The thought of building a website sounds challenging, especially when you are just starting a small business. Fortunately, website builders are designed to help people with no or negligible technical knowledge design a DIY website with ease.
DIY tips to build a professional small business website
Choose ideal hosting services
Choose a reliable and reputable hosting service. It ensures keen customer support as you will need support, whenever a problem arises. Do thorough research, read reviews, and get to know what is included in their hosting plan. As it is a small startup you can opt for a shared hosting plan, which is cheaper. Later, as your needs increase you can upgrade. WordPress offers a robust hosting plan. Users can set up a responsive website in minutes. You can even look for hosting bundles including a website builder tool, which you can access from their dashboard.
Wisely choose URL
The website URL will represent all the web pages on your site. Choose an address that includes the major keyword and is easy to remember. Including a keyword that gives an idea of your business will make it easy for search engine bots and users to get an idea of what your website offers. You will need to ensure that the domain address is available before registering.
Choose a reliable website builder
For small businesses, WordPress offers a free website builder, which is a good way to start. You can check out tutorials online on how to set up a WordPress site. Several website builders are offering free trials, which allow testing before committing. Choose a website builder that is easy to use as well as offers quality templates & themes, customization options, design elements, image gallery & editing, form designing, social sharing functions, etc.
Get SSL certification
If your small business is planning to accept online payments then you will need an SSL [Secure Socket Layer] certificate. It is a security protocol used between the customer’s browser and the server. The data is encrypted making it impossible for hackers to access it. SSL certificate protects customer data and builds their trust.
SEO is a must
SEO practice allows for enhancing website ranking. It helps to increase the searchability of your website on Google, thus your website ends up on top of the search result page. Organic traffic is crucial for SEO. To enhance site performance and SEO ensure to create of innovative, relevant content including target keywords for engaging consumers. On-page optimization, backlink building, social media integration, blog creation, and guest posting are some of the strategies that make a robust SEO strategy.
Install CMS
CMS or content management system is a program created to edit and publish content online from a centralized base. It helps to handle website content more efficiently, which is better for SEO and traffic.
Website optimization for mobile users
There is a massive increase in mobile users, so it is crucial to have your small business website optimized for hand-held devices. A responsive design is a great option because it adjusts to every kind of device. As you are building your first website then create a responsive website design, which even Google prefers.
Test your website regularly to ensure that it performs as expected and make changes if needed!