In this complete guide, I'll lead you through the process of building a robust website for your small business from the ground up.
With years of experience building websites for both myself and fellow small-business owners, I've created this detailed 7-step guide, simplifying the vital components of a successful website. Throughout this article, I will compare the process of building a home for a deeper context.
With this guide, you'll be equipped with an easy-to-follow roadmap to create a successful small business website that you can scale as your business grows.
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Why Your Small Business Needs a Website
In today's digital age, having a website is a necessity for any small business. A website provides a platform for businesses to showcase their products and services, and to engage with their customers. Building a website can seem like a daunting task, but with the right tools and guidance, it can be a relatively straightforward process.
A website allows you to establish your online presence, which can help you reach a wider audience and attract new customers. By having a website for your small business, you can provide customers with important information about your business, such as your location, hours of operation, and contact information.
Additionally, a website allows you to establish credibility and trust with your customers. A well-designed and accessible website can convey a sense of professionalism and legitimacy, which can help you stand out from your competitors.
Step 1: Choose a Hosting Service
One of the most important decisions you will make when building your small business website is choosing a hosting service. A hosting service provides the servers and infrastructure that allow your website to be accessible on the Internet. If you were building a home, this would be like the street and neighborhood where you build it taking into account the street, utilities, etc.
When choosing a hosting service, it is important to consider factors such as reliability, speed, and customer support. You will also want to consider the cost of the service, as well as any additional features that may be included, such as email hosting or website backups.
There are many different hosting services available, ranging from basic shared hosting to more advanced options such as virtual private servers or dedicated hosting. It is important to choose a service that meets your needs and budget, while also providing reliable and efficient service.
I have used several of the key players in the hosting market and by far my favorite for new website owners is WPEngine. For just $20/month you can have a professionally hosted WordPress site up and running in a few minutes, with built-in 24/7 customer support, super-fast page loads, and robust security features to keep your site safe from hackers.
While I do make a small commission from the banner below, I can promise you I recommend WP Engine to all my clients that are just getting their website started due to the tremendous value they provide.
Step 2: Install WordPress
WordPress is the most popular content management system that is used by millions of websites around the world. One of the reasons for its popularity is its versatility and ease of use. Compared to building a home, WordPress would be like the plot of land and foundation you are going to build your home on.
WordPress allows you to easily create and manage your website's content, without the need for advanced technical skills. It also integrates with a wide range of themes and plugins that can help you customize your website and add additional functionality, the sky's the limit when it comes to WordPress's versatility.
WordPress is known as an Open Source technology, which means it's freely available for anyone to use or modify. Being Open Source has allowed WordPress to grow and evolve through contributions from a massive global community of developers, who constantly work on improving its features and capabilities.
This means there's a vast pool of resources, tutorials, and support forums available. Being Open Source also makes it a cost-effective solution for small business owners. While there are paid themes, plugins, and services for more advanced or specific needs, the basic WordPress software is completely free to use.
Did you know? According to HubSpot, over 43% of all websites in the world use WordPress. The next closest is Shopify and they only have 6.6% market share.
Step 3: Choose and Install your Theme
The theme of your website plays an important role in its overall appearance and functionality. A well-designed theme can help you create a professional and engaging website that attracts and retains customers. The theme is like the blueprint the architect created for the home you are building.
When choosing a theme, it is important to consider factors such as the theme's layout, color scheme, and typography. You will also want to consider how the theme will look on different devices, such as desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
There are many different themes available for WordPress, ranging from free options to premium themes that offer advanced features and customization options. It is important to choose a theme that fits your business's branding and style, while also providing the functionality that you need.
Below are the most important things to consider when choosing a theme for your WordPress website:
- Page Builder Support: Themes should be compatible with the most common Page Builders in the market. (you will see why in the next section)
- Mobile Responsive Design: Most people browse websites from their mobile devices, so it's important that your theme can be responsive to different screen sizes.
- Performance and Speed: You only have a few seconds to grab your customer's attention on your site, so it's important that your site is fast and your theme is optimized for quick page loading.
- SEO Optimized: Look for themes that keep SEO front and center in their design, this is critical so that you can easily keep your site SEO optimized and have the best chance at ranking higher in organic search.
Below are a few of the most popular themes available, many have freemium-type licensing which means you can get the base theme for free but have to pay for the fancy stuff. My personal favorite is the Astra theme due to its flexibility and ease of use to customize blog articles and overall site layout.
Step 4: Select a Page Builder
Page builders are plugins that allow you to easily create custom pages and layouts for your website. They provide a drag-and-drop interface that allows you to add and arrange different elements, such as text, images, and videos. If you consider the theme like the blueprint of your house, the page builder is the interior designer that is going to make the inside just how you like it.
Page builders are a great tool for small businesses, as they allow you to create custom pages and layouts without the need for developers or deep technical skills. They also offer a wide range of pre-built templates and modules that can help you create professional-looking pages quickly and easily. Sometimes you can find a template you love and simply change the copy (wording) and some colors and everything else is ready to go.
There are many different page builder plugins available for WordPress, ranging from basic options to more advanced tools that offer extensive customization options. It is important to choose a page builder that meets your needs and budget, while also providing reliable and efficient service.
The two most popular page builders that I use are Beaver Builder and Elementor. I like them both but personally use Beaver Builder more often because it works well with the Astra theme which is my go-to theme for most websites.
The Divi theme has a page builder built into it so that is a nice option as well if you want to just purchase one solution, however, I think the learning curve with Beaver Builder is a bit smaller. Additionally, Divi doesn't have a free option so if you are just wanting to try out a theme and page builder, it's a commitment.
Step 5: Pick Your Favorite Plugins
Plugins are add-ons that provide additional functionality to your website. They can help you add features such as social media integration, e-commerce capabilities, accessibility, and search engine optimization. If there is a feature or problem you want to solve on your WordPress site, there is likely a plugin available to solve it. In our house-building analogy, they are like the furniture you purchase to live day to day in your home.
Additionally, plugins are a great tool for small businesses, as they allow you to add functionality to your website without the need for a developer to get involved.
There are many different plugins available for WordPress, ranging from basic options to more advanced tools that offer extensive customization options. It is important to choose plugins that meet your needs and budget, while also providing reliable and efficient service.
Be careful however with what plugins you install on your site. Read the reviews, and verify it's compatible with your theme and page builders as it's possible for a single, poorly coded plugin to take down your site.
Always test plugins in a test environment when possible and always have a backup of your site in case there is a conflict. Additionally, don't install too many plugins as eventually, they may tend to bloat your site and cause performance issues.
Did you know? There are over 60,000 free plugins available in the WordPress plugins directory, and thousands more available as premium plugins by third-party companies.
Step 6: Choose your Favorite Form Builder
Form builders are plugins that allow you to easily create custom forms for your website. Forms are a must-have for a small business website, as they allow you to collect potential leads and connect with your customers. A website without a form is like a house without a mailbox.
Most form builders provide a drag-and-drop interface that allows you to add and arrange different form elements, such as text fields, checkboxes, and radio buttons. They often offer a wide range of pre-built templates and modules that can help you create professional-looking forms quickly and easily.
There are many different form builder plugins available for WordPress, ranging from basic options to more advanced tools that offer extensive customization options. It is important to choose a form builder that meets your needs and budget, while also providing reliable and efficient service.
Probably the most common form builder out there is Contact Form 7, a free plugin with over 5 million installations. If your site needs very basic contact form functionality and limited design, then it's your must-have solution.
Whenever the budget allows, I prefer to use Gravity Forms as it has the most versatile design and functionality for any site layout I need. Additionally, it has plugins that easily integrate with major marketing platforms like Mailchimp, HubSpot, and Active Campaign.
Step 7: Select Your Domain Name
Your domain name is the address that people use to access your website. It is an important part of your online identity and can help you establish a unique and memorable brand. Easy home analogy, it's your address!
When choosing a domain name, it is important to choose a name that is easy to remember and easy to spell. You will also want to choose a name that reflects your business's branding and style.
There are many different domain name registrars available, ranging from basic options to more advanced services that offer additional features such as domain privacy and security. It is important to choose a registrar that meets your needs and budget, while also providing reliable customer service.
While I mostly use GoDaddy for my domain services, much of that has to do with the fact that it's historical comfort and I like keeping them all in one place. GoDaddy does have great intro pricing however and they are one of the few that you can actually talk to a person on the phone from customer support.
If you want some more analysis on domain registrars, I suggest this comprehensive Forbes article to learn more about the most popular registrars out there today.
Tracking Website Performance with Analytics
Tracking your website's performance is an important part of building a successful small business website. Like everything else in your business, you can't improve what you don't measure. Analytics tools allow you to track metrics such as website traffic, page views, and user behavior so that you can create the best user experience for your customers and leads.
Google Analytics is a popular analytics tool that is available for free. It provides a wide range of metrics and reports that can help you understand how your website is performing, and identify areas for improvement.
Other analytics tools are available, ranging from basic options to more advanced tools that offer additional features such as heat mapping and user tracking. It is important to choose an analytics tool that meets your needs and budget, while also providing reliable and efficient service.
Maintaining Your Website
Maintaining and updating your website is an important part of building a successful small business website. Regular updates can help you improve your website's functionality, security, and performance.
When updating your website, it is important to consider factors such as compatibility, security, and functionality. You will also want to test your updates thoroughly to ensure that they do not cause any issues or errors.
Regular maintenance tasks such as backing up your website and checking for broken links can also help you keep your website running smoothly and efficiently. It is important to establish a regular maintenance schedule and stick to it to ensure that your website is always up-to-date and functioning properly.
Key Takeaways
Building a successful small business website requires careful planning and attention to detail. By choosing the right hosting service, using a versatile platform such as WordPress, and utilizing tools such as page builders, form builders, and plugins, you can create a professional and engaging website that attracts and retains customers.
It is also important to track your website's performance with analytics, maintain and update your website regularly, and avoid common mistakes such as using low-quality images and not optimizing your website for search engines.
By following these key takeaways, you can build a successful small business website that helps you establish an online presence, attract new customers, and grow your business
Need Help? If you're interested in learning more or have any questions, please feel free to visit my consulting page for more information. I'm here to help you achieve your goals and overcome any technical obstacles you may encounter in your business
