Do you dream of having a website like Amazon, Spotify, or Virgin America? Or maybe you want your website to generate as much revenue as these giants?
Everyone wants their website to be the best in their niche, but in reality, most websites are way off the mark in terms of design, usability, navigation, and SEO. So, if you want to get your dream website, then you'll have to invest the time and effort into creating it.
Even if you have a web development company handling your website design, it’s helpful to know what factors to account for. If you are ambitious or have the technical expertise to do it yourself then that’s great.
So, how can you build the website of your dreams?
Read on to find out!
Prioritize the Basics
When looking at some of the best website designs, it’s easy to fall into the trap of copying the design of these websites. However, while this will make your website look good, it won’t help you get more visitors or sales.
A good web development company will always prioritize the website basics before doing advanced designing.
Before doing any of the fancy stuff (we’ll get to that later), here are the top 4 basic steps to help you build the perfect website:
1. Choose a Good Domain Name
Before you can even think about getting started with website building, you’ll need a good domain name. Your domain name represents your website on different advertising and social platforms and is the first thing that potential visitors see before they go onto your website.
A bad domain name will simply discourage customers and they probably won’t even visit your website. So, don’t be hesitant to invest in a good domain name as it carries a lot of value.
Also, remember that the best domain name matches your brand name. For example, if your brand name is Breeze, then the best domain name would be Breeze.com. If the .com domain name is not available, then you can always go for a .net or .co variation.
2. Get the Right Hosting Plan
So, you’ve got the perfect domain name, now what? Is it time to start building your website?
Not yet.
Your website needs a place to live known as hosting. Web hosting is how your website stays online. It includes installing all your website data, providing backups, maintaining website speed, etc.
The quality of your website hosting will often determine how well your website performs which is why you need a hosting plan that matches your website needs.
If you have an e-commerce site, then you’ll need heavy hosting such as dedicated server hosting or VPS hosting. If you have a business website, then go for proper business hosting plans.
Your web development company will guide you on your hosting requirements so that your website functions properly. Never compromise on hosting, as it could cause your website to underperform, affect your SEO and damage your brand reputation.
3. Use the Right Website Language
If the first question that comes to your mind is “what is website language?”, then you’ll need a web development company to help you with the next few steps.
A web development language or software helps you add certain aspects, extensions, or features to your website. This could include different types of coding or even website building software.
If you are a beginner, then you’ll find website builders easy to use. However, they have limitations and won’t help you build your dream website. Besides, most website builders give you a popular template, which means your website has the same design as hundreds of other websites.
The best website development software is WordPress. If you purchase the right hosting plan, then it will support WordPress installation. If you have a professional web development company building your website, then they’ll likely recommend using WordPress to design the perfect site.
4. Choose a Basic Theme for Your Website
Every brand has its own identity and its website theme often reflects this. A fast-food brand will have a lot of bright colors, high-quality pictures, and even a funky website design. Take Mcdonald's for example their website design, logo, advertisements, and branding all have the same theme.
On the other hand, a pharmaceutical company will have a more professional theme on the website to convey a better brand authority.
The best web development company will design a basic theme for your website that matches your brand image and product or service category. Once you do this, you can build on the theme and add more complex functions.
Take Your Website to the Next Level
Once you have the basics covered, it’s time to add the finishing touches to make your website stand out. So, what can you do to make your website better than the competitors’?
Here are 3 things that will take your website to the next level:
5. Use a Custom Theme
Custom website themes can help improve your website’s usability and give you premium features. WordPress has many custom themes for e-commerce sites, business websites, and blogging sites. Alternatively, you can use a popular Shopify theme as the perfect e-commerce solution.
A good website will have a custom theme, but a great website isn’t designed using a theme. So, if you want your website to be the very best, then choose a web development company that will design your website from scratch.
6. Add Features with Extensions
The best websites have added features that help your brand stand out from the competition. The best way to add these features to your website is by using a good extension. WordPress plugins help you add forms, cache eliminators, e-commerce features, and even features that will help you with SEO!
Your web development company will ideally recommend a few key extensions that will make your website unique. You can also suggest certain features and check whether they have an extension for your specific theme.
7. Test Your Website Design
Once your website is complete, you'll need to test it for bugs, security flaws, and other issues. Too many people skip this step, which is why many websites have errors and security flaws.
If you have a professional web development company designing your website, then they will run it through a test phase before launching it. This includes both software testing and user testing.
Testing your website is essential to make sure that it’s functioning optimally and prevents costly repairs later on.
So, what’s stopping you from getting your dream website. Follow these steps, choose a good hosting provider, and get your website online today!
