Make a Web in 4 Steps
Starting your business? A pretty web helps you grow your brand.
As a fresh business owner, you quickly realize that without any web, you own nothing. Having a website is a must.
The web is your promotion, your selling tool, your brand. If you think about going self-employed or starting your business, you will have two steps to do:
a. Figure out what you want to do
b. Create a corresponding web
But not just some web. The web you will be proud about, and you will want to present to the world.
Aim high from the beginning. Luckily, for all non-web-savvy people like me, and maybe you. There are already tools that make it happen. A few more easy ideas to consider, and your web is yet to be launched.
Yourself or Designer?
Should you do the web yourself, or should you hire a designer? That depends on your personality, skills, budget, time, etc. I recommend building the web yourself. A big advantage is that you will have full control over it and can quickly amend anything anytime.
Having an experienced designer is great too.
They have many creative ideas, work fast, and have the attention to detail that you might lack. Have you ever thought about fonts, colors, and logo designs?
Well, you’d better start as you need all of them for your website. The designer will guide you as you will need to make such decisions.
If you do it yourself, you will go through frustration, fun, and in the end satisfaction about the result.
So, take this road down to your website. If you have time, you can take courses about web programming and do it properly. If not, and you wish to have great results fast, try templated web builder.
Step 1. Which web builder to use?
When I went self-employed last year, I started researching and testing different web builders.
My friend recommended me Squarespace. An award-winning website template, easy to make. It sounded good and if you need something to start with, it could be your natural choice.
Squarespace offers many templates for different purposes. It helps you to structure your content. You can then shift things around, adjust the pictures, colors, add your logo, and it’s done. Yet, its functions are limited. For anything extra, you need to also pay extra. That’s a bummer.
The second choice I would go for is Wix.
Wix also offers templates and makes your life easier. Yet, it’s a bit less intuitive. Count with more time. A huge advantage is, though, it does have multilanguage options included in the package. Handy.
Together with the linked domain name and well-done support center, it is a cool and easy builder I would recommend.
Step 2. Have you chosen your style?
What your color is? One of my friends sees the colors of others or their aura.
Your web also needs colors. What impressions should it make when people visit it? What colors do you like? It also depends on your type of business.
If you are selling organic products, you may want to go for a gentle palette. If you sell training, you wish to show power, so more contrast colors could be used.
Your style is like your fashion. It will show your personality. So, pick a style that suits you and not some default style. Don’t fall into that trap. Beautiful does not mean standard. Make it memorable on your terms.
Colors and style serve your purpose. Do you have a purpose? If you don’t know, go back to
a. Figure out what you want to do.
Without it, you cannot do anything. The business and services influence your presentation. Make it simple, and let people understand your purpose.
Step 3. Is your content structured?
Do you like talking? You do? Your website is full of your thoughts, products, and ideas.
Less is more.
It should be very intuitive to move around your website without uncluttered pieces of information. Before you do any web, make a mindmap of the content. So, you see how it is all linked together.
I hate when I am searching for a piece of information and I can’t see it. Don’t do this to me please and structure your web.
The easier, the better. I know you might have plenty of materials and pictures to show. But hold your horses, that’s what social media is for. Your web should always breathe fresh.
One hack I recently discovered is to see what pages or content is being viewed the most in web analytics.
You can track how people are moving around and see which content they search for. Pay attention to pages that are not viewed that often. They will be your candidate for deletion.
The most viewed pages earn your attention. So, focus on them.
Step 4. Do you have a sense of detail?
When you finish your website, ask for proofreading and a sense check.
I added a newsletter subscription to my web and ask a friend to test it. She immediately discovered that some parts of the web were not aligned. The different device, different squeeze.
It’s worth it to test it on as many devices as possible.
I, honestly, don’t have huge attention to detail. But as a business owner, you have to have it. Otherwise, you won’t look credible.
Checking everything twice goes without saying. Yet, try to detach and use the second pair of eyes. Devil is in detail and details are inconsistency and symmetry.
Scan your website for colors, fonts, gaps, and any other important elements. Make sure it is symmetrical. Research says that people with symmetrical and balanced faces are more attractive.
It is not any different for your web. It should have the perfect face.
Final Web Thought
If you do a web yourself, you learn a lot. You gain new skills, funnel down your business ideas, and become more confident.
Your website must be both functional, but also pretty. Beautiful visuals generate interest and make people happy. Positive emotions are bringing viewers in and eventually create customers.
Spend some quality time on your website. Even more, than you expect. See it as an investment into your brand.
What do you want others to see when they find you on google?
Persuade them to scroll around your homepage and let them be pleased. If you are not with your current website, your customers are not either. So, let’s get it right this time. Good luck!
Disclaimer: I don’t work with Squarespace or Wix. Just sharing experience.
