How to Set Up and Design a Website for a Small Business

Does the idea of setting up your own website seem impossible? Are you still in the mindset that only the “experts” can do this kind of work? A website goes a long way to improving your online presence, especially if you’re serious about growing your business. But setting up and designing your own website can seem intimidating.

Creators of website builders understand this and have made website development something just about anyone can do themselves.

Here are some tips on how to set up and design a website without hiring a website designer to do the work for you. You’ll discover it’s not as hard as you think it is plus it’s rewarding and fun at the same time.

Step #1: Know Your Goals

The first step is unpacking why you need a website and what you want to achieve from it for your business. Do you want to sell products online, or will your website be used to promote your business and brand? Another question to ask yourself is who is your niche market and what problems will you solve for them.

It’s essential you have a clear sense of the purpose and goals of your website. A great way to do this is by brainstorming and developing a mind map that answers all your questions as to why you need a website.

Step #2: Find the Best Website Builder

Explore your options when searching for the right website builder. You want to find a platform that’s user-friendly and includes all the functionalities to create a great website. The best website builder should be cost-effective while still ensuring you get an optimal online presence.

You can check our list of best website builders for a small business to make a decision on which of them includes optimal features, such as top-notch templates, SEO tools, handy widgets. These features will help you in setting up and designing your website the way you like it.

Once you’ve found the website builder you want to work with, you can start planning your website content.

Step #3: Plan Your Website Content

Check out how other websites have been designed. By doing this, you can get ideas for planning your own website content. Do your research before designing and setting up your own website. Having a clear picture and planning your website content before designing and developing it will save you any hassles further down the line.

  • The type of website content you need to plan for can be:
  • Deciding how many pages you want to include;
  • How much textual content you will have on each page;
  • What images do you want to include on each page;
  • Deciding which keywords to use.

By planning your website content, you’re setting the foundations of your website.

Step #4: Create Your Website

You’ve done the legwork and know what you want your website to do for you and your business. You’ve found the perfect website builder, and you’ve prepared all the content. Now, it’s time to start creating your website.

The best website builder will give you clear and easy-to-follow guidelines while creating your website. This is when the hard work starts, but it’s also the stage when you see all your planning and preparation coming together in one place.

Make sure you optimize on SEO when inserting your content, so your website gets the traffic you need to grow your business. Your website builder will point you in the right direction.

Final Thoughts

The key to setting up and designing your own website is understanding the purpose and aim of your website, planning, and selecting the right website builder. If you have all of these in place, you’re well on your way to creating a great website.