Would you hand someone a business card that didn’t include your name? Probably not. By the same token, you wouldn’t direct a prospective customer to a business website that doesn’t explain what you do. The best business websites contain valuable information about who you are, what you provide, and why you’re different from the rest.
To accomplish this, you need well-written and well-designed website content, a reliable web hosting provider, speedy load times, and visibility to Google and other search engines. To a small business owner building their own website for the first time, this can all seem daunting, but it doesn’t need to. Here’s a step-by-step guide for how to build a great website for your business, with no coding experience required.
Table of contents
Why should you create a business website?
Business websites are among the most important links between your company and your customers. They tell potential customers what kind of business you operate, and they can help you establish credibility in your chosen industry.
Brooks Bostic is the founder and strategic lead of on/Sight, a design and development agency that focuses on high-growth ecommerce businesses. He proposes that the value of any small business website starts with branding. “Brand is huge for any business,” Brooks says. “And brand is not all logo, color, and font. It’s all about who you are and how you present yourself. It comes across with imagery. It comes across with how you integrate social feeds and UGC [user-generated content].”
Small businesses that use Shopify can take advantage of the platform’s many business website templates. “Anybody within the Shopify space can go and find a template and start selling from their online store within an hour,” Brooks says. The key is finding a business website template that fits your brand personality. “What’s great about personality is that it’s, for all intents and purposes, free.”
How to build a business website
- Define your target market and goals
- Choose a domain name
- Select a website builder
- Begin building your website
- Populate your website with content
- Integrate marketing tools
- Optimize for mobile devices
- Create internal and external links
- Optimize for search engines
- Launch, monitor, and improve your site
You don’t need to be tech-savvy to create a top-notch website for your business. However, you do need a plan and a clear sense of your brand identity. Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating a business website:
1. Define your target market and goals
Start by asking a few simple questions: Who are you trying to reach? What do you want visitors to do on your site? Contact you? Buy something? Having answers to these questions will help you structure your site, from the overall look and feel to individual website pages.
2. Choose a domain name
Your domain name (e.g. thisismybusiness.com) is your web address. A domain registrar will help you find and register an available name. Websites need a hosting service provider to store files and make them accessible online. Research hosting companies to find one that fits your needs; most will include website-building software.
While some website builders offer free domain names for the first year, remember to factor in renewal costs when making your choice. Consider a top-level domain (e.g., .com, .net) for better brand recognition.
🌐 TOOL: Find and register the perfect domain name
3. Select a website builder
Many website builder platforms offer beautifully designed templates and user-friendly interfaces. These often come with free hosting for basic sites, but important ecommerce functions, like accepting online payments, typically require paid plans.
4. Begin building your website
Many website builders offer a drag-and-drop interface for easy customization. Simple site builders are great for basic blogs, but to fully control the technical aspects of your site, choose a more advanced builder like Shopify that comes with ecommerce capabilities.
Shopify customers can start with a premade template, which you can fill out with important web pages like an About Us page highlighting your business profile, a Services page detailing your offerings, and a prominent Contact page with clear contact information.
5. Populate your website with content
Craft engaging content for your web pages. Keyword research helps identify terms potential customers might use to find your business in search engine results. Use these relevant keywords naturally throughout your content to improve search engine optimization (SEO). Including a blog on your website is a great way to accomplish this.
6. Integrate marketing tools
Many website builders integrate with popular email marketing services, and these can help you capture leads and nurture relationships. Adding social media links to your website can drive traffic back and forth from your social media accounts.
“Social media is almost always the funnel into the selling,” Brooks says. “When you look at mature brands these days, what they post on social media is a continuation of what they post on the website, and vice versa.”
7. Optimize for mobile devices
Ensure your website displays well on mobile devices as a significant portion of web traffic comes from smartphones and tablets. Most website builders, including Shopify, offer mobile-responsive templates.
8. Create internal and external links
Internal links connect your website pages, helping visitors navigate and explore your content. External links to credible sources add value to your content.
9. Optimize for search engines
Go beyond keyword use. Optimize page titles, meta descriptions, and image alt tags. Utilize SEO tools like Google Analytics to track your website’s performance on SERPs and make adjustments as needed.
10. Launch, monitor, and improve your site
Test your website thoroughly before launch. Regularly monitor website traffic and user behavior using analytics tools. Use this data to identify areas for improvement and keep your content fresh and relevant. Reach out to your hosting service provider’s tech support for help on maximizing their software.
How to create a website for my business FAQ
How do I create my own business website?
To create your own business website, choose a domain name and hosting service, select from website builders like WordPress or Shopify, customize a template to suit your brand, and publish the site with essential content and contact information.
How much does it cost to make a website for a business?
There is a wide range of website building costs, explains on/Sight founder Brooks Bostic: “You could use a free website builder, spend a thousand bucks on product photography and logos, plus your own time, and get a decent brand. The upper extreme could get into the low six figures.”
Why should you make a website for your business?
You should make a business website to let potential clients learn about you, the products and services you offer, and your overall brand identity. You can also use your site to convey basic information, such as your business name and operating hours or to directly sell products on your online store.
Are websites helpful only for ecommerce businesses?
Websites are an essential asset for all types of businesses, whether or not you sell products via an online store. Websites help you win new customers, particularly when your site appears on search engine results pages. Users may type keywords into search engines, or they may specifically look up your business if they’ve heard about you from another source.
