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You’ve decided to build a new website–congratulations! This is a big step toward growing your business and ensuring your customers have a positive experience with your brand. A decision that’s likely top-of-mind is what web platform to use. First, it’s important to outline your website’s primary use and goals. How visual will your site be? Do you need ecommerce capabilities? Will you build the site yourself, or work with professional web developers? Over the years, we’ve had experience developing all kinds of websites. We want to share what we’ve learned, and outline some of the key elements to look for when selecting the best website platform for your business.
Put Your Best Brand Forward
Choosing a web platform and building a site should be approached thoughtfully to best represent your brand. Your website is likely the first impression your audience has of your business. Ensure it favorably communicates what you offer. If you’ve done any research on web platforms, you’ve heard of the major player WordPress. According to WordPress, 30% of all websites are built on the platform. As an open-source platform, WordPress allows total control over your website’s design and features. Its hundreds of themes and options can support virtually any need.
With hosted platforms, like Wix or SquareSpace, customization options can be more limited, but these platforms are often a good choice for beginners who have the time for a do-it-yourself solution. Most hosted solutions also offer a free trial, so you can experience the interface and decide whether you’re up for building your own website.
Consider Your Business Needs
Your website platform options will also be impacted by the type of business you need to support. If you have an online store, your platform of choice and how it’s built will differ from a service provider’s site. For ecommerce, one of our favorite options is WooCommerce, another free WordPress plugin. Based on its market share, we’re not alone in our opinion.
Another well-known ecommerce platform is Shopify, which is a hosted option for those who do not want to hire professional developers or designers.
If you’re in the creative space, look for themes that communicate visually, with large images and other visual elements. There’s a wide variety of platforms, themes and plugins to choose from, so you won’t have trouble finding the right match for your business.
Build with an SEO Strategy in Mind
For your website to drive your business success, customers and potential customers must be able to find you. If you’re not a search engine optimization expert, consider working with professionals who can help. Or, select a website platform that makes it easy. The website platform alone is not a stand-alone SEO solution. You’ll still have to make decisions that affect your search rank, from your domain name and directory structure, to your keyword-optimized content, to your site navigation, and your site’s technical factors. However, some web platforms provide tools to make it easier. Many WordPress SEO plugins are free (see Yoast for an example). WordPress.com also offers its own SEO tools to help you add meta descriptions and search previews.
Of course, this is not an exhaustive list of considerations. It’s meant only as a starting place, and includes suggestions based on our experience in web development and branding. Explore what’s out there, determine what you want your website to accomplish, and understand your options, before you begin. And of course, you can always reach out to us with any website questions. We’re always happy to help.
