5 essential elements to build a website that works

Don’t waste your money and time fluffing around – get it right from the start

As website designers and creators, we’ve noticed that more people are taking this time to either revamp their existing sites or start a new online venture. 

A few clients have found creative outlets and created products, doing what they love and making some extra funds on the side. It’s a time that’s made many of us reassess what we’re doing and find new ways to bring in income (and have fun doing it). 

So, if you’re one of the creative peeps in the world who’s done all their planning, created products and is ready to get your business off the ground (and launched into the online world), here are some tips to help you. 

Oh, and just as an FYI – people are spending more and more time online, so having a website that works (and looks fantastic), and gets found by Google, is going to be a godsend for any new business venture.

Here are 5 essential elements all websites need

1. Your domain name

The first thing you need for a website is a domain name. This is the URL that you use to direct people to your website. For example, ours is cloudxs.com.au. 

It’s common practice for your domain name to be your business name – it makes sense, doesn’t it. People will come to know your business name and are therefore likely to type that straight in. 

But here’s a quick tip – if you try and include some of your SEO keywords in your domain name, you’ll hit even more goals with Google. 

If you haven’t already got a domain name, you can usually purchase it through your website host. When everything’s in one place, it also makes it easier at renewal times. 

Oh, and another quick tip – when purchasing your domain name, try and get both the .com.au and the .com URLs. This prevents other people from using your domain name with a slight change in the .com part.

2. Website hosting

Think of your website hosting as a house and land package! Your hosting is like the land that you build your dream website on. Without the ‘land’, you can’t build your website.

As with all things websites, there are so many choices out there. You could spend hours asking people and researching to find one you think will work for you.

Or, you could trust our team (and our happy clients) when we recommend SiteGround. We’ve found that SiteGround is affordable, and if you ever have any issues, their customer support is the absolute best. 

Clients who use SiteGround have also found the same thing if they’ve ever needed help (like setting up emails or asking about pointing servers etc.). They’ve told us they popped on a chat and were helped straight away. You can’t beat that!

3. Website platform

Now that you’ve got your ‘land’ in terms of hosting, you need to decide where you’ll build your website. Where you build your website is called the platform. 

Again, when you start searching, you’ll find many platforms you can choose from. There’s WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, Shopify and many more. Each has its strengths and weaknesses that I’m sure you’ll hear about in business groups. 

Our team use and recommend WordPress. It’s, by far, the best in our humble opinion. With WordPress, you can start small and grow it with you as your business grows. 

There are no ongoing fees outside of your hosting, and it’s excellent for SEO with the much-loved Yoast plugin. Ask anyone who’s swapped from a WordPress website to another platform, and you’ll hear how their rankings have taken a hit – just food for thought.

4. Website build

Now, this is the techy side – the part where our team comes into play if you’re not up for learning a new website building skill. 

Yes, you can DIY your website. But, as most people find, you hit a certain point, and the coding gets trickier. Pictures won’t stay where they’re meant to, words look odd, the section won’t change colour and so on. 

When it comes to building your website, you want to do it right. Trust us on that. Simple errors or the push of the wrong button and your entire website can vanish. Imagine spending hours creating a website and trying to do it all yourself, only to have it disappear in a flash. We’ve seen it happen, and it’s not fun. 

To help you get online fast, we’ve created a perfect website package called ‘Website in a Box’. For a low $1497, we create a plug-n-play, done for you website that will get you online in next to no time. 

It’s perfect if you’re on a budget, but know you don’t want to waste time fluffing around trying to DIY. You’ll get online quickly and start being found by clients.

5. Branding, photos and content

Now all the technical side is sorted, you need to look at your branding, photos and content that you’ll use on your website. These are vital elements that can make or break your site.

Is your branding appealing to your audience? Have you used quality images? Have you written your words in a way that speak to your audience (and please the Google gods)? 

Your branding is something you need to nail. If you end up hating it years down the track, you can change it, but it’s an expensive exercise. We recommend chatting to a graphic designer if you need help. Branding includes your logo, colours and even fonts you’ll use. 

Photos are a must on your website as many people love visuals. If you’re a coach, consultant or service provider, we believe using your photo adds a layer of credibility. When clients see you, it instantly builds trust. If they call you, they can picture who they’re speaking to – you’re not a faceless person on the other end of the phone. 

And finally, your copy (the words) need to be subtly persuasive and speak to your client’s pain points. If it’s too general, you won’t convert anyone. But, if your audience feels like you’re talking to them, you once again build trust. Oh, and you’ve also got to incorporate your SEO keywords to please the Google gods. If that all sounds too hard, there are SEO copywriters who can help you.

Disclosure: Some of the links provided in this blog are affiliate links. I only promote services that I personally use and love. I will be paid a small commission if you use this link to make a purchase.

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