In the digital age we live in, every business or personal project needs a quality website. It can be your hub from which to communicate with your customers or partners, develop your core business and reach anywhere in the world. But with great freedom comes great responsibility – building a website is a complex process that involves many elements and a large number of variables.
Making a functional website requires technical knowledge, creativity and time. Even minimal gaps and improperly designed structures can significantly reduce the quality of the customer experience, conversions or even put your site at risk of hacking attacks or loss of valuable data.
In the following lines, we will look at the key stages of the website creation process. You’ll learn how to plan your site, choose the right tools, create its structure and content, and how to make basic SEO optimizations for search engines during the building process. At the end, we’ll also discuss how we at CreateWeb approach this task so that the final product works for you and your business’ success.
Planning the website
The first step in building a website is to determine what its purpose is. It is important to know what you want to achieve – whether to sell products, create an online portfolio, present your brand and new business online” (corporate websites).or to share blog content. Defining a clear goal will help you build a relevant and functional site structure.
This, of course, is also closely related to your target audience. You need to know who will visit your site, what their interests, age, profession and needs are. This will determine how your site should look and what content it will include.
For example, a youth site can be more bold and dynamic, while a corporate site should be more professional and restrained. You should always consider the needs and preferences of your target audience.
- A personal blog – perfect for communicating, sharing thoughts and experiences with your audience;
- Corporate website – can be the business card of your business and inform potential customers about the services and products you offer;
- Online store – suitable for conversion – the sale of products and services;
- Portfolio site – a creative option for artists, designers and other creative professionals who want to showcase their work and present themselves in the best light.
Choosing a domain and hosting
A domain is the address/name of your website on the internet, or in other words – what users will type into the browser to find you. It should be easy to remember, related to your brand and unique. That’s why it needs to be chosen with care and strategy. It should preferably be free of numbers, dashes and other non-standard symbols. A well-chosen domain can even help some SEO practices and rank your site higher in search engines.
Hosting, on the other hand, is where your website is located on the Internet. The options are:
- Shared hosting – the most affordable, suitable for small sites.
- Virtual Private Server (VPS) – better performance but higher price.
- Cloud hosting – a flexible solution for larger projects with variable traffic.
Important: The choice of hosting depends on the size of the site and the traffic you expect.
Tools for building the website
There are various platforms in which you can create your website, including WordPress, Wix, Squarespace and more. Of course, each has its pros and cons that are good to consider.
For example, the most popular website building platform WordPress offers a lot of flexibility and thousands of ready-made themes and plugins, but it is complex and requires more technical skills. Wix, on the other hand, has a head start in this regard. This platform is more suitable for people without professional knowledge and skills as it offers ready-made templates. However, this can also be a limitation for free customization.
Each option has its own characteristics and brings different qualities, but the choice of platform for your website should be tailored to your personal experience, time and needs.
Site design and structure
Once you’ve identified the right platform for your site, it’s time to take care of how it will look. Good design makes the site easy to use and attractive to visitors. You can stick to the following basic web design principles:
- Simplicity – avoid cluttering elements;
- Consistency – use one style for the entire site;
- Navigation – easy and intuitive so users can easily find what they are looking for.
Another key point in creating a functional website is building a logical and consistent structure. It is the skeleton of the site and the content is built on top of it, so it should be approached strategically.
Make sure you have a clear menu, well-organised categories and easy access to the most important information. The palette and fonts are also key to the feel of the site. Colors should match your brand and text should be legible and relevant to your audience.
Content creation
Speaking of the font of the texts on the site, let’s pay attention to the actual content. It is mainly what will attract and retain users.
Write clearly, concisely and targeted to your audience. Include relevant keywords, use descriptive titles and meta descriptions, and make sure your site loads quickly. Don’t overlook SEO (search engine optimization) – it’s crucial to your site’s visibility.
Pay attention to your visual identity too. Content such as images and videos are more easily perceived and enhance the user experience. Make sure to use files that are optimized for fast loading, of good quality, and consistent with your overall brand identity. If you’re not creating them personally, then approach copyright carefully. You can look for royalty-free images, graphics and videos, but the optimal option is to purchase these to ensure you’re not infringing on copyright.
Testing and optimization
Once the site is ready, it is important to test it. Check that all buttons, forms and links are working correctly. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to test speed and Google Analytics to track site traffic and user behavior.
Also mobile optimization is a must. Your website needs to be responsive and look good on both computers and smartphones.
Site publishing and maintenance
After all the steps, all that’s left to do is publish the site. This is done through your hosting provider and is the last technical step.
Then, of course, your website will also require regular maintenance. This includes plugin updates, hacker protection and speed optimization.
Also remember to update the content of the site regularly. Publish new blog posts, change images and keep an eye out for new technologies that can improve the site’s performance.
Conclusion
Building a website from scratch is an exciting but challenging process. It requires good planning, the right choice of tools and serious dedication. While you can try to do it on your own, working with professionals would save you time and effort and ensure a high-quality end result.
At CreateWeb, we believe that working as a team to create a website brings many benefits to a business. For example, during the design stage, a copywriting expert may need to step in, or a designer may need to be involved during the developer’s work to solve a case study most effectively. This is why we rely on the following process:
- Strategy development – competitor research, consumer journey research and branding strategy creation;
- Presets – choosing a platform for the site, as well as hosting and domain;
- Actual development and creation – creating the website in a test environment where a developer can implement the structure, web design and content and perform UX (user experience) and UI (user interface) tests;
- Involvement of an SEO specialist – when planning the structure of the site, there is a need for an SEO who will help with the basic optimization of the development phase and technical checks for important implementation of important on-page elements for organic positioning.
If you need that kind of professional help and a team experienced in creating successful websites, CreateWeb is here to help you create an effective competitive website and get the best results.
