CREATE A WEBSITE
Developers are no longer the only ones responsible for creating websites. Thanks to CMS systems, small and medium-sized businesses are now able to handle and sometimes build their own web pages. However, it is important to note that website creation is a complex project. Thus, the questions arise: How can one create a website? And which CMS system should be considered?
The days where simple HTML websites were sufficient as corporate presentations are long gone. Web technologies have undergone significant advancement and even medium-sized businesses now have websites that are complex and sophisticated. These websites are written in multiple programming languages and can incorporate databases and links to third-party systems. Creating such websites requires extensive knowledge and countless hours of development.
Advancements in technology have reached a point where even small and medium-sized businesses can now create sophisticated websites without the need for extensive programming knowledge. This is made possible by the availability of user-friendly tools, primarily CMS systems, or editorial systems.
However, with the diminishing importance of developer knowledge, the demand for knowledge in marketing or graphic design has been increasing. Therefore, in order to create websites that are user-friendly, visually appealing, and popular, it is not necessary to be a developer. Instead, it is more important to be a manager who can prepare for the project on behalf of the new website.
Systematic procedure
Working in a methodical manner yields superior and quicker outcomes compared to spontaneous approaches. It is beneficial to organize and delegate tasks to team members, such as designers, developers, or SEO experts within a marketing agency. Even if opting to build the website independently using CMS systems, it is advantageous to prepare a systematic plan in advance.
In order to get an understanding and structure our work on the new website, we can utilize the table created by Viktor Janouch in his publication Internet Marketing. It is a common practice to jot down tasks and gradually mark them as completed, based on past experiences. Therefore, let's go through each item listed in the table.
Setting the target
In the initial stages of creating a new website, it is crucial to identify the site's objectives. In simpler terms, you must have a clear understanding of what the site aims to achieve. While this may appear obvious, it is a crucial step. For instance, if the primary purpose of your website is to provide information about your services, it is essential to consider any potential inquiries your customers may have.
Are you looking to use your website to showcase your products or services? Is your main objective to establish the credibility of your business? Or do you intend to create an online store and generate sales through it? There are various reasons for having a website, and it is important to identify one or two primary purposes.
Who will visit your website?
The website serves as a tool for marketing purposes, similar to other marketing techniques, and it is essential to understand the preferences of your intended audience.
Can you describe the characteristics of your average customer? Will your website attract employees, job seekers, business partners, journalists, and PR managers? Each of these user groups will have distinct content preferences when they visit your site.
What visitors to the site should do
If you already have information about the target audience for your website, put yourself in their shoes. Envision what they are searching for on your site and facilitate their journey towards achieving their objective.
Do you anticipate receiving an order from the customer? Make the entire process as user-friendly as you can. If customers need to contact you by phone, ensure that your phone number is already visible on the main page. Alternatively, do you expect potential customers to send a request and then reach out to them with a tailored offer? If so, it would be beneficial to have a request form that directly feeds into the CRM system.
Main topics of the site
Usually, customers will respond to this inquiry regarding their preferences. Are they interested in knowing about your product or service? How much does it cost to avail your services? Do they require a means to contact you? It is advisable to present this information in a concise and easily accessible manner within the menu section of your website.
This implies that you have the ability to generate various things such as Products/Services, Price List, or Contacts. If you need employees for your business, you can also make a Careers page. If your company has an intriguing background, you can create an About Us page. Additionally, if you frequently collaborate with the press, it would be beneficial to have a media section on your website where journalists or PR managers can access your logo in high quality for print. The options are truly endless.
Key words analysis
There are multiple strategies to draw in potential customers to your website. For instance, they can find you by conducting a Google search or by browsing through a list related to a specific keyword.
By examining the keywords used, you can determine the exact terms your customers can use to locate your business. For instance, they might search for "Kansas pizzeria," "Outlook CRM," or "affordable laptops," depending on the nature of your business. To assist with this analysis, you can employ Google Ads' Keyword Planner tool.
Analyze your competition
As the saying goes, we tend to believe that our neighbor's grass appears greener. If a competitor can motivate you in any way, which is often true, take a look beyond your own boundaries.
If you provide printing services, it is important to include contact information and a price list on your website. However, most companies prefer to send a request rather than placing an order immediately. If they do not see a request form on your site, they may leave right away. So, what should this form look like? By looking at your competitors' websites, you will notice that they include fields for name, email, phone, dimensions, and the number of pieces in the poster printing form. This will improve user experience, create a professional impression, and facilitate faster communication.
Define the website structure
After determining the components of your website, it is now time to begin assembling these components. In practical terms, this involves creating a wireframe that developers can work with. An effective website should be easily understandable for users, which requires it to be built on the principles of user experience (UX) design.
The most important advice is to have important information at the top. If the information is buried deep on the website, users are less likely to find it. To follow this principle, the menu should almost always be located at the top.
Blocks of text and buttons on websites are already unique to each industry and business. It may be worth analyzing the competition by examining certain elements. For instance, if a van rental website has a phone contact displayed on its homepage, there is likely a purpose behind it.
Design
Do you currently have a blank outline or wireframe of your website? It's time to begin filling in the details. How do you want your site design to appear? What aspects should you prioritize?
The visual design of your brand should complement each other. Pay attention to colors and whether they align with your brand's image, as well as the choice of font. It is important to clearly organize the text into headings, paragraphs, and other sections so that it is easily readable.
Content
Once you have a clear understanding of the main aspects of your website, it is time to add the necessary elements such as text, forms, buttons, and images. It is important to note that the website development process may not always follow a linear path, and you may find yourself revisiting previous areas. For instance, you may realize that some headings or text are too lengthy, prompting you to adjust the font size or rearrange the content on the page.
SEO on-page
Examining keywords, as stated earlier, serves as the foundation for SEO or the optimization of a website for search engines. Nonetheless, the analysis is not complete as attracting customers to your site through search engines requires concentrating on your site's content with regards to SEO, which is known as on-page SEO factors. This entails ensuring that elements such as your site's headline, individual page names, alt descriptions of images utilized, and other components of your site align with the relevant search terms.
Regardless of the situation, it is important to take into account SEO (Search Engine Optimization) when creating a website. While many websites are user-friendly and easy to navigate, it is crucial that the developers have the capability to adjust specific SEO elements. If there is no one within your company who can handle this task, it is advisable to seek assistance from an SEO expert.
Web testing
Testing the website extensively prior to its launch is of utmost significance. It is crucial to ensure that potential customers do not conduct the testing, as any flaws identified might dissuade them, leading to an unfavorable initial impression that will persist.
You may discover that on certain browsers or mobile devices, images may not appear correctly, the form may not function, or the search feature may not work properly. There are numerous errors that you may encounter.
Website launch
Before you launch the website, it is important to test the site and ensure that the SEO settings, particularly the robots.txt and sitemap.xml files, are configured correctly so that Google can properly index your site from the start. Google provides various custom procedures and tools to review and adjust these settings if needed.
SEO off-page
Even after the website is launched, it is important to continue focusing on the on-page SEO elements mentioned earlier. However, at this point, it is also crucial to consider the off-page factors, particularly the process known as link building or creating backlinks for your website.
There are several options available for promoting your company and website effectively. These include registering your company and website in online directories, uploading articles on external servers, or forming partnerships with influential individuals.
Consistently monitoring the performance of the website and ensuring its effective optimization for search engines.
Regularly checking the functionality of your website and ensuring its visibility on Google is essential. It is not uncommon for businesses to face scenarios where their website is not appearing on Google (especially when making changes to page names or switching hosting providers). Additionally, certain features like adding products to the cart on an e-commerce platform may malfunction. It is crucial to identify such issues as soon as possible to minimize any potential negative impact.
The frequency of your website inspections should not just be based on your availability, but also on how your website generates revenue. A hairdresser in a small town in Alaska, for instance, will not be as affected by a potential blackout as an e-shop that receives numerous daily orders.
Website traffic tracking
It is likely that you will utilize the commonly used Google Analytics tool to gauge and evaluate the activity, user information, behavior, sales, and other data of your website. If this is the case, ensure that the Google Analytics tag is properly established on your site before it is launched.
Website traffic analysis
Analyzing website traffic is a broad subject that involves various aspects. Apart from keeping count of the visitors, you have the ability to monitor the pages that customers frequently exit and their duration of stay on a particular page. By utilizing this information, you can determine the weaknesses and vulnerabilities in your website.
SEO analysis
The effectiveness of your SEO strategy can be evaluated by analyzing the keywords that users of web browsers use to access your website, as well as by measuring your website's ranking on search engine results pages for specific keywords.
Certain search queries, like "pizza place Alaska," may take time to yield results, and if your website doesn't appear on the first page of Google within six months, it's likely not due to any fault on your part. But if you optimize your website for the search term "pizza place Kodiak, Alaska," you should see results appearing much sooner.
Web changes
Like other projects, the different stages of website development are closely linked together. The specific tasks go back and forth, especially after the website is launched. However, the more effort you put in from the start, the higher the likelihood that you won't have to worry about making major modifications to the site during high traffic. This can greatly save you stress and hassle.
CMSs have the benefit of functioning without any need for development.
The creation of a website appears to demand a diverse set of skills. However, if you want to make updates to the site in the future, you don't necessarily need expertise in development. Nowadays, the commonly used content management system (CMS) provides a solution that allows you to easily make changes to the website without any programming knowledge. The CMS offers a user-friendly interface for website administration, facilitating modifications.
Content management systems (CMSs) also provide additional features that simplify tasks for users.
• Templates are pre-designed layouts for web pages that can be adjusted as required.
Many websites often have user-friendly editors that make it easy for the user to make changes to various aspects of the page by simply dragging and dropping elements.
interface of a website or software program. These plugins/modules enhance the functionality and capabilities of the website or software by providing additional tools, features, or services. They can be easily downloaded and installed, allowing users to customize their experience and tailor the website or software to their specific needs and preferences.
There are various tools available in the environment, including forms, SEO, security plugins, analytical tools, live chat, and many others.
• Widgets are pre-made components that are compatible with templates and plugins.
As an illustration, with just one click of a mouse, you have the ability to position a form within the sidebar of a website.
To put it simply, for effective long-term website management, it is often sufficient to familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of SEO, enhance your Photoshop skills, or occasionally hire a designer, and become proficient in using a content management system (CMS).
Selecting a suitable CMS
If you want to create a new website, you just need to decide which content management system (CMS) to use. Currently, the three most commonly used systems are WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. In addition to these CMS options, you could also consider Wix or Squarespace, although they are not self-hosted CMSs. However, both Wix and Squarespace have gained popularity as website editors recently. Therefore, some companies may be considering them as alternatives, making them worthy of inclusion in comparisons.
Websites like Wix and Squarespace have some downsides when compared to WordPress and other content management systems (CMSs). The biggest drawback is the cost, with Wix starting at $8.50 per month and Squarespace at $12 per month. While Wix does offer a cheaper option at €4.50 per month, this package includes Wix advertising on your website, which may appear unprofessional. Conversely, with traditional CMSs, you only need to pay for your own website hosting.
Despite its higher cost, users frequently prefer Wix and similar platforms due to their straightforward and user-friendly functionality. Regrettably, this is the only positive aspect when compared to WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal.
Squarespace and Wix have minimal capabilities when it comes to optimizing SEO, which not many companies are willing to compromise on. Furthermore, in comparison to WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal, their selection of templates and plugins is also limited, making it difficult for businesses to fully customize their websites according to their requirements.
WordPress, Joomla or Drupal?
As we always seek the perfect solution for small and medium-sized businesses, we have narrowed down our choice of content management systems to WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. However, we may still consider similar parameters as we did with Wix or Squarespace. If you agree and are seeking a straightforward solution, unfortunately, Drupal is not the right fit. Drupal is better suited for larger companies that have the need for developing extensive and intricate websites. It provides developers with a significant amount of flexibility in this regard. If you are in search of a ready-made solution, Joomla or WordPress would be more suitable options. They share many similarities.
WordPress has the upper hand in terms of advantages because it surpasses all other CMSs in popularity. One clear advantage is the extensive selection of plugins and templates. With approximately 50,000 plugins, WordPress outshines Joomla, which only offers around 8,000 plugins.
If you are in need of modifications to your template or a plugin and you have high expectations, you will find that there are significantly more freelance developers who specialize in WordPress compared to those who specialize in Joomla and Drupal.
Furthermore, apart from the advantages of being the most widely used content management system (CMS), WordPress stands out for its user-friendly nature. In fact, it is a known fact that WordPress is incredibly easy to use. Nowadays, most hosting services are even prepared specifically for WordPress, alleviating any concerns about server technicalities. All you need to do is install WordPress and you're good to go.
