your site from scratch
Even if you have a small dance studio with a couple of teachers and are used to recruiting clients through social networks and word of mouth, the site will become a useful tool in promoting goods and services. It will positively influence the reputation of the company and increase the credibility of potential customers and partners.
We have compiled step-by-step instructions on what and in what order and what needs to be done to create your website.
Step 1. Decide that you need a website
Let's consider 5 typical situations when groups in social networks are definitely not enough.
The website is the main sales channel for your competitors
Your products and services are difficult to sell online: for example, plumbing, cast iron radiators and building materials. In this case, buyers are used to choosing and ordering similar products in offline outlets or on websites, and not in social networks. So, it makes sense to create convenient conditions for your audience to buy.
You have a lot of traffic and a lot of orders
With the expansion of the business, it becomes more and more difficult to process and send out orders manually. The site will automate ordering.
Social media functionality is not enough for you
Unlike social networks, the site will give you more freedom of action: you can add the necessary sections, think over a convenient search. In social networks, you will have to obey ready-made algorithms.
Are you planning content marketing?
Posts in social networks do not live long: even the most useful and interesting post will quickly get lost in the feed. Good articles on the site will bring users from the search for years.
You have a complex product, and you need to talk about it
Some categories of goods and services cannot be sold without explanatory material. For example, you offer a new service and you need to tell the buyer what it is and why it is needed.
But keep in mind that having a website is not a reason to forget about social networks. Use them simultaneously with the site for advertising and communication with the audience.
If you understand that you cannot do without a website, go to the next step.
Step 2. Determine what tasks the site should solve
A website is not an end in itself, but a way. For example, talk about a brand and sell your product. Therefore, you should start not with the name of the sections and design, but with the wording of why you need a website at all. For instance:
increase the prestige of your product: a separate site for the user looks more solid than a group on a social network;
increase brand awareness and audience loyalty;
attract buyers from other cities and countries;
increase sales;
tell more about your product through content marketing;
reduce the cost of customer acquisition;
improve the quality of customer service (feedback form, frequently asked questions, consultations, additional services);
show the product - in detail and in action;
track results and analyze business performance.
Then ask yourself the question: what is needed to solve these problems? This way you will understand what features and functionality should be on your site.
For example, you want to expand the geography of sales and send goods to other cities. To attract buyers, you need pages with information about delivery options, terms and payment, returns, as well as your contacts. The reviews section is helpful.
Having decided on the goal, you will understand why you need a website at all. And with this information, you can go to specialists or build a site yourself. The next step is to decide which of these options is right for you.
Step 3. Decide how to make a website: on your own or by specialists
Order from specialists
pros
You don't have to waste time trying to understand the topic yourself. It is enough to formulate what exactly you want to get in the final.
It is more likely that the site will work effectively and bring customers, because it is made by a person or team with experience.
Specialists will test the site before delivery and correct all errors in the code and content, if any.
Specialists will be able to offer their own services to promote the site.
Minuses
It will take time to find a company, set up technical specifications and coordinate work.
This is much more expensive than putting together a website yourself.
Assemble by yourself
pros
Inexpensive. You will only have to pay for hosting and a domain or website builder.
New knowledge will be useful to you in the future if you involve specialists in the work - developers, designers, seo-specialists.
Minuses
It will take a lot of time to learn the basics of HTML, choose a CMS, understand the admin panel.
You may not have the knowledge to implement all ideas.
There may be errors on the site that will affect the promotion of the site and the loyalty of visitors.
The site is difficult to promote independently. You will have to dive deep into the nuances of SEO and contextual advertising.
Make a website yourself if:
there is a desire to learn and master all the nuances;
you have a lot of time to study, the site is not needed urgently;
you want to save.
Skip steps 4 and 5 if you decide to build the site yourself.
Step 4. Choose a specialist: freelancer or agency
Each option has its pros and cons, and it is impossible to say unequivocally which one is better.
Order from specialists
pros
You can order a whole range of services: website development, domain and hosting purchase, promotion.
The agency has a manager who manages the project.
You communicate with the project manager, not with every team member. This saves you time and helps you speak the same language with contractors, without complex terms.
Each specialist is engaged in his own business, in which he is well versed: the designer is responsible for the appearance of the site, the author writes the text, the developer sets up the site, etc.
Higher chances that the work will be done on time and with high quality. For example, if one of the specialists falls ill, the agency will replace him with another one.
The agency is responsible for the project as a whole and checks the finished site for errors and shortcomings.
Minuses
Working with an agency is more expensive than with private specialists.
Freelancers
pros
The services of private developers, designers and copywriters are cheaper than agency services.
You will communicate directly with all performers and will be able to control the work at any stage. This is a plus if you are at least a little versed in building sites and have enough time.
Minuses
You will have to be a project manager and control the process at every stage.
Freelancers often take on several directions, which negatively affects the result.
Minuses
Working with an agency is more expensive than with private specialists.
Freelancers
pros
The services of private developers, designers and copywriters are cheaper than agency services.
You will communicate directly with all performers and will be able to control the work at any stage. This is a plus if you are at least a little versed in building sites and have enough time.
Minuses
You will have to be a project manager and control the process at every stage.
Freelancers often take on several directions, which negatively affects the result.
Step 5. Find a contractor
Where to look for specialists:
Ask friends and colleagues whose websites you like.
Study the sites of competitors and projects that are similar to yours. Developers are usually tagged in the "footer" of the site.
Explore reviews, comments, awards, and industry rankings.
View portfolio or case studies on the site. Pay attention to the experience of the contractor in working on projects similar to yours.
How to choose from several potential contractors
Leave applications and check the agency or freelancers. List of evaluation criteria:
Does the potential contractor understand the specifics of your business? Does he have experience in your field?
How polite and clear were you spoken to? As a rule, the ability to simply and clearly formulate specific things and avoid complex terms speaks of the professionalism of the employee.
Did they give you an approximate cost and timeframe for the project? An experienced specialist will not tell you the specific cost, but he will be able to indicate an approximate price bracket already on the first call.
Is your potential contractor ready to meet in person? Find out in advance where and how you will communicate. If the contractor cannot correctly answer these questions, this is a reason to look for another option.
Step 6. Choose and register a domain
Whatever you call a site, that's how it works. Therefore, when choosing a domain name, try to make it not only sonorous and beautiful, but also reflect the essence of your business. An article on how to choose a name for a domain will help you make a choice.
Check if the name you have chosen is not taken, and a special service will help you choose the right option. You can register it there as well.
Step 7. Choose an engine: self-written, CMS or constructor
The engine is a content management system. It helps to manage the site: publish articles, add product cards, store customer data.
Step 8. Choose hosting
Hosting is a place on the server where all the files necessary for the operation of your site will be stored. The server works constantly so that the site is available to visitors at any time.
In the section "Which hosting to choose?" we tell in detail what hostings are and how to choose a tariff. To make sure the hosting is right for you, try the free trial version.
Step 9. Buy an SSL Certificate
An SSL certificate is a data encryption technology. It allows visitors to your site to safely register on the resource, make purchases and not worry that their personal data will get to third parties. Also, the presence of an SSL certificate has a positive effect on the ranking of the site in search results.
Now the presence of SSL-certificates has become the norm for all sites.
Certificates differ in the number of protected domains, price and level of trust: some confirm only the right to own a domain, others also confirm the existence of an organization, and others also confirm the legitimacy of its activities. For more information about what certificates are and how to choose the right one, read the How to choose an SSL certificate section.