Preparing to build a website
I have been building websites for quite some time now, I’ve come across this question often and it’s a great question to ask yourself.
It doesn’t matter if you are going to have a go at building your own website or hire a web designer this should set you up for a smooth project.
That said, sometimes unique situations can require some lateral thinking, but for the most part, this should see you right.
Choosing a relevant domain name
Most of you probably know, but for anyone new, a domain name is a unique address that is used to access websites, for example loadeddigital.co.nz
Simply put, a domain name is the text that a user types into a browser window to reach a particular website.
A couple of things to consider when choosing a domain name.
It’s very common to use your company name as the domain name and more often than not a perfect fit, however sometimes the domain name has already been taken.
Check out if your domain name is available at Crazy domains.
Relevancy. Try to make the name relevant to your niche.
Simplicity. Shorter is usually better and much easier for the user to remember.
When you finally make your choice, go ahead and purchase your domain name.
Pick a design you like.
The best advice I can give here is for you to get online and search websites that you like the look of.
Write down in particular what you liked about the website. Document the details, including the website domain name.
A good rule of thumb is to find three to five websites that interest you.
This gives the web designer some clear guidelines to work with so the development heads in the right direction.
Planning your website structure.
This is about planning everything you want your website to deliver. What pages do you need to access on your website?
What is website structure?
Website structure is the way your pages and information is organized on the website. It’s how your visitors can easily navigate around the website to ensure the user experience is great.
Begin to write a listing of pages you would like accessed on your website.
Common website pages include:
Home
About us
Contact us
Services
Products
Shop
FAQ’s
Blog
Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Once you have worked out your pages you can then structure these pages. This is how the pages are interlinked. How the header menu looks for UX user experience.
What pages are shown in the footer, a footer contains information that improves a website’s overall usability.
Then map this out
Choosing your website colours
Using best design practice I recommend using 2 – 4 colours that relate to your branding.
These will be assigned to your websites global colour palette and remain consistent throughout your website.
Typical system colour
1. Primary
2. Secondary
3. Text
4. Accent
Once you have decided document the colours Hex#
Choosing your font styles
Web pages are there to deliver information so with this in mind, consider how easy the font is to read. It’s also worth thinking about where your website sits on the Fun through to professional scale. This can help with style selecting
Sky’s the limited with font options so don’t over think this because you may find yourself spending hours getting yourself confused.
If you want to see what font a website is using (a little techy) the video below will walk you through it.
Let’s recap
Now you will have the following ready to go
- Domain name
- 3-4 website URL’s that you like for design inspiration for your website
- All pages you want added to the site
- Website Structure
- Global colour palette
- Your Font style
Great, this project is starting to come together.
Let’s move on
Social Media links
Social media is all part of the online game, that said, you should decide which of the social networks you are going to connect your website to. Facebook is a great place to start with.
The more places you have a link going back to your website and vice versa the better chance you will be found.
Add you Social URL links to your project document
example: https://www.facebook.com/LoadedDigital
Logo and Favicon
If you haven’t already, have a logo designed and ready to use. Your logo should best match what your business does.
Another important asset is having a Favicon. A favicon is what appears up in the browser, to the left of the page title. What seems like a small detail does in fact create a professional finish to your website.
Website page content
If I was to rank all of the different elements to a website, content is in the top 2, therefore take the time to research and get this right to the best of your ability.
Keyword research is your starting point. If you need a bit of insight check this article on keywords
Content creation requires a bit of structure in terms of delivery to best help when communicating to your website developer. It allows for less rework and frustration from both website owner and designer.
I find using Google drive, google docs the best way to share information.
Let’s look at a simple method that works.
Open google doc and open a new doc. Name the google doc individual page with the same name as the website page you want the information added to.
Write up the content how you would like to see it on the page
Summary layout Example
Header 1
Text Block
Enter Image name only, not image
Header 2
Text Block
Header 3
Text block
Image name or video link
Etc
I think you get the idea. This helps the web designer create the right style and flow.
Add any outbound links you want inside the text block.
Images are best added in a separate file. You can share in google drive or alternatively you can send via a compressed file.
Be sure to file the images in a file named the same as the website page.
Name each image so it matches with the written content.
Get busy creating all of your pages content so you are ready. Be sure to proofread and spell check.
Content creation is often the biggest problem for small business owners as they dont have the time to get this work load done.
The business owner understands they need a website but this process can often greatly delay their desired outcome.
If you need help with content creation, get in contact.
Website Hosting & Builders
Builders
When it comes to selecting a website builder there are many options to select from. It really depends on your requirements as to what will best match your project.
I have used many over the years, but for me I like to have my customers set up on WordPress using Elementor as the website builder.
You can create beautiful and functional designs that are responsive by default.
With a little bit of training the owner can make edits to the website with ease, saving time and money down the road.
Hosting
Web hosting is the home of your website. There are different types of hosting options, but for the most part, shared hosting is all you need.
You are basically buying a small space on a massive server that is highly secure.
There are some things to consider when choosing a hosting provider…
- Pricing
- Support
- Speed
- Free SSL
- Website backups
- Server Reliability, Uptime Scores And Security
From my testing and experience below are my top two website hosting providers .
Pros.
This company has been awarded the fastest global speed average for the last 2 years.
30 second support response.
Free SSL
Controlled Backups
Excellent uptimes
Email service.
Simple to use.
Up to 5 websites
Cons.
Moderate price
Requires you to purchase Elementor Pro Builder Plugin
Elementor Cloud WordPress builder + Built in Hosting
Pros.
Includes Elementor Pro Builder
$99USD per year. (That’s it)
Free SSL Simple to use
Excellent up times
Daily Backups
Premium support
Cons.
Only one website
Limited email function
If you are after the best speed, an email service and looking to have more than one website WPX is your go to.
If your only requirement is one website and already have an email provider such as google workspace then Elementor Cloud hosting is your best option in my opinion.
You can access to learn more on the links above.
Disclaimer : The links above are affiliate links to the service provider. If you purchase through the link I will get a commission from the service provider. It’s my way of getting a little kick back for writing my content.
Final recap. In this article we covered…
- Domain name
- 3-4 website URL’s that you like for design inspiration to your website
- All pages you want added to the site
- Website Structure
- Global colour palette
- Your Font style
- Social media links
- Logo and Favicon
- Website page content
- Website hosting and builders
Complete all of these tasks and you are ready to build your new website.
Conclusion
If you have got to this point in my article it’s fair to say that there is a long list to tick off in order to have a website developed effectively.
There are other moving aspects in the process that will follow, however this will ensure a great leap forward for the success of your online project.
I hope this article will be a good reference to better shape your website.
If you are looking for help with your website, get in touch
