Do you want a website, have a website that needs updating, hate your website or have questions about how to keep your website up to date and secure?

Susie Tobias aka Wise Genius has been designing and building websites since 2010, helping new businesses get started and established business stay relevant and up to date.

The process of creating a website for your business can be daunting, and every business is unique, with its own set of challenges.

Susie brilliantly explained the basic site set-up, where to start with planning & strategy, important things to consider, how to keep things secure and up to date and how to check that your site is performing as it should.

 

Your website is the on-line home for your business

Sketchnote of the building by Anne-Marie Miller Carbon Orange
Sketchnote by Anne-Marie Miller www.CarbonOrange.com

Imagine building a website is like building a house:
The land is the hosting and platform you build it on
The address is your domain name*
The post box is your email address*
* YOU need to OWN these.
The foundations are your strategy, who you are and what you do
The floor plan is the pages and how they’re arranged
The decoration is the images, colours, fonts, etc.
The furniture is the content

Step One – Define a goal

What do you need the website to do for you?
– Act as an on-line brochure?
– Drive sales?
– Collect data?
– Prompt enquiries?
– Act as a shop or just a shop window?

Step Two – Define who the site is for

– Who is your ideal client?
– Why do they need you?
– What do you want them do when they find you?

Step Three – Decide who will supply the decoration and furniture

– Research competitors and role models to get inspiration and ideas (not to copy)
– A graphic designer will help create the look that most appeals to your potential clients (not to you or your friends) and along with the developer should be able to advise on accessibility issues. They can also advise on using great images, copyright etc., rather than using tired stock photos.
– A content or copywriter will write copy that appeals to your ideal client which is hard to do for yourself and causes most delays in website builds. They will also be able to advise on incorporating keywords for SEO.

Step Four – Decide on your website developer

– Always talk to more than one developer to get the best fit
– Research the difference between platforms, e.g. WordPress and Squarespace and understand the limitations of sites like Wix and Weebly
– Look at the portfolios of the sites that your short list of developers has created
– Check credentials and testimonials
– When you have a discovery call to see if you’re a good fit you should do most of the talking and they should be listening and taking notes, not selling you their solution
– Make sure you’ll own the finished site and all the content and can switch developers easily if needed
– Check that you can make small changes yourself
– Choose a developer who involves you in the process, encourages you to ask questions and listens to your feedback

Step Five – Understand the ongoing maintenance process

– A website is never finished and done, it needs regular checks to make sure everything works as it should
– Either you or your developer needs to do regular back-ups, security checks, broken link checks and test forms and buttons to make sure they work properly.

Later …

– Use Google Analytics to check how people use your site, which pages they visit, how long they stay, the bounce rate, where traffic comes from and the behaviour flow.
– Use this information to improve and update as necessary

For more information and regular tips about how great websites work follow Susie on LinkedIn or get in touch at Wise Genius

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