How to Build a Website Checklist – Tips for WordPress Users
A website is a lot of work. Not to mention the fact that it can also be one of the most time-consuming projects you’ll ever take on. If you want to ensure you build a solid foundation and don’t rush it, we’ve got you covered! In this article, we’ll give you a comprehensive checklist of everything you need to consider before starting to build your website.
Domain Name
The first and most important decision you’ll need to make is choosing a domain name for your site. If you’re building a brand new website from scratch, you can opt for a.com,.net, or.org domain. You’ll also need to consider whether you want to use a personal or business-related domain. Most entrepreneurs choose to use their own personal domains as these are typically less expensive and don’t require you to do business with someone else. If you’re on a tight budget, you can also check out the GoDaddy promo codes to save yourself some cash when you’re buying your domain name.
Categories / Topics
The next decision you’ll need to make is choosing what type of content you want to offer on your website. This will largely depend on your target audience. If you have a clear picture in mind of who you’re aiming at, you’ll be able to choose products that they’ll value and benefit from.
Do you want to provide product reviews or offer advice on setting up a blog? What about creating an online store or booking form? There are hundreds of options when it comes to content, and you’ll need to make the decision based on your target audience and what they want to read or learn about.
A Blogger Or A CMS Platform
Another decision you’ll need to make is choosing between using a CMS or WordPress to build your website. A content management system (CMS) is a software tool that allows you to create and publish content easily without having to spend a lot of time learning how to code. WordPress is the most popular CMS and is also free to use. There are many benefits to using a CMS, such as the fact that you don’t need to learn how to code and can build your site quickly and easily using pre-designed templates and plugins.
If you decide to go with a CMS, take a look at WooCommerce, which is one of the most popular WordPress plugins for online stores. It makes running an online store much easier and convenient, and lets you focus on other aspects of your business instead of having to code everything yourself.
If you decide to go with a WordPress-based website, make sure to purchase a premium hosting plan from a reliable provider in order to prevent any downtime or performance issues. You can also opt for WordPress’ free hosting plan, but it’s not recommended as this will likely result in you wasting a lot of time should any issues arise.
Choice Of Colors
The next decision you’ll need to make is choosing the colors for your site. While a lot of people think choosing the right colors for your site will automatically result in making it look good, this isn’t necessarily true. There are multiple things you need to keep in mind when choosing these colors.
The first and most important thing is that you need to pick colors that work well together. Having individual tiles for each section of your site makes it easy for your readers to find what they’re looking for. For example, if you opt for a blue blog header, this will make it easier for your readers to find your blog posts as they’ll mostly be displayed in blue on white backgrounds and vice versa.
The second thing you need to keep in mind is that you don’t want to choose bright, distracting colors if you’re working with limited resources. If you’re on a tight budget, it’s better to choose pastel or white colors as they’re easier on the eye and don’t take as much effort to maintain.
The Layout
The next decision you’ll need to make is choosing the layout for your site. There are several different layouts to choose from when building a website, but you need to make the decision based on your target audience. If you have a clear picture in mind of what sort of layout you want, you’ll be able to choose products that will compliment this design.
Do you want to go for a modern design with large, bold text or go for a simple, clean look with smaller text? There are several different types of layouts to choose from including a classic two-column layout, a tabloid style, a boxed style, and a list style.
If you decide to go the traditional route and opt for a two-column design, make sure to include a clear CTA (call-to-action) at the top of the page along with a large bold header. This will help draw the eye of your website visitors to the top of the page and encourage them to take further action (e.g., make a purchase, subscribe, etc.). You can also use a tool like Google AdWords to gain more visitors to your site and get more sales.
The Copy
Another important part of building a website is creating compelling copy for your site’s content. Regardless of the type of content you have on your site, from product reviews to e-book tutorials, you’ll need to develop clear, concise, and objective writing that’s engaging and easy to understand.
To begin with, you need to decide if you want to write from an SEO standpoint or a marketing standpoint. From an SEO standpoint, you’ll want to write content that can be easily found by search engines such as Google. From a marketing standpoint, you’ll want to write content that can be used to attract visitors to your site and persuade them to take action (e.g., make a purchase, sign up for an email list, etc.).
To best achieve the goals you’ve set for your website, it’s important to develop content that can be easily understood by the audience you’ve chosen. In other words, if you’re writing for consumers, ensure that your language is simple and easy to understand. For example, if you’re reviewing products and choose to use big, bold text, make sure to develop content where this text is easily legible.
Images
Another important part of any website is high-quality images. Regardless of if you’re showcasing products from luxury brands or your own products, having crisp, eye-catching images will help make your content more appealing and will encourage your visitors to spend more time on your site.
There are several different types of images you’ll need to choose from when building a website. From product images to background and header images, you’ll need to decide which ones will suit your needs the best.
Do you want to choose images that are general and suitable for any type of content or do you want to opt for images that are specifically designed for your product or service? What about the dimensions of your images? Are you going for a mobile-friendly design or do you want to make sure your images can be displayed on a larger screen?
When choosing images for your site, it’s important to keep in mind the answers to these questions. Not only will this help you make the right decision, but it’ll also help ensure your images are of a high enough quality to be used on a large scale.
Social Media
You’ll also need to decide what type of social media you want to use to promote your website. Do you want to use Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn to promote your site? Each one of these platforms has its distinct perks and limitations, which you’ll need to consider before making the decision.
If you decide to use Twitter, make sure to build a following by sharing quality content and building up a community of users who value your work. You can use various tools like TweetMeme to gain more followers.
If you decide to go with a Facebook page, make sure to build a community of users who enjoy your content and value your opinion. You can use various tools like Growthoid to gain more likes on your behalf.
LinkedIn is similar to Facebook in that it allows you to connect with other professionals and establish yourself as an expert in your industry. However, unlike Facebook, LinkedIn gives you the ability to choose who you want to connect with and allows you to maintain a professional yet personal connection with your contacts. This is why many entrepreneurs and businesses choose to use LinkedIn as their main form of social media.
Once you have your checklist of everything you need to include on your website, it’s time to start creating! When it comes to building a website, there are many aspects to consider so be sure to make the right decision for your business needs and never be afraid to ask for help if you feel stuck.