How to Build Your First Website — For the Right Price
Building a website is today’s equivalent of hanging out your shingle. If you don’t have a website, do you even really have a business???
I regularly field questions from new business owners who are feeling tons of pressure to build a website and do it right, but who are also price-conscious.
The good news is that there are ways to build a site that’s professional and affordable. In fact, that’s what I recommend for most business owners just starting out. So much is going to change in your business from year one to year three — that your first website really should be a starter site — and it’s not worth breaking the bank on it.
You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a Good First Impression
BUTTTT — in these early stages of building a business, you’ve got a very short window to make an impression — in fact, only 1/2 a second before people have already formed an opinion of you and your business. And if your site is slow to load, has terrible design, or is overly wordy — you will struggle!
After building websites for over 10 years for everyone from solopreneurs just starting out to multi-million $ companies, there are a few steps you can take now, that will set you up for initial growth and long-term success.
1. Start on WordPress
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- It’s hard to outgrow the functionality of WordPress
- The SEO capabilities are phenomenal
- Tons of great visual builders and templates are out there
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2. Go with a Simple Design
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- Hire a graphic web designer or get a template that you are NOT going to change much
- Pick 2 colors and 2 neutrals
- Pick 1-2 fonts and vary the weights
- Choose images that match your color palette and set the visual tone you want to convey
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3. Dial in Your Messaging
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- Take StoryBrand’s Messaging Framework at Business Made Simple to create messaging that will eliminate confusion from your messaging so customers will listen and buy.
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There you have it…three simple steps you can follow to build a professional starter site and start growing your business.
I’m going to leave a few links in the description that will help you take advantage of some of the tips I just shared. Check them out and then get building your new site!
Resources in the description: