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Websites these days are pretty much the face of a business. When you say your company’s name, those who are interested in knowing more about your service or product will probably Google it and try to find out what there is online about it, which means that your website should clearly show what you do and why people should choose you over your competition.
In fact, nowadays people expect all kinds of services to have an online presence, so whether you own a coffee shop, hair salon or tech startup, your website will speak for your brand. So make it count.
That being said, there are a few guidelines to keep in mind when creating your website.
Start small
Many entrepreneurs think they should create a complex website with multiple pages, showing everything their product or service can do. While this can be helpful in some cases, more often than not it ends up being a problem. Why? Because building a website is more work than many think it is.
Firstly, you should think about what sets you apart from your competitors and create a landing page that clearly shows this. What is unique about your brand? What is its most special characteristic? These questions are a great way to start developing your content strategy.
After deciding what you want to say, think about structure. Do you really need a contact page, or can you add that information to a footer? Does your product have really special features? If it does, you may want to create a product page. If it does not, you can probably show just how great it is with a landing page.
My advice is to start small and then build it up with time. I think it is best to have a good landing page that shows your brand’s image, personality and USP than having a website full of pages that do not really serve any purpose. Also, keep in mind that people are lazy and have a short attention span, so if your landing page fails to grab their attention, it hardly matters how great the other pages are.
Choose the right domain
When creating a website, you should also have in mind the domain you intend to use. Sometimes businesses get really creative and choose domains that have nothing to do with their actual name, which makes it more difficult for people to find them.
When choosing a domain, it is always better to find a .com one. However, these are usually the first to get picked, which means you may not be able to get it. If that is the case, try to get the corresponding one for your country to make it easier for your customers to find it.
Lastly, if that is also not available, you can always make slight alterations to the domain you want. For example, if you own a flower shop called “Blooming”, instead of the blooming.com domain, you can opt to change it slightly to bloomingflowers.com. This way, people will still associate it with your business as it clearly refers to your brand’s name and to what you do.
It’s live. Now, what?
Just like your brand, your website should always be evolving, so after it goes live, you should not think that the job is done forever.
As your brand grows, so should your website. Once you get it online you should keep your information updated and make the right alterations when something in your business changes. Also, if you rebrand your business you should take that into account and update the website in line with the new image and personality so that your clients know what you have been up to.
Having said that, try to avoid making major changes to the website every month because that may give the impression that your business is not very stable. My advice would be to keep the website structure and review the site every six months to a year just to make sure the information is still accurate.
If you have any questions regarding the topics mentioned above, let us know! Also, advertio is launching its own rebranded website soon, so keep an eye on our social media accounts to find out more.