Quite a bit goes into building a website, particularly if you plan to do it right! There are many factors to consider, including:
– Appearance
– Ease of use
– User experience
– Search Engine Optimization and keywords
– Functionality
– Engaging content
– Quality visual elements
So, what’s the actual process to building a website and making sure it’s done right? There are six steps that complete this process.
1. Strategy
Before anything else, you need to put some thought into your site. If you begin the development process too quickly, chances are you’ll create a website that doesn’t fully address your business goals. Asking these questions can help you plan your strategy and create your sitemap:
– Who is my target audience?
– What am I trying to accomplish with this site?
– What adjectives would I use to describe the site I’m hoping for?
These questions will be answered differently for every business. Since the site is the window to your business and brand, it’s important to make sure you define your strategy first and foremost.
2. Content
Content is incredibly crucial to the success of any website. It needs to be structured before a website is built. Have you ever visited a site that didn’t clearly present information or had low-quality images or distracting language errors? These common mistakes can quickly kill a website. Planning photoshoots to get quality images, writing thoughtful, grammatically sound copy (or hiring someone to write it for you) and creating videos and other interactive features is key to a successful website that can be optimized for marketing opportunities. Many people skip this step, but it’s one of the most important!
3. Design
When it comes to websites, looks do matter. You want your site to be attractive, easy to use and memorable. A professional designer can work with you to translate your ideas into a visual concept. You should provide feedback throughout this process.
4. Web Development
Once you determine the appearance of your site, the next step is writing the code. Developers use programming languages — such as HTML and CSS — to build the formatting, positioning, images, etc. into a functioning website.
5. Going Live
After the site is built and approved, it’s ready to be taken live to the Web. For others to see the site, it must be placed on a public server. This works by connecting files to your registered domain with a hosting platform so anyone can access your new site.
6. Marketing
You now have a great site up and functioning — congrats! However, you may not have as many visitors to your site as you’d like. Why? One reason is that you may be missing your target audience because your domain isn’t ranking very high in search engine queries (such as a Google search). This is where marketing comes into play. By applying a variety of Internet marketing strategies — such as SEO, Pay-Per-Click advertising and social media — you can boost your traffic and attract your target audience to your site.