Essential Factors to Consider When Building a New Website
To have a successful online presence, your company requires a website. However, just having a website is not enough. It has to capture the attention and satisfy the needs of your customers. Therefore, web design is a vital part of building a new website. Here are 15 factors to consider when creating your new website.
Mobile Optimization
In recent years, most people have opted to use their mobile phones to search for online content. Did you know that 96% of mobile phones users rely on their phones to search for products and services? Therefore, building a website accessible by phone is a mandatory factor to consider.
Choosing a Domain and Host
Domain names identify Internet resources with a text-based name. The domain name should be easy to memorize and correspond to your organization's brand. When it comes to choosing a hosting company, you should consider the speed, support, and security of the hosting package. The choice of a hosting package largely depends on the programming language used to develop your website.
Website Design
Great website design will help you fulfill the website's intended function by conveying your marketing message while simultaneously engaging site visitors. The design helps viewers focus on the value of your brand. In a nutshell, design assists you in improving the user experience and supporting your call to action. Learn more about building your website on SquareSpace.
Branding
Branding when done well helps you to build relationships with your audience. A distinctly branded website will distinguish you from your competition and support your value proposition. Organizations with a clear and consistent brand profile provide visitors to their website with a memorable experience. An important precursor to any branding effort is to perform a brand audit.
Color Scheme
Colors help customize your website, convey emotion and can help guide visitors to specific areas of your site when contrast is effectively used. For instance, calls to action are often highlighted in a brighter, more attention grabbing color.
Navigation and Usability
When building a new website, devise a navigation structure that allows guests to navigate through your website with ease. Ensure that there are no slow loading issues or broken links on your website. It is also necessary to have security features that are adequate for your business needs. It is recommended that you view your website's features from the perspective of the users.
Most users are likely to turn away from a website that is hard to use. Displaying product or service information in a concise manner helps increase the usability of your website. Additionally, consider making sure your website is ADA compliant.
Integration with Social Media
Social media is an essential platform for most businesses to advertise your products and services. A website that integrates with social media will enable you to take advantage of this marketing channel. Creating visual and written content with social sharing buttons is a way of helping your visitors share content that is relevant to their circumstances.
Call to Action
A call to action shows that your business is ready to develop a relationship with the customers. There can be any number of calls to action that makes sense for a business. Common examples include subscribing to your email newsletter, making a purchase, receiving a quote or even applying for a job.
Loading Time
New research by Google has established that 53% of website visitors will leave if a webpage doesn't load within three seconds. You wouldn't want to lose traffic to your website because of long loading times. To provide a positive user experience, you must ensure that your website has a short loading time.
On-Site Blog
Having a blog on your website is a great way to keep your customers informed about your organization. Updating blogs with fresh content regularly helps your customers understand the benefits and uses of your products and services. Having an on-site blog is also a powerful tool to enhance your SEO.
Compatibility with Multiple Browsers
There are several web browsers in use today with prominent examples being Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Safari. When building a website, it is important to ensure that your website is accessible across multiple browsers in a consistent manner.
Website Security
Advancements in technology have led to the rise of security risks that may threaten the integrity of your website. The security threats include viruses, spyware, ransomware, and malware. The threat of hackers is also a major concern when it comes to website security. When building a new website, it is crucial to review the security features included in your site.
The Content
The content on your website impacts your site's ranking in search engine results as well as how visitors interact with your. Writing original and high-quality content helps generate traffic to your website. It is crucial to use relevant keywords to help readers locate the content they are looking for.
Captcha Tests
A captcha is a challenge-response test used to determine whether the user is human. It is a simple verification process designed to lock out robots from the site. Having these tests on your website will ensure that only humans use your site's resources. The tests should be added to your contact forms.
Website Analytics
Analytics are a tool that businesses use on their website to monitor things like what content is most popular, how long people stay on their site and other metrics. This helps you stay informed on what is working well on your site and what can use improvement.