Custom Website Development for Small Businesses: A Step-by-Step Guide

Title: Custom Website Development for Small Businesses: A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction:

In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for the success of any small business. A custom website tailored to your specific needs can help you stand out in a crowded market, attract more customers, and boost your overall brand visibility. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the process of custom website development for small businesses, covering everything from planning to deployment.

1. Planning Your Website:

Before diving into the development process, it is essential to have a clear plan in place. Consider the following points when planning your custom website:

– Define your website goals: What do you want your website to achieve? Whether it’s generating leads, selling products, or providing information, clearly outline your objectives.

– Identify your target audience: Understand who your target customers are and tailor your website design and content to appeal to them.

– Research your competitors: Analyse your competitors’ websites to identify strengths and weaknesses that you can leverage to make your site stand out.

2. Choosing the Right Platform:

Selecting the right platform for your website is crucial for its success. Consider the following popular options:

– WordPress: Known for its flexibility and ease of use, WordPress is a popular choice for small businesses. It offers a wide range of themes and plugins for customisation.

– Shopify: Ideal for e-commerce websites, Shopify provides a user-friendly interface and robust e-commerce features.

– Custom Development: For a truly unique website, opt for custom development with the help of web development professionals.

3. Designing Your Website:

When it comes to designing your custom website, focus on creating a visually appealing and user-friendly experience. Some key design elements to consider include:

– Responsive design: Ensure your website is optimised for mobile devices to cater to users on the go.

– Clear navigation: Make it easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for with intuitive navigation menus.

– Compelling visuals: Use high-quality images, videos, and graphics to engage visitors and showcase your products or services effectively.

4. Developing Your Website:

Once you have a solid plan and design in place, it’s time to start developing your custom website. Whether you choose a DIY approach or hire a professional web developer, pay attention to the following aspects:

– SEO optimisation: Incorporate relevant keywords, meta tags, and alt text to improve your website’s search engine visibility.

– Speed optimisation: Ensure fast loading times by optimising images, minifying code, and utilising caching techniques.

– Security measures: Implement SSL certificates, regular backups, and security plugins to protect your website from cyber threats.

5. Testing and Launching Your Website:

Before launching your custom website, thorough testing is essential to ensure everything works as intended. Consider the following testing procedures:

– Cross-browser compatibility: Test your website on different browsers to ensure a consistent user experience.

– Mobile responsiveness: Check how your website looks and functions on various mobile devices.

– Functionality testing: Verify that all links, forms, and interactive elements work correctly.

6. Maintaining and Updating Your Website:

Building a custom website is an ongoing process that requires regular maintenance and updates to stay relevant and secure. Consider the following tips for maintaining your website:

– Regularly update content: Keep your website fresh and engaging by adding new content, blog posts, and product updates.

– Monitor site performance: Use analytics tools to track website traffic, user behaviour, and conversion rates.

– Backup your website: Regularly backup your website files and databases to prevent data loss in case of technical issues.

Conclusion:

Custom website development offers small businesses a unique opportunity to establish a strong online presence and reach a wider audience. By following this step-by-step guide, you can create a custom website that effectively showcases your brand, engages customers, and drives business growth. Remember, your website is often the first point of contact with potential customers, so invest the time and resources needed to make it a success.

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Choose
Choose
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Sign-Up
Sign-Up
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Onboard
Onboard
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Develop
Develop
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Revision
Revision
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Launch
Launch
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Maintain
Maintain

STEP 1

Select Your Package

Pick a package from our three pricing options that suits your company’s need. All of our packages are available on our 12 month flexible pricing plan, bit if you rather pay upfront, reach out to us and we can make a special discount for you. If you need an eCommerce site or something not found in our basic pricing options, let us know, and we will send you a formal proposal for your unique needs.

STEP 2

Sign Up In Minutes

Unlike other web design companies, our sign-up process is quick and efficient. First, you sign your contract, then submit your billing and you’re in! At this point, you’ll already have your 150 Sites profile account and be ready to give us your company info.

STEP 3

Submit Company Info

Here you’ll give us all the info we need to create your website in one form. This form takes a few minutes to fill out, but then there won’t be any back and fourth emails or calls asking you for this detail or that photo etc. Our goal is to save you time and never give you a headache.

STEP 4

Project Development

This is the stage where we work our magic! You can sit back and relax and enjoy a cup of tea, coffee, or whiskey, whatever you love the most! Our team will have your initial development done and ready for your review within one to 3 weeks, depending on the package you choose.

STEP 5

Revise Your Project

Here is the exciting part! Where you get to view your website and be blown away at how professional and clean your company is about to look online. Here you can share any feedback you’d like with us.

STEP 6

Launch Your Website

Houston, it’s time for lift -off! Your website is fully completed and all polished up and ready to go! At this time, we will point your domain to our servers and launch your website on the world wide web!

STEP 7

Ongoing Maintenance

Unlike other web design companies that would launch your site and hand over the keys and walk away, we will continue to work with you ongoing for the next year absolutely free! What this means for you is we will host your website on our premium servers. We will do all the necessary website management and updates, when something breaks or a bug appears we take car of it for you! You also get to enjoy unlimited client update requests. So whenever you want to change some photos or text on your site, you just let us know and we take care of it for you!

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Frequently Asked Questions!

How Do I Get Started?

Click Here to reach out to us! We’ll email you back and see which package is best for you and send you a sign up link for your desired package. All you have to do is click the signup link we send to you and Boom! You’re in!

Can I Order Directly Through The Site?

Yes! We understand not everyone wants to fill in a contact form if they know what they want. Click Here to go to our Pricing page where you will be able to select which package best fits you. From there you will need to sign our payment contract and fill in your billing information. Once the billing information has been filled out there is a short form that asks for your company’s details. This is what we will use for the development of the website.

How Long Does It Take To Sign Up?

Our onboarding form will ask you for all of your company information. What services you offer, what locations you serve, and unique aspects about your business. Our onboarding form will only take you about 5-6 minutes to fully complete.

How long Will It Take To Build My Website?

Where other web design agencies may leave you hanging for many months before launch, we know the sooner your website is up, the faster you can make sales.

That’s why we get your website live in as little as 30 days (once your onboarding phase is complete). Larger packages and add-on services may extend the length of your project.

How Much Will My 150 Sites Website Cost?

We believe pricing should be transparent, without any hidden fees. That’s why our affordable packages start at as little as £150 a month – without any down payment or start-up costs. To get started today, contact us and we’ll help you select the best package for your needs.

How Does Pricing Work?

You’ll commit to paying a small monthly fee every month for 12 months but you’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of your site from day one.

What Happens After The First 12 Months?

After the first 12 months, your website is fully paid for. There are now 2 options available.

Option 1: You can keep your website with 150 sites and your month fee will drop down to £100 per month. This will include our web management package which includes unlimited updates, maintenance, support, hosting, emails, security and solving any problems that occur.

Option 2: You can choose to host, manage and maintain the website yourself, we will package up your website and send it to you for you to look after yourself.

There is no pressure to keep the site with 150 sites but hopefully after the first 12 month you will have seen how focused we are at helping you and your business and choose to stay with us.

Do I Own The Website?

Yes! We don’t hold our customers hostage! Once you have paid off the full term of your website contract, the website is all yours. You can then choose to host, manage and maintain the website on your own. Or, leave it with is at a then discounted price for our website management services on a month- to-month basis.

Will My 150 Site Website Be Google-Optimised?

Yes! 150 Sites builds websites on a WordPress foundation to give you the best optimisation headset. Then, as a pat of every package, we implement all the appropriate search engine optimisation (SEO) strategies you need for a great start. (This includes optimised headings, tags, URL structures, title tagging, meta descriptions, etc.)

We will also optimise your images and create an XML sitemap to make your site more searchable. We will keep your site secure with an SSL certificate and make sure your site loads fast, since both factors can impact search rankings.

And yes, professional, keyword-optimised content writing is an option-just ask!

Custom Website Development for Small Businesses: A Step-by-Step Guide