How to Build a Website:
I have been blogging about tech trends, insights, and digital storytelling for two years on this website- dataissacred.com
The key things you should focus on when building your own website are outlined in this post.
In 1991, British physicist Tim Berners-Lee at CERN in Switzerland published the first website, the WorldWideWeb, with the URL http://info.cern.ch.
In 1991, British physicist Tim Berners-Lee at CERN in Switzerland published the first website, the WorldWideWeb, with the URL http://info.cern.ch.
By the end of 1992 there were ten websites online. The internet gradually became the all-encompassing giant that it is today after CERN made the W3 technology available on a royalty-free basis in 1993.
As of 1994, there were close to 3,000 sites, one of which was Yahoo!, which began as a web directory. Over two million websites existed when Google arrived. As of October 27, 2022, Internet Live Stats’ counter shows the Total number of websites worldwide at 1,994,801,515 (1.995 billion)
You will find more infographics at Statista
It is time to build a website!
You are here because you want to make a splash. Getting your company in front of as many people as possible is the only way to do this. You have heard about all the advantages of having your website, from SEO benefits to having a professional-looking web presence, and it is a no-brainer.
But before you start designing or coding, there are a few things that you should know that will help guide you down the right path—and avoid any pitfalls along the way.
In this article, we will walk through what you need to know before you build a website.
1. Knowing your audience is key.
If you are creating a website, one of the first things you should do is figure out for whom it is. Who are you trying to reach? What are they looking for? How can you make sure they find what they are looking for on your site?
It is tempting to just throw up a website and hope that people find their way to it through Google searches or social media ads. However, this is not highly effective. People come back to the same sites repeatedly because they know what they will get when they visit—and if you do not know who your target audience is and what they want from your site, it is very unlikely that anyone will find their way there.
2. You do not need to do everything yourself.
If you know that you are a creative type and want to be sure every detail is just right, we get it—but you do not need to do everything yourself! You can hire a web designer, a copywriter, or even a team of designers and copywriters to help with the more technical aspects of your site. If you are just not that skilled at making things look pretty (or if you are not someone whose job it is to make things look pretty), then hiring help will save you from having to do something that is not your strength.
3. Be prepared to pay.
A lot of people think that they can build their websites for free but let us get real: if you want to create a professional-grade website, you are going to have to spend some money on it. That is not to say that there are not some helpful free options out there—if you are willing and able to put in the time and effort, you can certainly create a functional website for next to nothing. But if you want something that is designed to look stylish and work well, it is worth spending the extra cash. Over time, it will be beneficial for your business!
4. Do not worry about how it looks, just make sure it works
You have probably heard that the first impression is the most significant one. But that does not mean you should spend hours trying to get your website to look right. Instead, focus on making sure your site works.
If you are selling stuff online, you should be certain people can find what they need and buy it with ease. If you are providing information or entertainment, just be sure the content is easy for visitors to digest and interact with. Either way, your goal is to make the experience of visiting your website as smooth and enjoyable as possible for the visitor—and this means making sure everything works smoothly!
5. Keep it simple, stupid! (KISS)
There is a reason the acronym KISS has been around since the early 1970s: it is one of the most effective things you can do to ensure your website is easy to use and navigate. If you are not sure where to start with your site, take some time to look at some of the most popular sites in your industry, domain, or niche.
What do they have in common? Are there any especially helpful elements? You can also ask friends or colleagues who might know better than you that they would find helpful on a website like yours—and then incorporate that into your design!
6. Make sure you have a strong social media presence!
You would not believe how many people forget this one. Your website is going to be the most exciting thing that ever happened to your business—but if no one knows it exists, what is the point? That is why we suggest that you build up a strong social media presence before you launch your site. You can try talking to them virtually and with the help of a free teleprompter you can read your lines without losing connection with your audience.
Not only will it help get people excited about your website, but it will also make them feel like they have some sort of personal connection with you and your business. If they are already following you on Twitter and Instagram, then when they visit your website for the first time, it will feel like home for them.
7. Get feedback regularly from others in your field who are doing well online!
It is simple to get caught up in the idea that “I’m trying to do things my way!” While this might be beneficial, it can also result in a lot of time and effort being lost. If you are building a website for yourself or your company, you must get feedback from people who have already built successful websites. You are not just looking for advice on how to write better content—you want to know what they would tell their friend if they were trying to generate something similar.
8. Do not forget about SEO on every page of your website!
If you build it, they will come, as the proverb suggests.
And while that is true in a lot of cases, it certainly does not apply here. If you want people to find your site, you first need to make sure that Google can see it!
This is where SEO comes in. Your website appears on the search results page when someone searches for terms associated with your business. This is thanks to search engine optimization, which allows Google and other search engines to understand what your site is about.
And if you want to get more visitors from social media? You guessed it—SEO will help there too!
9. Keep your content fresh and relevant
If you are looking to build your website, you are excited about how much control you will have over its look, feel, and functionality. But this excitement can lead to a lot of procrastination when it comes to keeping your content fresh and relevant.
We get it: it is difficult to keep up with what is going on in the world around you—especially if you are working on other important projects that are more pressing than updating your site. But if you want people to find your website and keep coming back for more, the information on it must be current. You do not want a potential buyer for your product to see an outdated price or policy on your site!
10. Do not forget about mobile-friendly websites!
Websites are helpful, but they are also a little bit boring. Do you know what is exciting? Having a mobile-friendly website so you can access all your favorite content on the go. If you want to make sure your site is optimized for mobile users, look into responsive design. It will help you take advantage of all the latest in web design while making sure that everyone has access to your site, no matter how they are viewing it!
11. Make sure your website is secure.
We know, we know: the last thing you want to think about when you are trying to build your website is the security of that website. But it is imperative!
A secure site means that your data is protected from hackers. This can be a huge problem if you are collecting sensitive information like credit card numbers or social security numbers. And even if you are not collecting anything super sensitive, hackers could still steal user info and sell it on the illegal market, which is never a wise decision.
So, make sure that your site is secure!
12. A website is not a magic wand.
Building your website is not enough to solve all your problems. It certainly will not be a magic wand that makes the world love you and showers you with money. It will, however, help you present yourself as the expert in your field that you are—and that is a wise first step toward making more money, getting more clients and customers, and doing what you love.
13. It will be a challenge and take time, but it’s worth it!
If you are just starting off, you might not feel like you have the time or energy to build your website—but we are glad to tell you right now: that you do not want to miss this opportunity. Sure, building a website can be challenging at first, but once you get the hang of it, the rewards are endless!
Your website is an opportunity to express yourself in an authentic way that reflects who you are—and if there is one thing we know about our readers, it is that they love authenticity. So go ahead and start building your website today!
14. Do not give up!
Building a website is not an easy task. It requires patience, diligent work, and dedication, but if you are enthusiastic enough about it, then it will be worth it. If you are planning to build your website, you must be willing to put in the time and effort needed.
When you start to work on the website you have always wanted to build, no matter how challenging it may seem, you should not give up. Imagine how proud you will feel when your own website is complete. If you follow the tips in this article, your dedicated work will certainly pay off in the end.
