In today's digital age, having an effective online presence is crucial for every business. But with so many options for building websites, it can be overwhelming trying to determine the best approach. As a web designer who has built hundreds of sites on platforms like Webflow, WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace, I've learned there's no one-size-fits-all solution.
The most important step is understanding your business goals and target audience. Your website should work for you, not the other way around. With the right strategy tailored to your needs, it can become an invaluable asset for attracting clients, generating leads, and growing your brand.
In this comprehensive guide, I'll walk through key considerations and best practices for designing an optimal website. You'll learn how to:
Let's dive in and explore how to make your website work for you, not against you.
Having a clear vision is the first step to any successful website build. Before even thinking about platforms or design, you need to define your core objectives and how you'll measure success.
Typical goals for a small business website include:
You'll also want to determine the key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with those goals. Common examples include:
Tracking KPIs over time shows how well your site is performing. You can then optimize pages and content to improve results.
Let's look at a real example. A small accounting firm wanted to build a website to acquire new small business clients. Their primary objectives were generating leads and establishing thought leadership.
We worked together to identify KPIs like:
This focus informed all downstream decisions from platform selection to content strategy. As a result, the site successfully brought in 42% more leads within 9 months of launching.
Once your goals are clear, the next step is selecting the right platform and template. The four leading options each have pros and cons:
Best for: Custom design flexibility and user experience. Intuitive drag-and-drop builder.
Downsides: Steeper learning curve. More complex for non-technical users.
Best for: Established CMS with huge plugin ecosystem. SEO-friendly and customizable.
Downsides: Potential security and performance issues. More maintenance required.
Best for: Beginner-friendly builder with AI design features. Simple e-commerce.
Downsides: Limited custom code options. Can get costly with premium features.
Best for: Beautiful templates and client experience.
Downsides: Restrictive for developers and SEO. Limited CMS capabilities.
To decide between these, assess your budget, timeline, target audience, and technical abilities. For example, Squarespace's elegant templates may work for a nonprofit organization, while Webflow offers robust customization and SEO optimization for an e-commerce company.
Be wary of getting sucked into a platform that seems hot but doesn't actually meet your needs. Selecting appropriately from the start saves pain down the road.
A SaaS startup needed a website to promote their new mobile app. They wanted a sleek, modern design aligned with their product.
We chose Webflow over WordPress for its design flexibility, customizable CMS, and developer-friendly environment. By using Webflow's design APIs, we integrated dynamic data from their app to create a truly custom experience.
This wouldn't have been possible on other platforms like Squarespace. Prioritizing their priorities rather than a one-size-fits all platform allowed us to build a differentiated website that reflected their brand.
Words matter. Too often, website copy is treated as an afterthought. But compelling, strategic content is crucial for keeping visitors engaged, conveying credibility, and driving conversions.
Follow these best practices when writing website copy:
Align messaging with your target demographics. Use language and tone that resonates with them.
Don't just describe features. Explain how you solve problems and deliver value.
Break up large blocks of text. Use headers, bullets, and bolding for skimmability.
Back up claims with stats, case studies, and tangible examples whenever possible.
Engage visitors conversationally. Avoid overuse of passive voice and jargon.
Incorporate relevant keywords naturally to boost SEO, but don't keyword stuff.
A small yoga and pilates studio needed website copy that would attract premium health-conscious clients in their area. We researched the local fitness market and their target demographics to better understand their psyche.
We used keywords related to "boutique fitness" and "private studio" judiciously to appeal to searchers. And we focused messaging on the highly personalized experience and luxurious amenities rather than just listing fitness class schedules.
As a result, the studio owner remarked she began attracting more upscale clients willing to pay higher membership fees. The tailored copy made all the difference in matching their vibe.
You've probably heard the saying "don't let perfection be the enemy of progress." This is especially true with lead gen forms.
It's easy to obsess over crafting the perfect opt-in offer or trying to minimize abandoned sign-ups. But at a certain point, you have to test and iterate. Some key tips on rolling out lead gen forms:
No lead gen solution will be perfect out the gates. The important thing is getting those initial forms live so you can start collecting data. Continuously tweak and optimize based on real user behavior.
A criminal defense attorney wanted lead gen forms on their site to sign up prospects for consultations. But they were concerned about capturing quality leads.
We started with a basic contact form, then iterated with longer questionnaires to qualify leads. We A/B tested offering a free guide in exchange for emails. And we played with form placement, trying sidebars, pop-ups, and embedded in content.
Over 6 months, these incremental changes increased lead sign-ups by over 50% and helped the attorney filter out tire-kickers. Demonstrating the value of small, continuous improvements over trying to perfect forms upfront.
Driving organic traffic from search engines requires a smart SEO strategy. How you optimizr on-page elements impacts rankings and visibility:
Include keywords in page titles and succinctly summarize content in meta descriptions.
Use descriptive URLs with hyphens instead of underscores or excessive dynamic parameters.
Work in relevant keywords through natural headings and body content.
Properly name image files and use alt text with target keywords.
Faster load times improve rank, so optimize images, minimize redirects, and enable caching.
Technical SEO factors like site crawlability, structured data markup, and XML sitemaps also impact indexing and rankings.
Focus on creating content optimized for what your audience is searching for. Search engines will reward you for providing value.
An outdoor sporting goods store struggled with declining organic traffic after years of overlooking SEO. We conducted extensive keyword research to identify high-intent search terms related to hiking, camping, and fishing gear.
We reoptimized pages and content around these terms, while modernizing their blog. This increased organic traffic by 35% within 5 months. By realigning their content strategy with target searches, we tapped into new growth opportunities.
Measurement and refinement should be ongoing activities after your website launches. Robust analytics help you identify issues and opportunities for optimization.
Some key metrics to track include:
Tools like Google Analytics, Hotjar, and Google Search Console provide valuable insights. But also look at real user qualitative feedback through surveys, reviews, and conversations.
Use analytics to spot weaknesses in your onboarding flows, surface outdated content, and diagnose technical problems. Then conduct A/B testing to continuously improve performance.
A clothing shop was losing a high rate of customers during checkout on their WooCommerce store. By implementing Google Analytics Ecommerce tracking, we determined the average cart size of abandoned orders was 15% higher than completed sales.
We hypothesized a friction point in the checkout process. Testing revealed customers were less likely to complete checkout if not offered free shipping above a certain order value. Adding this tactical incentive reduced abandoned carts by 30%.
Without analytics, we wouldn't have uncovered this issue costing significant revenue. Ongoing data analysis and experimentation is key to increasing conversions.
In today's digital landscape, an optimized website is table stakes for any thriving business. Following the strategic principles in this guide will help you maximize your online presence and achieve your goals.
Define your objectives, research your audiences, select the right platform, focus on high-quality content, incorporate conversion tools, optimize for search, and keep improving based on data.
Most importantly, let your website work for you. With the right strategy tailored to your business, it can elevate your brand, capture more leads, and help you make progress every day. The effort you put in will directly impact your results.
Need help building a results-driven website? Get in touch to discuss how we can collaborate. I'd love to learn more about your business and help create a custom solution designed for your needs.
Copyright © Zach Sean Web Design
