WEBSITES

ONE ON ONE

Your basic guide to website creation

INTRO

Thanks for downloading our eBook “Websites One on One” we hope you find it to be a useful guide for your website endeavor. Our goal with providing this free ebook is that we believe educated clients are empowered clients, being in the know and up-to-date with the current trends and changes in the world of web design is to benefit both: our web agency and the client to be on the same page and aim to achieve the same goals. If you have any questions regarding website creation feel free to contact us:

844.WEB.MODE office@WebModeinc.com

845.388.1244 WebModeinc.com

THE ONLINE OPPORTUNITY

It is truly amazing how the internet has impacted human existence today. People are using the internet for all sorts of things on many types of devices. The traditional desktop computers have now been overshadowed by the advent of devices such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc. Whether on the move, in their offices, at home, or at a meeting, people are constantly online. Now, imagine being able to reach out to all these people. With the help of the internet, it is now physically possible to touch places you would never have dreamed of reaching before. This is one general reason that you would love to “build a web presence”.

To understand the magnificence of internet usage in the world today, consider these facts: In year 2000, 361 million people were online worldwide. In year 2014, we had the number increase to 3 billion. That is one very significant increase of more than 760%. Today, that number has increased and will continue to increase. Many of these people are shopping; socializing a third of their entire time online, watching videos on sites such as YouTube or Netflix, and so on.

As time passes by, the internet will improve and continue to impact everyone in many ways, and it will also impact businesses and open more possibilities in our ever-changing world.

BUILD YOUR WEB PRESENCE

Building your web presence is like establishing your business on a piece of land within a locality on the surface of this earth. It requires certain steps and once understood, anyone can build a web presence. It is true that you can get started using social media pages, but for the most part, as you get serious you would require a website. A domain name is what your website is called and acts as a unique identifier for that website. Take a sample web address www.yourDomainName.com. It is that name that appears between the “www.” and the “.com” part of the web address.

A website is a collection of related web pages that are linked together and typically identified by a common web address. A domain name is very important and representative of the website, so it must be chosen with care. To create a website, certain tools are used. Typically, you would employ such tools as “HTML”, “CSS”, and so on. Many of these tools can be used to achieve the same thing and it becomes a matter of preference. Websites like www.godaddy.com and www.1and1.com are registrars where you can purchase a domain name, provided it hasn’t been chosen yet.

Once a domain name has been used by someone else, it can’t be chosen by someone else until the original owner either puts it up for sale or runs out of contract. This is why you must be careful when choosing your name.

If you purchase both the domain name and the hosting service from the supplier, then you won’t really have to do anything. The process is automatic. Another option for getting yourself a website is by using platforms like www.weebly.com, www.wix.com, and www.squarespace.com etc. they don’t require advanced knowledge.

GET A DOMAIN NAME

Your domain name is your business at a glance. It must be relevant to the contents of the website itself. It should tell visitors in a small way what you do. For example, if you own a bakery that sells chocolate bread, having a name like www.chocolatebread.com is more intuitive for anyone who needs to buy chocolate bread or bread at all.

You also want your domain name to be as short and simple as possible. It must be memorable on the go. There is no general rule but the best advice is, if you can make it shorter, make it shorter.

Here are three examples of domain names:

When choosing a domain name, it must be available. You can type in a web address and search to know if a domain name is available.

DOMAIN EXTENSION

The part after the “dot” notation in a web address is the extension. Take www.domainName.com for example. The emboldened part of the web address is known as the extension.

If you notice, we are using “.com” in most of our examples. This is the most common name extension since the internet started. Other very common extensions are, “.net”, “.info”, and “.org”. This is why it is difficult to get a domain name with these extensions. Thus, the same domain name that is chosen under the “.com” extension can still be available under another extension.

More top-level domain extensions are being created, giving you the chance to snag up a favourite domain name with industry-specific extensions like “.photography”, “.healthcare”, or geography-specific domains like “.ng”, “.co.uk”, etc.

TELL YOUR REGISTRAR

After carefully choosing a domain name, you can then head to your registrar to purchase it. Once registered, a domain name becomes yours for a period of time when no one can use it. If your domain of choice isn’t available, you could purchase it from the domain aftermarket.

PROTECT YOUR DOMAIN

There is a database of all domain names on the web with the contact on who registered it. You can purchase privacy to keep your domain information confidential from the public eye.

PLAN YOUR WEBSITE

Website building is all about relevant content. The more relevant your content is, the more people visit your website. Start by telling your story. You could begin with how it all started. Keep it interesting and short.

DESIGN BASICS

When designing your site, ensure it reflects your company.
Design a modern, flat look and feel.
Ensure design and content match and complement each other.
Utilize copy, text, and images alongside content to create content-rich pages.

EASY NAVIGATION

Your website must be easy to navigate and intuitive enough to help people get anywhere from anywhere with a single click. The simpler it is to navigate your website, the friendlier your website becomes.

WEB IMAGE TIPS

Use images wisely without slowing down your website’s loading time significantly. A rule of thumb is to limit each image size to below 100kb.

CHOOSE A LOGO

A logo is a visual representation of what you are about. Here are tips on key elements to observe when getting a logo:

Your logo should be describable and memorable.
Your logo should be great without colours.
Your logo should be scalable.
Your logo should be relevant to your industry.

CREATE RELEVANT CONTENTS

Your website is only really as useful as its relevance. Search engines punish sites where visitors pop in and out quickly. Create content relevant to your audience to keep them engaged.

CREATE A CTA

A call-to-action can include:

Specials
E-mail newsletter signups
How-to guides downloads
Demos
Interactive tools
Contact information

GET FOUND

The idea is to design your website in such a way that when people search for your offerings with the right keywords, they should find you. Keyword research is essential.

EMPLOY SOCIAL MEDIA

Leveraging social media can drive traffic to your website. When you create a backlink to your website in engaging posts, it can lead to significant traffic.

BUILD YOUR BRAND

Social media provides an opportunity to share valuable information about your business and establish relationships with potential clients.

BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

Use social media to create an atmosphere of informality and promote responses from your audience. Responding promptly to inquiries builds trust.

DON’T OVERDO IT

Avoid sending your subscribers too many messages too often; focus on providing value while responding to feedback.

CREATE BACKLINKS

Backlinks are links to your website from other platforms, enhancing your site’s SEO and increasing traffic.

MANAGE YOUR TIME

Use tools to automate social media tasks like scheduled posting and keeping track of competitors. Tools like “Feedly” and “Tweet Jukebox” can be helpful.

E-MAIL MARKETING

Email marketing is essential for staying connected with your audience. Use professional email marketing programs to improve relationships and engagement.

GO MOBILE

Statistics show an increase in mobile phone and internet users. Websites must be optimized for mobile devices to provide a user-friendly experience.

TRACK, MEASURE AND GROW

Use web analytics tools like Google Analytics to monitor your website’s performance and effectiveness, allowing for ongoing improvements.

TAKE THAT FIRST STEP NOW.