people to buy your custom doohickey, feature your popular products right on the homepage along with testimonials and pertinent information.

If you want people to reach out to you about working together, tell them to contact you at every turn, as we do. You’ll notice I frequently say in this blog if you want help with Charlotte web design, or you’re looking for help with Charlotte SEO, that you should contact us. All over Web Symphonies there are messages encouraging you to reach out. That’s because our goal is to partner with you on creating a beautiful website.

Without a goal, you’re like a kid in a candy store running after the next treat. In order to have a successful business website, you need to be strategic and that’s something this web design company in Charlotte can help you with. Let us know. We’re here.

We can help you connect with experts who will ensure that your business website design is high-quality and ready to generate more leads. Are you ready to get started? Get in touch with Web Symphonies now!