The Ultimate Guide to Building Your Own Website for Business

Having a website for your business is crucial in today's digital age. It's not just about having an online presence, but it's also about creating a platform to showcase your products or services, and connect with potential customers. But simply having a website isn't enough; it must be designed with SEO and user experience in mind. This is where Strikingly comes in - their platform offers tools to help you create a website that looks great and performs well.

Why Your Business Needs a Website

A well-designed website can help establish credibility, build trust, and drive sales.

Image taken from Strikingly

Here are more reasons why you need a website for business:

• It establishes your online presence. A website gives your business credibility and helps establish your brand.
• It allows you to reach more customers. A website expands your reach and allows you to connect with customers anywhere, anytime.
• It's a 24/7 marketing tool. A website works as a marketing channel for your business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• It provides information about your business. A website is a convenient way to share details about your business, products, services, and team.
• It builds trust and authority. A professional website helps build trust in your brand and establishes your authority in the industry.
• It's a platform to sell your products or services. You can sell directly through your website using an ecommerce platform.
• It gives you an online business card. Your website acts as an online brochure or business card for your company.
• It's cost-effective. A website is an affordable way to market your business and reach new customers.
• It allows you to blog and share content. A website gives you a platform to blog, share content, and engage your customers.
• It provides analytics and insights. A website allows you to track key metrics like traffic, pageviews, referral sources, and more through analytics.

The Role of SEO in Website Design

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is optimizing your website for search engines like Google so that it appears higher in search results when people search for keywords related to your business. Good SEO starts with good website design - from choosing the right keywords to optimizing page titles and meta descriptions.

The Importance of User Experience

User experience (UX) refers to how easy and enjoyable it is for users to navigate and interact with your website. A good UX can keep visitors on your site longer, increase engagement, and ultimately lead to more conversions.

Build Your Website for Business with Strikingly

Image taken from Strikingly

If you need a website for your business, Strikingly offers an easy-to-use platform with templates designed specifically for businesses. Their drag-and-drop editor makes it simple to create a professional-looking site without any coding knowledge required. Plus, they offer built-in SEO tools and analytics so you can track how well your site is performing.

Don’t know how to build your own website for business? Let’s start with the basics:

A. Define Your Brand

As a business owner, why your small business needs a website shouldn’t be something that you ask yourself. Having a website for your business is crucial in today's digital age. Your website is often the first impression potential customers have of your brand, so it's essential to make it count. Defining your brand through your website design can help you stand out and attract the right audience.

1. Understand your target audience

Before designing your website, it's crucial to understand who you're designing for.

• Who is your target audience?
• What are their interests and pain points?
• What do they expect from a website in your industry?

Answering these questions will help you to create a website that resonates with your ideal customers.

2. Choosing the right colors and fonts

Colors and fonts play a big role in branding. They can evoke emotions, set the tone for your brand, and make you memorable. When choosing colors and fonts for your website, consider what they communicate about your brand personality and how they align with your target audience.

3. Creating a memorable logo

Your logo is often the centerpiece of your brand identity. It should be unique, memorable, and reflect what you do as a business. A great logo can help you stand out from competitors and build trust with potential customers.

Strikingly's Branding Tools

Strikingly offers an array of branding tools to help you define and showcase your brand on your website. From customizable templates to color schemes, Strikingly makes it easy for businesses of all sizes to create a professional online presence that reflects their unique brand identity.

B. Designing for User Experience

Image taken from Strikingly

When designing a website for your business, designing for user experience is crucial. A well-designed website looks good and functions smoothly, making it easy for visitors to navigate and find what they need.

1. Navigation and site structure

Navigation and structure are among the first things to consider when designing your website. Your website should be organized logically that makes sense to visitors, with clear menus and links that lead them where they want to go.

2. Mobile responsiveness

In today's world, more people access the internet on their smartphones than on desktop computers. That's why having a mobile-responsive website is essential for any business that wants to succeed online. Your website should be optimized for mobile devices, with a design that adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes.

3. Page speed and load times

Besides being mobile-friendly, your website should also load quickly. Slow page speeds can frustrate visitors and cause them to leave your site before they even get a chance to see what you have to offer. Ensure your images are optimized, your code is clean, and you use a reliable hosting service.

Strikingly's User-Friendly Platform

If you're looking for an easy-to-use platform that takes care of all these design elements for you, Strikingly might be the perfect solution. With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface and built-in templates designed specifically for small businesses, Strikingly makes it simple to create a professional-looking website in no time.

C. Incorporating SEO Best Practices

Having a website for your business is essential in today's digital age. However, simply having a website for business is not enough. You must ensure your website for business is optimized for search engines to attract potential customers. Here are some SEO best practices you should incorporate into your website design.

1. Keyword research and optimization

Keyword research identifies the words and phrases people use when searching for similar products or services. By optimizing your website with these keywords, you can improve your search engine rankings and attract more visitors.

To conduct keyword research, use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to identify high-traffic keywords relevant to your business. Then, incorporate these keywords into your website content, headings, and meta tags.

2. Title tags and meta descriptions

Title tags and meta descriptions are HTML elements that provide information about the content of a webpage to search engines. They appear in search engine results pages (SERPs) as clickable headlines and short descriptions.

To optimize title tags and meta descriptions for SEO, include relevant keywords while making them appealing to users. Keep them concise but informative, with clear calls to action.

3. Internal linking and site architecture

Internal linking refers to linking pages within your own website, while site architecture refers to how those pages are organized and connected.

Proper internal linking can help search engines understand your website's structure better while guiding users through different sections of your site. Ensure that each page on your site has at least one internal link pointing to it from another page on the same domain.

Site architecture should be intuitive and easy for users and search engines alike. Use descriptive categories, subcategories, headings, and URLs that reflect the content of each page.

Strikingly's built-in SEO tools

Strikingly offers built-in SEO tools that can help you optimize your website for search engines. These include customizable meta tags, automatic sitemap generation, and Google Analytics integration.

With Strikingly's SEO tools, you can easily track your website's performance and make adjustments to improve its search engine rankings.

D. Content Creation and Optimization

Image taken from Strikingly

Quality content is crucial for having a website for your business. Not only does it help establish your brand and showcase your expertise, but it also plays a significant role in search engine optimization (SEO). Creating valuable, informative content that resonates with your target audience can improve your website's visibility and attract more traffic.

1. Research Viable Content Keywords

To ensure that your content is optimized for both user intent and search engines, it's essential to conduct thorough keyword research. By identifying the terms and phrases your target audience is searching for, you can tailor your content to meet their needs while improving its ranking potential.

2. Incorporate Visual Elements

In addition to written content, incorporating visual elements such as images, videos, and infographics in your website for business can also enhance user engagement and improve SEO. Visuals break up text-heavy pages and provide an opportunity to showcase products or services in action.

Strikingly’s Blog for Content Creation

Strikingly's blog and content creation tools make creating high-quality content that resonates with your target audience easy. With customizable templates and built-in SEO features such as keyword suggestions and meta descriptions, you can streamline the process of creating compelling content that drives results.

E. Integrating Social Media

In today's digital age, having a website for your business is no longer an option but a necessity. Your website is the face of your brand and the first impression that potential customers have of your business. But having a website for your business is not enough; you need to integrate social media into your web design to maximize its potential.

Importance of Social Media for Business

Social media have become an integral part of our daily lives, and businesses can leverage them to reach out to their target audience. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn allow businesses to connect with their customers on a more personal level. Integrating social media into your web design can increase engagement with your audience and drive more traffic to your website.

1. Integrating Social Media Buttons and Feeds

Integrating social media buttons on your website makes it easier for visitors to share your content on their preferred social platforms. This increases your brand's visibility and helps build a strong online presence. You can also display feeds from your social media accounts on your website to keep visitors updated on the latest news and events related to your business.

2. Leveraging User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) refers to any content created by users about a brand or product. UGC includes reviews, testimonials, images, videos, etc., that users share on social media platforms or other online channels. By leveraging UGC on your website and social media accounts, you can build trust with potential customers and increase engagement with existing ones.

Strikingly's Social Media Integration Options

Strikingly offers easy-to-use tools that seamlessly integrate social media into your web design. You can add social sharing buttons anywhere on your site using Strikingly's drag-and-drop editor or embed feeds from various social platforms directly onto pages of your website. Strikingly also allows you to collect and display UGC on your website, making it a one-stop-shop for all your social media needs.

F. Analyzing and Improving Your Website

Image taken from Strikingly

To ensure that your website is performing optimally, it is essential to track and analyze website metrics regularly. This will help you understand how users interact with your site and identify areas for improvement.

1. Track Your Website for Business Metrics

Various tools are available for tracking website metrics, including Google Analytics and Strikingly's built-in analytics dashboard. By monitoring metrics such as pageviews, bounce rate, and time on site, you can gain valuable insights into user behavior and make data-driven decisions about improving your website.

2. Perform A/B Testing

A/B testing is another powerful tool for optimizing your website. By testing different versions of your site against each other, you can determine which design elements or content perform best with your audience. Strikingly offers an easy-to-use A/B testing feature that allows you to test different site versions in just a few clicks.

3. Identify and Fix Technical SEO Issues

Identifying and fixing technical SEO issues is crucial for ensuring your website performs well in search engine rankings. Common technical issues include broken links, slow page load times, and duplicate content. By addressing these issues, you can improve the user experience on your site and boost its visibility in search results.

Strikingly’s Analytics and Optimization Tools

Strikingly's analytics and optimization tools make it easy to track website metrics, conduct A/B testing, and identify technical SEO issues. With these powerful features at your fingertips, you can ensure your website performs at its best.

Build Your Own Website for Business with Strikingly

Here are the step by step instructions to build your own website for business with Strikingly:

1. Sign up for a free Strikingly account. Go to Strikingly.com and click "Get Started". Enter your email and a password to sign up.

2. Choose a template. Strikingly has many stylish templates for you to choose from. Select one that suits your business and branding. You can preview the templates to see which one you like.

3. Customize the template. Edit the text, images, colors, and more to match your business. You can add or remove sections as needed. Strikingly makes it easy to customize the template without any coding required.

4. Add your business name and logo. Select a font for your business name and upload your logo to brand your website. Your logo and business name will appear at the top of your site.

5. Build your pages. Create pages like "About", "Services," "Products," "Contact," and more to feature key aspects of your business. You can rearrange or delete pages anytime.

6. Add content to your pages. Include information about your business, products/services, team, location, contact information, social media links, etc. You can also embed images, videos, PDFs, and other media.

7. Select contact forms. Choose forms like "Contact Us" or "Request a Quote" to allow clients and customers to get in touch with you. The forms will be added to your "Contact" page.

8. Review and publish. Review how your site looks and make any final changes. Then click "Publish" to make your website live. Your site is now online - start sharing it!

9. Upgrade for more features. If you need an online store, email marketing, web analytics, or other advanced tools, consider upgrading to a paid Strikingly plan with more features.

10. Continue improving and promoting your website. Keep optimizing and changing your site to serve your customers best and meet your business goals. And promote your new website on social media and elsewhere!

Having a website for your business is crucial in today's digital age. It not only helps establish your online presence but also helps you reach a wider audience. By designing a user-friendly website optimized for search engines, you can ensure that your business stands out from the competition.

Don't wait any longer! If you haven't yet created a website for business or are looking to redesign an existing one, now is the time to take action. With Strikingly's easy-to-use platform and powerful features, designing an effective website has never been easier.

And you can rightfully say, “I have a website for my business!”