Building a business website can be time-consuming and costly, but it doesn’t have to be. This article provides valuable tips for creating a professional-looking site without wasting money and time.
Determine the Purpose
Business websites can be dedicated to sales, e-commerce, information, services, and more. Establishing its purpose is essential before getting started.
For example, e-commerce websites only engage in selling a service or product, enabling the business to accept credit card payments. On the other hand, service providers can have a physical location but also make services available online. These can be restaurants, beauty parlors, and retailers.
Finally, your site can have the sole purpose of informing without selling anything. These include news websites and blogs. Your goal might be to promote another business’s services or products as an affiliate or simply generate ad revenue.
Choose Your Domain Name
Good domain names are easy to spell and remember, relevant to your business, and not too long. Ideally, it should include relevant keywords.
It’s good to make the address more general to allow for growth if you plan to expand beyond a specific niche. Amazon is always given as a great example of this. If you don’t intend to grow, then target your name to the area in question.
Do research before deciding on a name; if it’s already taken or some very similar ones exist, it’s necessary to look further.
Invest in Scalable and Secure Website Hosting
Scalability refers to the size and number of websites you can host without overloading. For example, if there is too much traffic, a site running on shared hosting will crash. As demand for bandwidth and space increases, your host should be able to accommodate this without affecting the website’s speed.
If your business is in Canada, you don’t have to choose between expensive dedicated hosting or cheap shared hosting. You can launch with the most affordable Canadian web hosting option available for a website that won’t be receiving a lot of traffic, at least at first. You can upgrade to a more encompassing hosting plan if you need to in the future. It will cost more, but you’ll be able to cover this easily as you will have more traffic and sales.
Invest in High Speed
If your purpose is selling a product or service, know that impulse buys make up a large part of many retailers’ turnover. A slow website will work wonders to deter an impulse buy, hurting your bottom line considerably. This will more than compensate for the lower price you’re paying for your website.
Your visitors deserve an excellent user experience. If you have a lot of images, videos, or other multimedia content, they will grow frustrated with slow loading times quite quickly. Make adequate upload capacity available, so they don’t have to wait for their files to be uploaded.
Choose eCommerce Platforms Wisely
The best ones include:
- Shopify
- WooCommerce
- Business Squarespace
- GoDaddy Online Store
- OpenCart
- BigCommerce
- 3dcart
- Prestashop
You need the right technology if you will be selling goods or services. Ecommerce can drive your bottom line, so selling is definitely worth considering if you haven’t yet. You need the best platform to enable visitors to make online payments.
Security and Safety
Business websites should be safe and secure with robust firewalls to prevent unauthorized access and breaches. The best hosting providers offer SSL certificates, which encrypt data to ensure user safety. They also show customers and search engines that you have taken measures to protect data, inspiring trust and improving your ranking.
An Engaging User Interface
If you choose WordPress for your website, you can choose from innumerable templates. On the other hand, businesses that place a focus on personalization should opt for a custom theme.
Final Thoughts
Before you make your final decision, compare hosting prices and features to find the best solution for your needs. As mentioned at the beginning, building a business website doesn’t have to break the bank.
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