So, you’re starting a business.
Congratulations!
It’s probably going to be the best and worst thing you’ll ever do. But, let’s face it, what’s more exciting than bringing your fantastic idea to the world?
But, before you run off to pick up the phone and get your site built there’s a few things to do.
And, they’ll likely make your life easier and save money in the long run
1. Domain Name
One of the first things to think about is what domain name you want for your site. And, it’s not just as simple as deciding whether to be a .com or a .co.uk.
You first need to consider whether you want to go for a domain that’s simply the name of your company or whether you want to do a B&Q style thing and go for something that represents what you do (have you ever noticed B&Q’s site is diy.com?).
So, if you sell shoes, you could look for a domain with shoes in it or you could name it after your company. There are advantages to both.
Naming it after your company might make it easier to get hold of a domain, but no one (at first) will know what you do. Alternatively, the other option is to name it after what you do. Of course, you might get more search volume but a domain for shoes.com will be hard to get.
The rule then, is choose something short, easy, memorable and represents the brand you want to build.
2. Audience
It’s just as important to think about who your audience is going to be. So if your audience is primarily men over 50, the things that will appeal to this group is going to be different to someone whose audience is teenagers.
What this means is you need to make choices that will appeal to the right audience. This can only be done with a bit of research into that audience: who they are, what they like and where they hang out online.
And, the best thing is, when it’s time to get your site built, you’ll already have a good idea what kind of site will appeal to your audience. So, you can give a really clear brief.
3. Social media
A social media plan is vital these days. It’s become something we all have as a standard for marketing our businesses.
Again, your audience research will be useful here. So, let’s go back to our group of 50-year-old males – the places they hang out online will be very different to our group of teenagers, so the social channels we use will be different.
By understanding your audience better, you can more easily find out where they hang out online and market to them.
Plus, if your social sites are already set up, they can easily be added by the design team. This means, anyone landing there can jump over to social and see what you’re up to and vice versa.
4. SEO
SEO is an ongoing process that is never just ‘done’. There’s always updates and algorithm changes, but it’s always useful to see what people looking for your products are searching for, so you can create blog and site content for them.
However, this doesn’t mean stuffing loads of keywords into your text, that practice will get you nowhere in search engines.
Luckily though, with your website build you can also get SEO, so you don’t have to worry about getting bogged down in the technicalities of SEO straight away.
But it’s still a good idea to get to know what people are searching for.
5. Design
Even though the designers will always give you something great, it’s a good idea to give them a few ideas of the kind of site you want to represent your business.
Again, this comes back to your audience – what kind of things would appeal to them, what will get their attention? If you’ve done the earlier steps, you should have a good idea at this point.
Equally, it’s just as important to consider what designs don’t represent your business – for instance if you’re all about relaxation and selling zen products, a busy site that screams extreme activity just won’t work for you.
Get it clear in your head what you need first then give a great brief – after all the design team are good but they can’t read your mind.
6. Cost
No matter what our ambitions are, we all have to consider cost at some point, and this is often the thing most new business owners worry about when looking for a website designer.
But, that’s exactly why we created three separate site build packages, so every single budget can get a site that represents their business without it costing the earth. Because, after all, there’s nothing worse than having to put your dreams on hold because of a lack of funds.
Ultimately, if you get these six things straight first, you’re going to be in a much better position to give your designer the information they need to create the site your business deserves.
So, now there’s absolutely nothing stopping you getting a website that will allow you to go and conquer the world!
Go get building that business!
Give the team a call on 01325 582112 and tell us all about the next big thing you’re creating.
