I was once asked, “Could my Facebook business page serve as my website. No. Your website is yours. Social media profiles should be your backup in case your site goes down. And it’s a way to drive people to your website. You have zero control over what happens on Facebook or the other social networks and they change their rules and features constantly. So, why do you need a website?
This video goes into detail on everything you need to consider when planning your website. This will be helpful for startups as well as existing businesses that need to revamp their website.
Essentials of Digital Marketing: Planning Your Website
Why do I need a website?
- Credibility & Trustworthiness: It shows that you’re legit, not just some fly-by-night, fake entity.
- 1st Impression – Branding – It’s your online image. You only get one chance to make a first impression!
- #1 Sales Tool – lead generation – If it’s optimized and functioning properly, it’s your 24/7 sales person.
- Social Proof – Having your reviews and testimonials there adds to the credibility and trustworthiness.
- Transparency – Who’s behind the company? Your “About” should showcase your expertise, background, passions, as well as your core values and vision.
- Expertise, Experience, and Authority: Are you the go-to person on this topic? Are you an expert in your field or industry? Here’s where you showcase your experience, which is something AI can’t provide, but it can cite.
- Google can find you – Having an optimized website that’s linked to your Google Business Profile is critical for good Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
- You own it, you control it. Facebook, and any of the social networks, can take down or suspend your profile or account if it doesn’t like something you posted. You have no control over that. The social networks are where you promote your website.
What do you need to think about when creating a website?
- What’s your purpose? Ecommerce? Lead generation? Promoting a service?
- What do you want the visitor to do when they land? You want to convert a visitor into a lead or a sale.
- How are you going to draw them there? “If you build it, they will come” never worked for websites.
- What type of content will be of interest to your target? Before you start doing anything, you have to clearly define your target market niche. You can have more than one target audience.
Are you B2B or B2C or both?
Consequently, you need to set SMART goals. Then you need a strategic marketing plan that outlines how you’re going to meet those goals and a tactical plan. The latter is basically your to-do list. What you’re going to do, where, and for how long.
What’s the User Experience (UX)?
Take into consideration all the different ways a visitor can enter your website. Just as if they were entering a physical location.
- There are several “entrances” to your website…
- Home Page – usually from the search engines – your front door. PLEASE! Don’t title your home page “Home Page”. That’s NOT the name of your business!
- Blog article – from social media or the search engines – a side door
- Landing page – from search, ad, or promo post – another side door
Incidentally, you have 7 seconds to catch a visitor’s attention and keep it. A goldfish has an attention span of 8 seconds. If your website — and social media profiles — don’t tell a visitor what you do in 7 seconds, you’ve lost them.
Put yourself in your visitor’s shoes
- User Interface (UI) – everything a user sees on your website
User Experience (UX) – from discovery to finding what they need or want (or what you want them to do)
Easy to navigate & Easy on the eyes
Internal links – keep the visitor longer on your site. The more time they spend on it, the greater the chances they will do something.
Internal search – helps them find more information/products on your site and stay longer.
Good branding – should be consistent throughout your website and social media profiles.
Entice the visitor to do something:- Call-to-Action (CTA): lead generation
Read/Learn more
Follow on social media
- Call-to-Action (CTA): lead generation
- Don’t make people think!
Don’t make people work for what you want them to do!
It’s all about the user!
Think of Your Target Audience
Build your website for the human reader, with the search engine in mind. That’s SEO Copywriting! Your homepage content should be long enough to clarify who you are, what you do, where you’re located (if you’re local), your value proposition, and what visitors should do next. These visitors should leave satisfied, not overwhelmed or underwhelmed — and absolutely not confused. Put yourself in your target’s shoes and think of the UI and UX.
What are Other Website Considerations?
- Domain Name – “street address” for at least 2 years
- Hosting – “plot of land” – “rent” or “build your own.”
- Website Platform – the “foundation.” Related: Why I prefer WordPress.
- Content – “store” (products/services) and/or “magazine” (blog)
- Mobile first – Page Speed Test
- Google Analytics
- Security
- https – SSL certificate at the hosting level
- backups
- firewall to block hackers
- updates
Related: What could possibly go wrong when you attempt to build your own website?
Hosting and Structure
- Ecommerce:
- Business:
- Easy site builder, like GoDaddy, Weebly, Squarespace, or Wix – very limited, and most businesses grow out of it in 3-6 months.
- Free WordPress is very limited and free to a point. Moreover, you’ll soon outgrow it. Besides that, they charge you for upgrading, and it’ll come out more expensive.
- Self-hosted (best for SEO)
What Type of Website Should I Have?
The Type of Website You Choose Depends on Your Budget.
- No or minimal budget:
- Freebie sites…
- All the basics covered
- Security
- Backups
- Limited to
- Branding & customization
- SEO – may be a paid add-on
- Functionality: widgets & integrations – more costly add-ons
- All the basics covered
- Freebie sites…
- Hosted “Managed” WordPress Website – you own everything
Why I Prefer WordPress
What do I need in the Backend for my website?
- MUST HAVE
- Backups
- Security – it’s not “if” you get hacked, it’s when
- Updates – fix security issues and functionality
- Themes – layout templates
- Plugins & Widgets – add functionality
- Conversion
- Sales – payment processing
- Shopping cart – eCommerce
- Email Marketing Automation
- Analytics
- Optimized for the AI search bots. Here’s where the right COPYWRITING, as well as Schema Markup, makes the difference to have your content cited by the AI Answer Engines.
Building Your Website — Front End
- Home Page – Title – Name of Company – location if a brick-and-mortar – keywords
- Pages:
- About the Company
- Services or Products
- Blog
- Contact Us
- Call-To-Action on all pages
- Internal search function
- Quality
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- SEO Copy
- Core Web Vitals
DIY or hire someone to build my website?
Don’t go DIY! The problem is that you don’t know what you don’t know! Lately, I’ve seen well-meaning small business owners who have attempted to build their own websites only to miss crucial optimization techniques that they were not aware of. Some managed to create a lovely online brochure with no functionality.
Naturally, before you hire someone, get at least 3 quotes. Keep it local to your country. Ask people you know. Look at similar companies’ websites and see who built it. Don’t just hire someone because they are recommended by your hosting service. A web designer is just that — a designer.
By the way, a web developer is the more techie person. Think of it this way: Do you want an interior decorator to rewire your house? That’s what happens when you just have a designer build a complicated website. Just as if you get several quotes for getting your house rewired, you need several quotes, as well as interviewing several website builders. If your website is just an online brochure with a CTA download, then you’re ok with just a designer. If you have your own ecommerce, membership site, or even a payment gateway, you need a developer.
Related: Budgeting for your website and marketing
However, keep in mind that developers are computer people. They usually are not marketing people. If you don’t tell them how to create the best user experience, they don’t know. Many now use AI to create websites that sound like a computer. Remember, you’re targeting HUMANS first — your customers. The AI search bots come second. They are also not copywriters. They expect you to give them the text that’s to go on the page. Lay it out clearly so there’s no doubt. Don’t leave anything “up to them”. Don’t assume anything nor take anything for granted.
What could happen if you try to build your own website?
Then there’s Maintenance
Just like stuff breaks at home, stuff breaks online. There are a lot of entities involved even in the most simplest websites: the hosting service, the platform, the hackers trying to get in, compatibility of WP with the themes and plugins. Each theme and plugin has its own developers who have to keep up with the updates.
Fixing Problems
- Where’s the problem?
- Who’s responsible?
- Hosting
- Backend
- Plugins
- Theme
- Who’s going to fix it?
How Much is YOUR Time Worth?
You might want to outsource your website design, development, and/or content creation if you have the budget. Research your options to make sure you get someone who will create content that will enhance your company’s brand image. How much is your time worth? How big is the learning curve for you to master this?
I can help you determine which is the best way for your business. Let’s start with a FREE 15-minute consult.
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