Embarking on the journey to create a new website is exciting, yet it can also be a complex process. Ensuring your website not only looks great but also functions efficiently and meets your long-term goals requires careful planning and consideration. Here’s a guide to help you navigate the process, covering essential aspects from hosting to mobile responsiveness.
Hosting
The foundation of your website’s performance lies in its hosting. The hosting provider you choose can significantly impact your site's speed, reliability, and security. Here are some critical factors to consider:
Performance: Your website’s load time is crucial. Visitors expect fast-loading pages, and search engines use load time as a ranking factor. Look for hosts with high uptime guarantees (99.9% or higher) and fast server response times.
Security: A good hosting provider offers robust security measures, including SSL certificates, firewalls, and regular backups. These features protect your site from cyber threats and ensure data integrity.
Scalability: As your business grows, your website’s traffic and resource needs may increase. Choose a hosting plan that can scale with your business, allowing for easy upgrades without significant downtime or hassle.
·Support: Reliable customer support is essential. Opt for providers that offer 24/7 support through multiple channels, such as chat, email, and phone, ensuring you can get help whenever you need it.
Long-term Updates and Maintenance
A website is not a set-and-forget project; it requires regular updates and maintenance to stay secure and functional. Decide upfront who will handle this ongoing task:
Client: If you or your team have the technical skills and time, you can manage updates internally. This option can save costs but requires a commitment to staying current with web technologies and security updates.
·Studio: Many businesses prefer to retain the services of the studio that built their website. This ensures professional oversight, as studios typically have the expertise to handle updates efficiently. However, it may involve additional costs.
Choosing a CMS System
The choice of CMS (Content Management System) is critical, especially considering your long-term needs for updating and managing content. Here’s what to consider:
Ease of Use: If you plan to manage the website content yourself, choose a CMS that is user-friendly and doesn’t require extensive technical knowledge. Platforms like WordPress, Wix and Squarespace are known for their intuitive interfaces.
Capabilities: Ensure the CMS can support the features and functionalities you need now and in the future. Evaluate plugins and extensions available for the CMS to enhance its capabilities.
Budget: Factor in the costs of ongoing updates and maintenance. Some CMS platforms are free but may require paid plugins or themes. Decide if you’re willing to pay for professional updates or prefer to manage them yourself.
Content: Copy
The written content on your website plays a crucial role in communicating your brand message and engaging visitors. Consider the following:
Who’s Writing?: Determine whether your team has the expertise to write compelling, SEO-optimised copy or if you need to hire professional copywriters. High-quality content can significantly impact user engagement and search engine rankings.
SEO: Ensure your content is optimised for search engines. This involves using relevant keywords, creating informative meta descriptions, and structuring content with headings and subheadings.
Content: Images and Graphics
Visual content is equally important for creating an attractive and engaging website. Here’s what to consider:
Quality: Use high-resolution images and professional graphics that reflect your brand’s identity. Poor-quality visuals can detract from the user experience and diminish your brand’s credibility.
Source: Decide if the images will be provided by you or created by the studio. Professional studios often have access to stock photo libraries or can create custom graphics that align with your brand.
Licensing: Ensure all images are properly licensed. Using unlicensed images can lead to legal issues. Many stock photo sites offer images with various licensing options; choose those that best meet your needs.
Privacy Policy
Compliance with privacy laws is essential for protecting user data and building trust. Consider these points:
NZ Privacy Act 2020: Ensure your website’s privacy policy complies with local regulations. This includes outlining how user data is collected, used, and protected.
GDPR: If your site targets EU users, compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is mandatory. This includes providing clear information about data collection and obtaining user consent for cookies.
Call to Actions (CTAs)
CTAs are crucial for guiding visitors towards your desired outcomes. Here’s how to make them effective:
· Define Goals: Understand what actions you want users to take on your site, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or contacting you for more information.
· Placement: Strategically place CTAs throughout your site to maximise visibility and encourage conversions. Effective CTAs are clear, compelling, and aligned with your business goals.
Navigation
A clear and intuitive navigation structure is key to a positive user experience. Consider the following:
User Journey: Map out how users will navigate your site. Ensure that the most important pages are easily accessible, and that the navigation menu is logical and straightforward.
Simplicity: Avoid cluttering the navigation with too many options. A clean, simple navigation structure helps users find what they need quickly and easily.
Functionality
Identify essential functionalities your website needs to support your business operations:
E-commerce: If you plan to sell products or services online, choose a platform that supports secure payment processing and offers robust e-commerce features.
Bookings: If your business relies on appointments, ensure your site includes a booking system that integrates seamlessly with your calendar.
Blog: A blog can be a powerful tool for content marketing. Ensure your CMS supports blogging and offers features like categorisation, tagging, and comment moderation.
Integrations: Consider any third-party integrations you need, such as CRM systems, email marketing tools, POS software, or social media platforms. These integrations can streamline your operations and enhance user engagement.
Mobile Responsiveness
With the majority of internet traffic now coming from mobile devices, mobile responsiveness is non-negotiable:
· Design: Ensure your website design adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes, providing an optimal viewing experience on mobile devices.
· Performance: Mobile responsiveness affects load times and user experience. Google also prioritizes mobile-friendly sites in search rankings, so it’s essential for SEO.
Additional Considerations
SEO: Implement SEO best practices from the start. This includes optimising page titles, meta descriptions, headers, and content for relevant keywords.
Analytics: Use tools like Google Analytics to track website performance and user behaviour. This data can provide valuable insights for improving your site and marketing strategies.
Accessibility: Make your site accessible to users with disabilities by following best practices and guidelines, such as providing alt text for images and ensuring navigability with keyboard controls.
Building a new website involves careful planning and consideration of various factors. By addressing hosting, maintenance, CMS choice, content, privacy, CTAs, navigation, functionality, and mobile responsiveness, you can create a site that not only meets your needs but also delivers a superior user experience.
At Bread we offer comprehensive web packages tailored to your unique requirements. Learn m ore about how we can help you create a successful online presence https://www.breaddesign.nz/website-packages
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