Blog

1. Obtain a suitable domain name

• Make it easy to spell. Avoid using slang or made up words, and make it suitable and connected to the industry you operate in.
• Keep it as short as possible. The shorter it is, the easier it is to remember and type correctly.
• Use the proper domain extension. Try to always make it a .com domain name (as opposed to .net, .co, etc.) unless it is more appropriate to use another extension, such as .gov, .edu, or .org.
• Avoid numbers and hyphens. They are hard to remember and less elegant and memorable than word-only domain names. Avoid www.code-miners.co.uk for example, keep it straightforward www.codeminers.co.uk.
• Make the address broad to facilitate future growth. 
• Research the domain name. Google it to see if a similar website address already exists online, and search on Trademark Office to make sure it does not contain any registered trademarks before you commit.

2. Website Hosting

• If you have multiple domains look at multiple domain hosting. This reduces long term costs for separate accounts and can be controlled from one account. 
• Performance is key. Take into consideration the bandwidth allowance, the number of bytes required to transfer your content. Users don’t have tolerance for slow speeds.
• Shop around, as technology has evolved website hosting services have evolved. There are 6 main types of website hosting services including shared hosting, VPS hosting, Dedicated Hosting, Managed Hosting, WordPress and Cloud hosting. 
• Don’t let technical support let you down. Many providers offer 24/7 or 365-day technical support but it’s worth checking this before deciding on a platform. So if there is ever a problem this can be resolved quickly and reduce potential revenue losses.
• Consider the cost. On average, website hosting platforms can cost between £10-200 per month, depending on the services needed and the platform chosen. 

3. Website Homepage and About Us Page

• Use your primary key phrase at the top of your website homepage, to both increases your profitable web traffic and SEO ranking. This instantly highlights to visitors your business purpose and guides them further down the sales funnel.  
• Incorporate visual hierarchy. This refers to the arrangement of graphical elements (e.g brand images, colours, headers) in order of importance. It guides the visitor’s attention to the most important elements and deliberately guides them to a call to action.
• Two words: high resolution. Use HD imagery on your website when showcasing your product and/or service. Any pixelation or blurriness detracts users, thinking your product is low quality and business is unprofessional. 

4. CMS

• Research different hosting options. The choice is often between SaaS, Hosted and On-Premise solutions. Many have different features and benefits for businesses. Learn more about which CMS platform is best for your website.
• Understand your pricing pinpoint. Each system has different pricing structures and the more complex your requirement the higher the cost. Remember it’s an ongoing service, so explore whether it would be better to invest or pay an initially lower price.
• Look at competitors and gain feedback. If you’ve decided which CMS is best for you, research the most recent reviews and talk to happy customers. This will give your first-hand insight into how this system works and you can see whether it’s the right fit for your business.

5. eCommerce Platform

• Check it’s scalable. If you’re anticipating rapid growth or want to advance your business, ensure you can increase your eCommerce without being hindered by your system.
• Has it got SEO features? This is very beneficial to your online business, supporting you in advancing your search ranking and decreasing your ad spend. SEO features can include: adding a blog, allowing customer reviews and using your website domain. 
• Research security and GDPR compliance. With any eCommerce website, this needs to be secure and confidential for both the user and wider business. 
• Multi-device compatibility. Choose a platform that works on phone, tablet and laptop to increase website functionality and user shopping experience. 

6. Initial Content

• Social media posting. From infographics to listicles (like this blog) to webinars and product promotion there are an array of social media posting types. It’s vital any business has a collection of different post types to increase business visibility, user conversions and search ranking. Learn more about different post types here. 
• Email newsletters – An effective way to build an initial customer base is through an email newsletter. Introducing them to new products and collections to increase sales revenue, user engagement and consistent web traffic.
• PPC advertising. This refers to pay per click advertising when a business collects revenue from every user click and successful ad results. Placing these in the digital space can drive sales leads, streamline your SEO strategy with user data and advertise directly to people searching for your business. 

7. Content Strategy

• Identify your target user base. An effective approach is creating a ‘buyer persona’. A buyer persona is a fictional customer based on real data insights. Include characteristics such as demographics, personality, motivation.
• Solve audience problems and offer solutions to any issues they have. Developing an educational and client-focused approach makes users more engaged with your brand purpose and ensure customers are more qualified users of your product.
• Research preferred content channels. From your original buyer persona, identify the content channels your audience prefer, to target these passive user engagements and convert them into loyal paying clients. 
• Create your content. Once you understand your content channels, start creating content that aligns with your buyer personas interests, personality and problems. 
• Diversify content further around the buyer’s journey: awareness, consideration and decision stage; to ensure you’re targeting them at every stage. 

8. Analytics

• Website traffic – the number of website visitors you receive.  
• Session duration/time on page – how long are your web visitors staying on the site
• Conversion rate: the number of visitors on a website that completes the desired goal.

9. Optimisations

• Streamline the dropdown menu – if your website has an array of product offerings minimise the dropdown menu so users can easily find their category and product of interest.
• Implement a tap to call button – Like on our website, have an interactive contact button, especially for mobile users, to attract more leads and improve customer experience, at a click of a button!
• Site search bar- A staple on every website this helps website visitors quickly find the content they are looking for and encourage them to return to your website for any future needs.
•  Omni-channel personalisation –  This uses data-driven analytics such as purchasing history and browsing behaviours to create personalised experiences.  86% of consumers purchasing decisions are affected by website personalisation. This uses data-driven analytics such as purchasing history to create personalised experiences and increase average order value (AOV).

• Payment options – Consider adding more payment options for the paying customer to deliver a convenient and seamless transaction process, improve user experience and decrease cart abandonment rate. 

10. Website Maintenance

• Website functionality analytics. This provides a snapshot of any SEO issues (e.g broken links) and technical issues (e.g 404 errors) that could present a poor search experience that loses important sales leads. To locate and fix these broken links you can use this free tool by AtomSEO.
• Page speed – with 40% of users abandoning a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load, page speed is critical to your website’s success. If you want to improve your website speed, read our guide here. 
• Website security verification. If you’re an eCommerce website storing confidential customer information, security is paramount. Ensure you are regularly installing security updates and reviewing GDPR compliance; so you don’t fall victim to a data breach. 

Conclusion:

When building a small business website, functionality and optimisation are key to build brand awareness and continuous, profitable growth. All areas of your business should work together to promote your business and showcase your products to your intended audience. 

We’re an experienced web development services company. So, if you require some technical website assistance, look no further, we can help, contact our team members to get started. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram to learn more about all things website development.