There’s a new breed of online, creative entrepreneurs popping up on our screens every day, and they need consistent communication with their target audiences. With a website built to strategically increase traffic and generate leads, online entrepreneurs can effectively engage their customers and inspire further interaction with their brand.
In order to create a website that truly converts visitors to clients, however, online entrepreneurs need to take note of the smallest details – from colors to typography to the speed of the website. In fact, JMC Academy advises that typography is one of the most important features to consider as you plan with a web developer or designer.
From functionality, to design, coding, and content strategy, a lot goes into making a website user-friendly and eye-catching. Fortunately, there are numerous resources entrepreneurs can leverage in order to help them map out a concrete plan for their websites.
Here are 7 important things to keep in mind while building a website.
1. Purpose/Goal of the Website
Having a purpose in mind for your website will ultimately help you set clearer goals that will enhance the entire planning process. Different website projects can have different purposes – ranging from traffic building to enhancing communication between a brand and their customers
Before building a website, it’s important to ask questions such as, “What exactly is the purpose of the website?” And, “How can you set goals and build a website that feeds this ultimate purpose?” Such questions will create a focus and help support the entire website project.
2. Web Design & Layout
The UI/UX design of a website has a psychological effect on the way people respond. Nothing beats an amazing online user experience. One of the most vital factors to remember during a web development process is to create an appealing design. Quality and clean designs help viewers focus on the valuable content you display and the essence of your brand.
3. Typography
Understanding the fundamentals of typography for a website is very important. When the texts are too big or small, it affects the way readers respond to it. Pay attention to fonts and choose the one that directly lures your target audience without compromising on the purpose of your brand. It’s advisable to use the same fonts across every platform and create a consistent approach towards your company’s web and social media theme.
4. Security
Many websites get exposed to the venoms of hackers due to ignorance or lack of regular maintenance. All websites can fall prey to several threats, from malware to viruses, especially with the technology advancements and constant updates that open websites to all sorts of risks. In order to prevent such threats, the website must be armed with security features such as SSL certification and with regular routine maintenance/updates.
5. Site Performance & Speed
Some websites have great content but are slow because of errors in functionalities, which affects the satisfaction of visitors. A website with optimized and fast response has benefits that include: increase in return visitors/customers, higher ranking in search results (which also affects traffic), and effective mobile performance. It’s important to have this in mind before you build a website to ensure overall effective performance.
6. Target Market
Knowing your target market and the needs of your customers helps you to build a website that directly meets their needs. A website for fashion enthusiasts will be different than one for engineering experts. Understanding market specifications will help clarify the design of the website, layout, colors, style theme, call to action, and also content strategy.
7. SEO & Essential Plugins
Search engine optimization is one of the important aspects of a website. Having great content and other sleek functionalities without putting any effort into the SEO aspect will be pointless. By building a website with clean SEO code, it becomes easier for it to appear in front of the target audience. Some content management system services such as WordPress provide access to plug-ins to help increase search engine rankings.