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
- It’s hard to outgrow the functionality of WordPress
- The SEO capabilities are phenomenal
- Tons of great visual builders and templates are out there
2. Go with a Simple Design
- 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
3. Dial in Your Messaging
- 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.
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: