You now know you need a website to boost your brand visibility and you are eager to own one, however, there are some key decisions you need to know and will have to make before you can successfully own a website, and that’s exactly what you will learn here.

In this post, you will learn about some of the crucial early decisions you’ll make about your website: choosing a website name and planning how your site is structured. The goal is to make it easy for customers to find their way around and get what they want. Because a happy customer equals a more successful business, right?

Ready to go?

Domain name.

The first decision you will have to make when building your website is your name. your domain name. What do you want people to call your business? Now, this is analogous to picking a name for an offline business, you will want to choose a name that’s unique to you and your business. Know that your business name is what people will type into a web browser to find you. 

Now, for people that already have an offline business, I know that the name you used for your offline business will be your default choice for your online name however your offline business name might already be taken.

Please note that the name might be available in your home country when you registered with the corporate affairs ministry in your country known as CAC in Nigeria, but remember the web is connected to the world not only your home country, hence your unique name might have been taken by another business in another country far away from yours. Nevertheless choosing a name is not hard – only if you know your way. that is why I will give you 3 tips on how to successfully choose a domain name for your business.

Read also: What is a website and how does it work: Server and Domain Name Explained.

Tips to choose the right name for your business.

1. A good domain name is one that people can easily remember. Keep it as short, relevant, and as to the point as possible.
2. Check if the name is available for use: When choosing a domain name, you first need to check if the one you want is available. There can only be one TastyBakery.com on the web, for example, and if someone has already claimed it, you won’t be able to use it. So, how do you know if the name you want is taken? Just do a search for ‘domain registrar’ and click on one of the results. There should be a tool on the site that lets you see if someone is already using the name you want. And, if they are, it may suggest another similar name that’s available for you to use.
3. If the name is taken, You may be able to get a variation of the name you want by choosing a different extension, which is the fancy name for the bit at the end. You’re probably familiar with the ‘.com’ or ‘.co.uk’ extensions, but you might find others that are available or a better fit. For example, non-profit organizations often use ‘.org.’ What this also means is that although ‘TastyBakery.com’ may be taken, ‘TastyBakery.net’ may still be available. OK, that’s the name sorted.

Let’s have a look at some other common parts of a website, like the home page. 

Home page

The home page is the first page people see after they type in your domain name and get to your website. The home page is your shop window, where you invite people in and explain what you’re all about. A home page also directs visitors to other pages of your website through what we call ‘navigation’. Your navigation headings may run across the top of a page or down the side. Either way, it’s a menu that lets people travel from one part of the site to another.

How you organize the site is very important. Start by thinking about the websites you visit regularly. How are they organized?

Read also: How to create an online presence

Website Content

Website content is the words or sentences visitors will see on your website. It portrays what your site is all about. Your website content will be words, or text: headlines, paragraphs, and bulleted lists. And you might also have things like images and video.

Text and images can also be set up to link to other pages on the Internet when they’re clicked. These are known as ‘hyperlinks’, or shortcuts to other pages either on your site or elsewhere on the web.

Please know that You can do this yourself all you’ve to do is decide what kind of content you want to offer, and then group it together in ways that make sense. Incidentally, many website-building tools offer business website templates that can help you get started.  However, You can as well hire a content creator if you think writing your website content is a hell of work for you to do. Where can I get a content creator you ask? Well, one is right here for you. You can reach me at [email protected]

About and Contact page

These are some of the compulsory features your page should have.

Your website’s Contact page might include your address, phone number, email, and a map with directions. While The About page might tell the story of your business, your mission and vision, core values, and how you came to be, you can also include photos of some of your best work. 

The about and contact page button/heading should be pinned at the top of the hero section on your page. They should appear on every page of your site so that people can always get to where they want to go, or back to where they’ve been.

Now, you want to set things up so it’s super-easy for visitors to find the information they need, like the bakery’s working hours, or complete important goals, like submitting an online order.

Let’s check out some other features you can add to your website

1. forms to submit questions, or a box to insert their email if you want them to sign up for your newsletter.
2. maps with turn-by-turn directions to your store
3. shopping baskets to buy products directly if it’s an eCommerce store. 

Read also: Establishing your Digital plan: How to set realistic expectations, track results, and adapt to technological trends.

Conclusion 

Your website — your digital storefront — is a great opportunity to connect with customers. Choosing the right domain name, organizing the site logically, and including nifty features can help your visitors find exactly what they’re looking for.

There’s no right or wrong way to organize a site, but you’ll always want to put yourself in your visitor’s shoes. What’s he or she looking for? What are they trying to accomplish on the website?