Deciding on developing a new website for your business is an exciting time, however there are a few things that you need to consider, and we will assist you with here at Leicester Websites, at the very early stages of this work.
Here’s our quick-fire list of eight things to consider during your website design:
1. Getting your website domain
When developing a website for your business, it’s important to check that a website domain which includes your brand name is available. Doing this at the earliest opportunity (at the point of business inception even if you’re not considering a website at that point) can reduce the risk of you being disappointed and left with a website domain that doesn’t match your business.
2. Establish security through SSL certificates
This is where our team at Leicester Websites come in as we can organise your SSL certificate which highlights that your website is a safe one to visit. Getting the correct security certification in place is very important as it’s a key factor Google looks for when identifying where to rank your website in the search engine.
3. Sort your hosting
For your website to go live and be visible to potential customers, you’ll need a provider to host it. This hosting provider will essentially house all your website’s data and manage the traffic for you, so your site remains live and accessible at all times.
4. Develop your XML sitemap
An XML sitemap is essentially the structure of your website; a list of every single page that you submit to Google, enabling the search engine to understand and crawl your site. With a brand-new website, establishing a good XML sitemap and submitting it to Google can help your website to perform in the search engine quicker.
5. Develop content with SEO in mind
When developing content for your website, you need to consider your sitemap, therefore the structure of the website, exploring effective key words and phrases that can help you rank in the search engines for the topics you are aiming for. Always bear in mind your target audience and ensure that your copy is easy to understand, gets across your unique selling points and is interesting to read for a user.
6. Get the design sorted
Next comes the design of your website, so the look and feel of it. It is vital to take time and consideration over this as it will be a reflection of your whole business. Always consider the end user and making things as easy as possible for them to do, whether that’s buy a product, complete an online enquiry form or give you a call. Once you’ve settled on a design, the development can begin.
7. Keep on top of progress
Making sure you are aware of progress in the build of your website is really important. At Leicester Websites, we love you to play a part so will keep you up to speed at regular intervals so you can review exactly what we are doing and provide feedback.
8. Arrange a ‘go live’ date that you’re happy with
When everything is in place, set on a date that you are happy with and prepare your marketing of the new website to coincide with this. Make sure you shout about your new website to anyone and everyone. Once you have gone live, you can then also assess overall performance of the website, both in terms of how well it works and whether it is bringing in the sales/enquiries that you were hoping for.
If you are considering a new website for your Leicestershire based business, get in touch with our team here at Leicester Websites today.
To understand more about why user experience is crucial in web design, be sure to read our insights on “The Importance of Considering User Experience in Website Design“.