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How To Create A Professional Website?
In today’s digitalized era, it is important for every business to have a professional website to reach prospective customers. Specifically, after the emergence of Covid-19, there has been a rapid increase in online customers. The companies, to mark their online presence, need to create a website that can stand as a marketing tool, a communication channel, and earn great revenues.
In today’s time, having a professional website is a must for every business. To create a website, you first need to plan out in details what are you going to offer through the website. This makes you find your audience correctly and shape the brand better. Secondly, you have to choose the right theme and layout for your website. Stick to only what is needed as extra elements tend to slow down the loading time of the website.
“Your website is the center of your digital eco-system, like a brick and mortar location, the experience matters once a customer enters, just as much as the perception they have of you before they walk through the door”.
– Leland Dieno, Face The Book With Your Small Business: A step by step guide to establishing your small business on the biggest social media network in existence.
Four Best Ways To Build A Website
Following are the four best ways to build a website:
#1. Download a template for website
One of the best and effective ways to build a website is to download a HTML template or WordPress theme for website. There is n number of templates available online as well as offline that can be used for making a website creative and attractive. Though most of them are free, many website templates have hidden costs.
For a website design that matches any style or industry, you can’t go wrong with WordPress templates. With the vast selection of pre-made templates on offer, you will find something that suits your needs perfectly. Once you have found the perfect template to match your brand identity, installing and customizing your site will be a breeze!
#2. Use a Website Online Builder
A website builder is a website that allows users to create their own, custom websites without having any web design knowledge.
Developing a website with a website online builder allows you to work from anywhere at any time with an Internet connection. Most website online builders are accompanied by hosting services that can let your website go over the Internet in no time. They are relatively inexpensive and easy to use for both beginners and experienced web designers.
There is a wide range of website templates you can choose and customize according to your needs. Among website online builders, the prominent ones include Wix, Squarespace, and WP Website Builder. These websites are easy to use and have many different features that make it simpler for people to build their online business without having to worry about technicalities. As you can see, it is not as difficult as people think.
#3. Hire a Freelance Web Developer
A website is important for any business to prosper, the small-scale business usually lacks time and expertise to create a website. In this case, it is better to hire a freelance web developer. Freelancers have the skills and experience to build a professional website by meeting all the requirements of the business. Also, they can work in a reasonable timeframe at a reasonable price. This helps the businesses to focus their time and energy to enhance their innovative capabilities and earn good revenues.
#4. Choose a Web Agency
Since a web agency is a registered business, it can help in creating your website with credibility. The whole project is divided into team members who can effectively do their part to give the best output. They are reliable as they don’t compromise the quality of the work. Due to their expertise, your website would not only look attractive but also help in optimizing and converting leads. Though they may consume a larger budget, they offer various related services such as SEO.
Definition Of Terms
Some key terms used in this article are defined below for easy understanding:
Website Builder: A website builder is a software or program that eliminates the use of manual coding while creating a website. It provides different templates which can be customized to meet specific goals.
Web Agency: A web agency or web development agency is an organization that provides multidisciplinary skills for developing a website. Here, skills refer to technical skills, business understanding, designing skills, and final documentation according to the needs of the clients.
Freelancer: A freelancer is a person who is self-employed and works for himself/herself rather than for a company. He/she may enter into a contract with multiple clients at one time but may not commit for a longer time.
Website Themes: Website themes refer to the overall style, look, and feel of a website. Various elements that enhance website themes include colour scheme, layout, and style elements. These are direct representations of a business or an individual for the enrichment of traffic coming on the website.
Website Template: A website template is a pre-defined webpage or set of HTML pages that resemble the layout and features of any website. Also known as a web page template, it can be moulded and redesigned into a website that meets the set requirements.
Different Ways To Create Your Website
Today, there are various options available for creating, maintaining, and running a website smoothly. Here, we are listing the four best ways by which you can get a professional website that meets all your requirements.
1. Download a Template for Website
Website templates can help in creating a website as they represent pre-made layouts that are best for both designers and non-designers. There are various websites that let you download your desired template. Here’s how can you use a template for building your website:
- As there are several files, templates are downloaded in a compressed format. These files include HTML files, CSS style sheets, graphic files, and external scripts.
- When you open any HTML file, you will find text placeholders with “dummy text”. In these placeholders, you can put your text content.
- You will find graphics placeholders where you can use related images. Mostly themed templates are ready to use and don’t need any customization. When you are substituting images manually, be sure that these images have the same dimensions as one present in the graphics placeholder.
So if you’re looking to create a website online, look no further than our website! We have loads of the prettiest HTML templates available on the market right now. They are compatible with all devices, so you’ll be able to publish your new site in no time at all.
HTML Templates for Websites
An HTML template for creating websites may be built using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript coding. All the HTML/CSS codes and images are defined in the template itself and can be customized to a great extent.
Some benefits you avail while using HTML templates for websites are:
- Reduces development time – Since the HTML template has all coding pre-defined, you need not spend hours in coding, designing or debugging. You just need to customize as per your requirements. This results in reducing the time consumed.
- Looks professional – With different templates available, you can make your website look professional and attractive.
- Cost-effective – Most HTML templates are free to use, though some require you to pay a little amount. This, for sure, is cheaper than you hiring a professional web designer.
WordPress Website Themes
WordPress is one of the popular and free Content Management System (CMS) for creating a professional websites. It is open-source and easy to use. It provides a number of themes that you can use either for free or pay the given charge. You can find these themes at WordPress.org.
If you want to create a website with WordPress, you need to follow the steps given below:
- Installing a website theme is the first and important step.
- You have to subscribe to a hosting plan for which you don’t need any technical knowledge.
- Web host once installed and the theme is chosen, you can start customizing the website.
| Pros using a website template | Cons using a website template |
|---|---|
| It gives you an easy setup to start with rather than starting from scratch. | Custom adjustments are tough to handle as they required prior knowledge and also is time-consuming |
| It is cost-effective as hiring a designer would cost you more | Templates are not unique which means that multiple users use and customize the same template |
| You have so many templates to choose from which you won’t get otherwise | Third-party integrations might be tough to implement as it requires coding |
| There are inbuilt functional plugins to add to your pages |
The best way to get started with an online business is to create a WordPress blog. No matter what niche you have in mind, there’s probably hundreds of themes designed specifically for various niches. Writing and publishing your content on a WordPress site allows you to reach a bigger audience that would otherwise be difficult — even impossible. We provide a variety of professional and beautiful WordPress templates for free download. You can find the one you like, use it as it is, or modify it according to your needs. It is an excellent solution to save your time.
2. Use a Website Online Builder
Using a website builder for creating a website makes it easy for anyone to build their own website without any prior knowledge. Let’s look at some of the steps involved in website creation while using an online website builder.
Choosing the Right Website Online Builder
A lot of people are using online website builders to make their websites. Shopify and Wix have millions of subscribers who use these platforms for web development. This is simply because these online builders make the whole development process easy for a non-technical person. These builders focus on design and the content that a website should contain. Be clear about the requirements so that you can compare which online website builder gives you the most out of the money you invest.
Selecting a plan which matches your requirements and budget
Once you decide that you are going to use an online website builder, you need to choose a plan that they offer. It depends on whether you want a portfolio website or an e-commerce website. Because the offers included in different plans might not suit everyone. You can choose to edit a template or create a website from scratch. You can always start with a small plan and upgrade later.
Choosing a unique domain name
You need to choose a domain name for your website. You should avoid using numbers unless needed. The domain name should be relevant to your work. Also, you need to check that the same name already doesn’t exist. You can select the optimum annual plan for yourself.
Choose a template that defines your work
These online website builders come with many templates for all industries to give you a starting point. This makes your work easy and also gives you multiple ideas of how things can be done. Picking a template helps you build a good website design without the need of hiring a web developer.
Upload your content and format accordingly
After selecting the template and customising the theme and workplace for the website according to you, you need to add content. It may be in the form of text, images or maybe videos. You need to select the correct size of images for the website so that they don’t hamper the loading time of the page.
Preview the website and test it on multiple devices
Having done all the customization process, you can preview your website. Publishing it without previewing doesn’t let you debug any errors in the designing part. You can check the loading time, the content written and the formatting.
Publish your site on the Internet
After completing the testing phase, you are ready to publish your website on the selected domain earlier. You can now see your website listed on the internet and ready to share with the world. Template switching is not allowed by some of the website builders once the website is published. So, you have to be sure of the template selected.
| Pros using a website builder | Cons using a website builder |
|---|---|
| Selecting a website builder is affordable for anyone | You need to invest some time in the whole process |
| Making a good website design is easy using website builder | Except for designs, there is no guidance for content and strategy |
3. Hire a Freelance Web Developer
With a complete understanding of the company’s requirements, hiring a freelance web developer can be an easy task. Here are some important questions you should ask yourself while hiring a freelancer developer.
What do you need?
The number of pages you want to have on your website defining your work should be pre-planned. The content static or dynamic also needs to be sorted out.
Do you actually need a web developer?
If you want a more customized business website, you should prefer using a CMS.
Where can you hire freelance web developers?
You can use sources such as Fiverr, Upwork or Freelancer.com for hiring freelance developers.
Making a Deal
You need to be clear about what the budget is because it would make the hiring process much easier. You can even compare the work and prices offered by different web developers.
| Pros hiring a freelance programmer | Cons hiring a freelance programmer |
|---|---|
| You get to work with the website designer directly instead of talking to the customer service | It can be risky to work with a freelancer as there is no security for your money |
| Hiring a freelance web developer is more affordable than agencies as they are self-employed | There may be critical errors which in turn lowers the quality of the website |
| The website designing process can be very speedy depending on the complexity | If the back end has errors, you will need to invest money again to get those errors fixed |
4. Choose a Web Agency
If you are looking to get your current website redesigned or getting a brand new website, you need to choose a web agency. The company you shortlist would be responsible for the complete development and website design which helps you make a better first impression on your customers. So how do you decide which web design agency to hire? Let us look at some tips as well as some pros and cons of choosing a website development company.
While choosing a web agency for creating your website, you need to keep in mind the following tips:
Making a list of all the goals
You need to decide on all the goals that your website should meet. Some of the examples are:
- Increase sales of your business
- Gain new traffic on your website
- Inform your online presence among competitors
Review Web Design Agencies
You need to search for potential agencies for web designing agencies through various mediums. These could be search engines or recommendations from your family and friends. Apps such as Google Meet and Zoom can help you collaborate with the agencies and learn more about them.
Review Experience and Portfolios
You need to check their experience in the web designing field. Also, if they are a start-up or an established company. Other than this, a portfolio is a great assessment tool of their capabilities and skills. You need to check if their designing process matches the latest web design trends.
Check testimonials and online reviews
You also need to go through the web agency’s reviews and the level of customer satisfaction they have. Testimonials from past clients tell a lot about the company’s functioning and service providing. Sources for these can be Facebook, Google and Yelp. You should read all of this before setting up a meeting with them.
Questions to be asked
Now, that you have all the above information, you should list some questions that you want to ask the web agency. Some examples are:
- Have you designed any website particularly for my industry?
- Are you going to train me to use the website?
- Do you offer maintenance services for the website?
- Do you give suggestions to make the most out of the website?
- Who will be the owner of the website?
- Do you provide SEO services?
| Pros choosing a website development company | Cons choosing a website development company |
|---|---|
| Ensures quality work with checking at every step | This is going to be the most expensive option |
| Planned way in accordance with the client | If you get a bad deal, you might get stuck |
| A robust team is assigned | Time taken for a quality product would be longer |
Conclusions
While deciding on how to create a website, you need to be sure which one of the ways stated above would be suitable. Opting for website templates though is cheap, requires great expertise in coding. Online website builders are best suitable for small-scale businesses as they are mostly free, easy to use, and less time-consuming. Similarly, hiring freelancers is a good option as they have good skills and can create your website in a set timeframe without disturbing your budget. In contrast to all these, web agencies, being registered businesses, are reliable but are expensive. So, deciding the best among them can be difficult weighing their pros and cons.
