Nowadays, many people are going to the internet when looking for different goods and services. It is therefore important for every business to have a website. Before setting up your business website, you need to ask yourself the following questions:

• What response do you want from your audience?

For your site to be effective, you need to ensure that the homepage has a proper ‘call to action’. Some sites have contact details such as phone numbers or email addresses displayed prominently to encourage visitors to get in touch. Others offer a form which allows visitors to sign in their mailing list. If you have an online store, you could use your homepage to promote your special offers.

• What is unique about your business?

You site needs to be designed in a way that makes your business stand out from the competition. Make sure the site brings out your business’ unique strengths.

• What amount of resources are you willing to commit into maintaining an online presence?

A business website is an important marketing tool and should be included in the budget. You could decide to hire a professional web designer to create and maintain your site. However, if you have the time, you could go the do-it-yourself way. There are many free templates out there that can help you build a site, even if you have little or no technical knowledge.

After considering the questions above, the following are some tips which can help you build your business website.

1. Mobilize your content

Though a great design is vital, the most important element of your site is the content. Consider what kind of content would be of interest to your audience. Having descriptive and relevant content on your site is not only vital for attracting visitors, but also for helping search engines spiders crawl and index your pages.

2. Design the site

An attractive design is vital for the branding of your business. When visitors land on your pages, they should immediately understand what your business is all about. If your site stands out, chances are high that people will also be interested in what you have to offer. Make sure the pages of your site are organized in way that makes it easy for visitors to navigate and find what they are looking for.

3. Connect with the right partners

When getting started with building your site, you’ll need a hosting provider, a domain name, website building software and probably professional web design services. Take time to carry out some research before selecting any service provider. Read reviews to find out what other people are saying about them.

Charles Mburugu has a great passion for sharing blogging and web development tips. He is currently writing for a web design company.