Introduction
Creating a new website for your business is an exciting and crucial step towards establishing an online presence. A well-designed, functional, and user-friendly website can significantly boost your brand’s credibility and help you reach a wider audience. However, there are several do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when embarking on this journey.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the essential do’s and don’ts to consider when building your business website. Whether you’re a start-up or an established company looking to revamp your online presence, these tips will help you create an effective and engaging website that appeals to your target audience.
Do’s:
Define Your Target Audience
Understanding your target audience is the cornerstone of creating an effective website. Before starting the design and development process, invest time in researching and defining your ideal customers. Consider their demographics, preferences, needs, and online behaviours.
By identifying your target audience, you can tailor your website’s content, design, and functionality to cater to their preferences, making it more likely that they’ll engage with your brand and take desired actions, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter.
Use a Clean and Professional Design
A visually appealing and professional design is crucial for making a positive first impression on your website visitors. Avoid overcrowding your site with excessive information, images, or animations, as this can make it difficult for users to navigate and find what they’re looking for.
Instead, opt for a clean and simple design that features plenty of white space and a well-structured layout. Use high-quality images, legible fonts, and a cohesive colour scheme to create a visually appealing and consistent brand identity.
Create High-Quality, Relevant Content
Your website’s content is one of its most important aspects, as it helps establish your credibility, showcase your expertise, and improve your search engine rankings. Ensure that your content is well-written, informative, and relevant to your target audience.
Consider creating a variety of content types, such as blog posts, case studies, and guides, to address different aspects of your industry or niche. Regularly update your content to keep it fresh and engage repeat visitors.
Implement Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
SEO is a crucial component of any successful website, as it helps improve your site’s visibility in search engine results, driving more organic traffic to your site. There are several aspects to consider when optimising your site for SEO, including:
Keyword research: Identify the keywords and phrases your target audience is likely to use when searching for products, services, or information related to your niche. Incorporate these keywords into your site’s content, meta tags, and URLs.
On-page optimisation: Create descriptive title tags and meta descriptions for each page, use header tags to structure your content, and optimise your images with descriptive alt text and filenames.
Site structure: Ensure that your website has a clear, logical structure, with a well-organised hierarchy of pages and internal links that make it easy for both users and search engines to navigate.
Include Clear Calls to Action (CTAs)
Your website’s primary goal is to guide visitors towards taking desired actions, such as purchasing a product, signing up for a newsletter, or contacting your company. To achieve this, include clear and compelling calls to action (CTAs) throughout your site.
Make your CTAs stand out by using contrasting colours, bold fonts, or eye-catching buttons. Ensure that your CTAs are concise and clearly communicate the benefits of taking the desired action.
Ensure Website Accessibility
An accessible website is one that can be easily used by all visitors, including those with disabilities. By making your website accessible, you not only cater to a broader audience but also demonstrate your commitment to inclusivity and social responsibility.
To ensure website accessibility, follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which outline best practices for creating accessible web content. Key considerations include:
- Using descriptive alt text for images
- Providing transcripts for audio and video content
- Ensuring proper colour contrast for text and backgrounds
- Using clear and legible fonts
- Designing a logical and easy-to-navigate layout
- Test and Optimise
Regular testing and optimisation are essential for maintaining a high-quality website. Test your site on various devices, browsers, and screen sizes to ensure it performs optimally and provides a consistent user experience across different platforms. Use analytics tools, such as Google Analytics or Hotjar, to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions to enhance your site’s performance.
Don’ts:
Overload Your Site with Content
While it’s essential to provide valuable and relevant content to your audience, avoid overwhelming them with excessive information. Too much content can create visual clutter and make it difficult for users to find what they’re looking for.
Instead, focus on presenting your content in a well-structured and easy-to-navigate format. Use concise paragraphs, bullet points, and subheadings to break up large blocks of text, making it easier for visitors to skim and digest your content.
Use Auto-Play Media
Auto-play videos or audio can be intrusive and annoying for website visitors, often causing them to leave your site immediately. Instead of using auto-play media, provide users with the option to play or pause media content at their discretion. This gives them control over their browsing experience and demonstrates respect for their preferences.
Neglect Mobile Users
With the increasing number of people using mobile devices to access the internet, it’s crucial to ensure that your website is mobile-friendly and responsive. A responsive website adapts its layout to fit the screen size of the device it’s being viewed on, providing a seamless user experience across different devices.
To create a mobile-friendly website, use responsive design techniques, such as fluid grids, flexible images, and media queries. Additionally, consider the needs and behaviours of mobile users when designing your site’s layout and functionality. For example, ensure that buttons and links are large enough to be easily tapped on a touchscreen, and minimise the use of heavy scripts or plugins that may slow down page loading times on mobile devices.
Ignore Website Speed
Slow-loading websites can frustrate visitors and negatively impact your search engine rankings. To optimise your site’s speed, implement the following best practices:
Compress images: Use image compression tools, such as TinyPNG or ImageOptim, to reduce the file size of your images without sacrificing quality.
Minimise the use of heavy scripts or plugins: Only use essential scripts and plugins, as too many can slow down your site’s performance.
Use a content delivery network (CDN): CDNs cache your website’s content on multiple servers around the world, allowing users to load your site more quickly by accessing a server closer to their location.
Enable browser caching: This allows users to store parts of your website on their device, reducing the amount of data that needs to be downloaded on subsequent visits.
Skimp on Security
Website security is essential for protecting your business and users’ data. Implement the necessary security measures to safeguard your website against potential threats, such as:
Use SSL certificates: Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates encrypt data transmitted between your website and users’ devices, protecting sensitive information such as login credentials and payment details.
Regularly update software: Keep your website’s software, such as your content management system (CMS), plugins, and themes, up to date to protect against known vulnerabilities.
Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication: Implement strong passwords and two-factor authentication for all admin accounts to reduce the risk of unauthorised access.
Monitor for suspicious activity: Regularly review your website’s activity logs and use security plugins or tools to detect and block suspicious behaviour.
Disregard Analytics
Web analytics tools provide valuable insights into your website’s performance, helping you identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions. Tools such as Google Analytics allow you to track metrics such as traffic sources, bounce rates, and user engagement.
By regularly monitoring and analysing your website’s performance data, you can identify trends, uncover issues, and optimise your site to better meet the needs and preferences of your target audience.
Forget to Update Your Content
Outdated content can harm your website’s credibility and search engine rankings. To maintain a fresh and engaging online presence, regularly update your website’s content, such as blog posts, product information, and company news. This not only keeps your audience informed but also signals to search engines that your site is active and relevant.
Conclusion
Creating a new website for your business is a significant undertaking that requires careful planning, execution, and ongoing maintenance. By following the do’s and don’ts outlined in this guide, you can build a user-friendly, visually appealing, and effective website that helps your business grow and succeed in the digital age. Remember to always keep your target audience in mind and be prepared to adapt and evolve as your business and the digital landscape change.
Chris Barnard has spent over 15 years delivering exceptional digital marketing performance for leading businesses in the UK, Europe and North America as an independent business consultant.
FeedbackFans provides a unique next-generation managed technology and marketing platform that delivers outstanding and outsized results for businesses in sectors such as finance, retail, leisure, and professional services.
With our unparalleled expertise in creating cutting-edge solutions and environments, we empower our clients and users to thrive in the digital age.
Chris Barnard is Managing Director of FeedbackFans.
