Are you planning to take your business online? Team Suffix Digital can be the one-stop solution. We can help you develop a functional website to create a long-lasting impression for the success of your business. The website will not only helps you generate leads but hopefully a low bounce rate too. Besides, there are many other factors also such as website security, fast-loading speed, user-friendliness and not to mention optimization.
Here’s an overview of the prerequisites:
1. Domain Name & Hosting Provider
Firstly, an easy-to-recall domain name is a must; make sure it is not too long and it should be relevant to the business and it represents the brand’s voice. The right name is inevitable for success. A brand name can also help to stand out in search engine results. There are numerous domain extensions, .net, .org, .co, and .bi to name a few. Although each represents a purpose, the most common extension is .com for commercial purposes.
On the contrary, it is vital to choose a hosting service that offers the best customer support and enough resources to load the website quickly. A super-fast website is essential for a pleasant experience. These days, many hosting companies also offer migration services so you can transfer websites from the old provider to the new one without hassle. Make sure you spend enough time before looking for the best provider for you.
2. User Experience
Your website’s design and accessibility are the next essential thing. It is vital to choose a content management system ( CMS ) platform which suits your need. There are a couple of platforms that offer templates. However, if you don’t find a template that fits your vision. Consider, hiring a developer for a custom-made website.
Additionally, a few other things to consider such as the navigation menu. The website’s navigation menu should be simple. Besides, the text also should be easy to read. Banners, as the banners are the first thing noticed by the users. Heading and sub-heading with a call to action button is a must on the banners. All the images are compressed so that it does not take forever to load the web page. Above all, make sure every bit of the website is functional. The contact forms should have a captcha integrated to avoid spamming. The social media icons must be linked to the relevant places. An incomplete site can harm the business. It may affect the way customer thinks about the service you are offering and there are chances that they leave the website without contacting you. Make sure, your website always holds an up to date information.
3. Management of Website
Are you planning to develop the website on your own, or would you like to hire a developer? The purpose of the website should be clear. In the beginning, you should have a clear vision. You should be well aware of why you are creating the website? What are you trying to secure? If you are planning to try your hands on managing the website then you can consider Squarespace or Wix as an option as there are easy to use. As I mentioned before, there are CMSs that offer pre-made templates that need to be tweaked here and there.
4. SEO Friendliness
While there are platforms that allow you to manage the website on your own but you may want to consider a little complex one if internet marketing is your priority. Wix and Squarespace can limit the activity you can do. On the other side, WordPress tends to receive more organic traffic. This is something you must consider while selecting a platform for the business.
5. Responsiveness
Responsiveness across all devices is an integral factor as the majority of the audiences are uses mobile devices. Additionally, Google also gives importance to mobile-friendly websites. While developing a website it is important to check the desktop view as well as the mobile view to make sure the design adapts to any device.
6. Third-party API integration
If you are not looking at just a basic static website and you want numerous business solutions to be used then WordPress can be an optimal solution. It offers plugins that will help you integrate different services like Gsuite, Mailchimp, Facebook messenger, Newsletter integration, etc. These applications not only help provide a better user experience but also saves time by simplifying the process.
7. Development cost
The most important factor that one needs to consider before choosing a platform is the price tag! Websites platforms like Wix, Weebly, etc are cost-effective but they serve limited features. Hence, one needs to consider future perspectives too.
8. Branding
The brand color is crucial. Branding colors pays are much more important than you think. Blue branding is used to express reliability. White seeks excellence and represents new beginnings. The design and branding of the website should easily stick inside your customers’ heads.
Besides, the logo leaves a lasting impression on your customers. Hence, it must be placed on your website in a proper way either in the center or in the upper left corner. A logo should also remain consistent throughout all marketing material.
9. Website Speed
The importance of website speed has been mentioned in the above sections too. Test the website before the official launch to make sure mishap does not happen. If the loading time exceeds five seconds then the bounce rate is likely to increase. People want the information to be readily available or else they end up finding it somewhere else.
10. Security
The websites, especially eCommerce needs to be secure from viruses and malware attacks as it has customer information. Businesses must add a Secure Sockers Layer ( SSL ) certificate to enable encrypted communication. Also, it is important to conduct a security check at regular intervals to keep your reputation safe.
11. Content
The quality of the content affects your ranking in the search engine. Run keyword research and make sure to run your copy to tools available online to detect duplication, if there are any. The consequences may be the removal of the website from search engines.
