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Creating a Website For Your Business

Tips From a Professional Web Designer

How to create a website for your business

Let’s talk about creating a website for your business. You have a business. You need a website. Where do you start? Let’s look at how to create a website.

Can I build a website on my own? Read on.

We’re here to help you out with a little guidance on your trek to getting online with a website for your business. Rest assured you’re not the only person to be in this position and since we see a lot of interest in this topic we decided to share some of our experience with you.

 When you’re creating a small business website there are 2 choices to make at the very beginning of your process. Which one you choose will depend on your budget, your level of technical skills, and your sense of adventure.

do it yourself
hire a pro

Do It Yourself

If you’re on a tight budget and feel confident in your ability with technology you might find yourself in this column.

Keep in mind when considering the DIY route, you’ll also need the time to devote to doing it yourself. There is the time required to learn whatever website product to go with. Don’t forget about the time to conceptualize your design and turn it into an actual digital work of art.

DIY can be a good option for a starter website. The current crop of website builders have a nice array of design tools that let you create a good looking website without any technical knowledge.

What do you need to DIY?

  • Domain (Your website’s address)
  • Hosting
  • Content (text & images)

Actually there’s a little more to it but those are the 3 main categories.

Most of the major players in the DIY business include a domain and shared hosting in their website builder packages. You just need to create your content and choose a template to format it.

Here are a few of the DIY website builders vying for your dollars today.

  • WIX
  • Weebly
  • GoDaddy Website Today
  • WordPress.com (different from WordPress.org)
  • Squarespace

Any of these platforms will let you create a website without too much technical knowledge. Many of the low cost versions are limited in one aspect or another. Some limit the number of users allowed in a certain time period. Some limit bandwidth and storage space.

With a DIY package you are also limited in functionality. Most don’t allow you to upload any plugins. You are stuck using their themes, although the themes they offer can look really good.

Most of these website builders aren’t suitable for eCommerce unless you’re creating a small online store. Plan on upgrading to one of the deluxe (more expensive) plans if you need ecommerce.

What about SEO? We wrote a blog post about our experience with Weebly. You can read that Weebly blog post here.

 

Hire a Pro

Using a Pro is a much different experience than the DIY route. When you hire a web designer to create your website, much of the work involved becomes the responsibility of the web designer, freeing you to concentrate on your business. Let’s take a look at what we do for a typical web design project.

  • Domain name research & procurement
  • Set up Hosting on appropriate plan
  • Install and configure WordPress
  • Select and install WP Theme
  • Create Child Theme
  • Configure Theme settings
  • Set default color palette
  • Set default typography
  • Determine necessary plugins, install and configure
  • Create User Interface
  • Create pages using Organic SEO tactics
  • Use appropriate images and textures
  • We take high resolution photographs when necessary
  • Review design with client & modify as needed
  • Launch site
  • Configure Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Google Maps, & Google MyBusiness
  • Configure Bing Webmaster Tools
  • Configure site to use InfiniteWP for continuous monitoring
  • Provide client training
  • Configure custom email as needed*
    (optional)

Those things are what you don’t get with a DIY website builder.

A responsible web design firm like Team 218 will ensure that the pages of your website are designed and built with solid Organic SEO tactics. This is something that is more difficult to add on after the fact. Without good Organic SEO, your search results will suffer and it will be almost impossible to achieve a good ranking.

When we design a website we include all of the above and we also include hosting and all maintenance for 12 months. We keep a close eye on the site not only to make sure any updates are completed promptly, but also to monitor Search results. We may make many adjustments to a page to affect the SERP.

We specialize creating a great website for small business. We are confident we deliver a better result than you could ever get from a DIY builder.

On top of everything else, we provide the best customer service you’ll find anywhere.

We can’t speak for other web design firms but we know you’ll be happy with one of our websites. Ask any of our clients.

 

Summary

Creating a Website For Your Business For Free – Buyer Beware

Do It Yourself Website builders are in business to make a profit. That’s why they have limitations on their lower tier plans. They want you to upgrade. They also don’t want to see you leave. Because of this it’s very difficult to move your site away from most of the DIY builders. Something to keep in mind if you decide to use one.

What we said in our blog post about our experience with Weebly still applies.

The DIY path to a website is a viable option if you are just starting out and want to get your name on the web. Using DIY services for any serious business website may leave you wanting more. Your DIY website may also appear amateurish due to ads. You will suffer from less than stellar SEO results. These are all things a business owner should not have to deal with.

DIY Route To Creating a Website For Your Business – Could You? Sure. Should you? Hmmm… that’s up to you but make sure to do your research and know what you’re getting into.

Our advice? Use this approach only if you absolutely have to and then only as a stop-gap measure. If you decide to go ahead with a DIY plan, take your time and PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS. Check your spelling and grammar and make sure you are consistent and get things like phone numbers and addresses correct. If you get stuck, we’ll be here to help you out.

To ensure the best first impression and a trouble-free website experience, we recommend hiring a profession web designer. Yes we’re a little biased but we’re giving you our honest opinion. Here are some tips on creating a website for a business.

Remember – it doesn’t cost anything to ask questions. Call, text, email, or use our contact forms anytime. We’re always glad to help.

You can read more about Web Design and finding the right website person on our home page. Head over here for some  business website examples

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About The Author

Team 218 Web Services Hello, I'm Chuck Hersey, a co-founder of Team 218 Web Services. With over 20 years of experience in web development and SEO, I've helped numerous small businesses and nonprofits establish a strong online presence through effective, high-quality websites. Since starting Team 218 in 2014, my goal has been simple: to provide Iowa businesses and nonprofits with comprehensive, affordable website solutions that are easy to manage and designed to help them grow.

At Team 218, we believe in building long-term relationships based on trust, transparency, and exceptional service. I take pride in making the web design process not only professional but also enjoyable for our clients. Whether you need a website overhaul or are starting from scratch, we have you covered.

If you’d like to connect, I’m available through email at chuck@team218.com, via our Contact Form, or feel free to call or text me directly at 319-333-0815.

I look forward to helping your business succeed online.

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