A website’s beauty alone does not make it good! Appealing aesthetics will not impact Google search results or buying decisions. A good website enables visitors to easily find the information and products they seek, resulting in a positive shopping experience.
Web Developers
Many people rely on a web development professional to build their website after extensive consultations. However, in many cases, the end product does not meet expectations. Furthermore, making even minor changes can be a complete nightmare as the developer is frequently unavailable and may charge exorbitant fees for simple alterations, such as updating a phone number.
It Doesnt Have to be this way
Today, most websites do not require programming skills, and you can even learn how to create one yourself. All you need is determination and the willingness to overcome your fears. Many people mistakenly believe that they lack the ability to create a website, but I highly doubt that.
We have numerous customers who learned to create websites after retirement, including both men and women. We also have female customers who manage websites and online stores with thousands of daily visitors, so successfully that several competing websites and companies have been acquired since their inception. If they can do it, why can’t you? Moreover, what do you have to lose? At most, your time and around 30 USD.
If you cannot create a website on your own, you can still hire a developer and use the hosting and domain name you have purchased. Creating most websites is not much more complicated than designing a wedding invitation in Word. Of course, you need to set aside a weekend to learn how to use the relevant programs. However, after one or two days of practice, you will be able to solve nearly any task on your own, and you can also receive help quickly on social forums.
This article will not delve deeper into the secrets of website creation. However, I promise we will write more on this topic soon.
Let’s take a more detailed look at what is necessary for a good website:
The Secrets to Creating a Good Website
1. Domain Name
This is one of the most critical elements! A domain name can determine whether a website will generate billions or almost nothing. Imagine if Facebook’s name was find-your-friends-online.com; would it have been as successful? It’s doubtful; we probably wouldn’t know it today. When selecting a domain name, consider the following:
- Include the most important keyword if possible, as this will earn you several places on Google.
- Keep it short.
- Make it easy to remember.
2. Hosting
Web hosting is the foundation of your website. If the foundation is weak, the result will not be what we expect. With very cheap hosting, you’ll typically get a free or custom administration interface. These usually lack the functions found in paid solutions, and development is slower. Paid systems are developed and improved by hundreds of professional programmers, while free or self-developed systems are developed by only 1-10 developers. As a result, new features will appear much later, and you’ll always be at a disadvantage. They can also be more expensive since, for example, cPanel includes an SSL certificate for free, while most free interfaces do not, requiring you to purchase them separately for an additional 10- 15 USD for a domain name. The most popular control interface is cPanel, which is used by some of the world’s largest companies. Free hosting management interfaces include:
- CyberPanel
- ISPConfig
- Webmin
- CentOS
- Vesta Control Panel
- Kloxo
- aaPanel
When hosting is advertised as such, it’s likely that you’ll receive the cheapest of everything. Everything else is also likely to be solved with free solutions, such as SPAM filtering, virus scanning, website protection, and a free Linux version.
Of course, the user interface is one thing, but speed is far more important. Unfortunately, determining which hosting is faster is the most challenging aspect. In companies where the resources allocated to the storage locations are specified, speed can be inferred from this. When it isn’t specified, it’s a bit of a crapshoot; either it will be good, or it won’t. Unfortunately, high prices do not always indicate that a service is good and fast.
3. Website Engine
There are three main groups: individually developed websites, CMS systems, and rented solutions.
Unique development:
In my opinion, unique developments should only be chosen if you require a very specific solution, such as an online store that doubles as a wholesaler with a stock register and invoicing system. Why wouldn’t we recommend custom-developed sites if there is no need for them? Because you will need a permanent programmer for individual programs! We regularly see websites that were created by a programmer a few years ago, and then over time, they realized that the programmer is very expensive, especially if you have to pay even when you don’t need to make any changes to the site. The programmer did not maintain the website, which became outdated over the years to the point where there is no longer an old server to host it on. As programs continue to develop, newer systems are written for newer PHP versions, and servers follow suit. The older PHP versions that are no longer in use will be removed from the support circle, rendering the programs that were written for them unusable, even if the website functions well. Therefore, only create a unique page if you can afford to pay the programmer continuously. A website is never complete, continuous improvement is necessary.
CMS systems:
These are ready-made basic programs, and most of them are free! Their use does not require programming knowledge. With a little practice, anyone can master their handling. Therefore, you don’t need a developer. If you later decide to delegate site management to someone else, you can easily find someone to do it. Nowadays, there are hardly any tasks that cannot be accomplished with their assistance. There are numerous special add-ons available, with a good proportion of them being free, and many others being paid. Most systems and add-ons receive updates weekly or monthly, which can be installed in most cases with just 1-2 clicks. CMS systems have no restrictions, and there is no limit to how many products you can upload or how many categories you can create.
Rented systems:
Many people are unaware that a rented web store will never be owned by them. You have to pay for it, even if you want to suspend the site for a few months. If you don’t pay the monthly fee, the system will be deleted, and a lot of work will go to waste. How much you pay depends on the system operator, and you have no choice but to accept their terms as you cannot transfer the system to another service provider. It also depends on the system operator what functions are available and how much extra money they charge for them. Most of the time, the number of products that can be uploaded is limited, as well as the number of looks (about 20-30 types to choose from). The operator will handle the updates, and you won’t have any issues with them.
4: Web Design
Many people make one of the biggest mistakes here by thinking that the design alone will sell the product. However, this is a mistake! Look at really big companies; their websites are made with the simplest possible design. Often, it is a simple white page supplemented with a few buttons. The point is to divert the visitor’s attention from the essential content as little as possible! Too many images can be just as confusing as too few. However, it can be confusing when the text is not segmented, and the entire thing becomes a continuous blur. Nowadays, the majority of people browse the web from their mobile phones, making it extremely important that the website is mobile-friendly. It is so important that a page that is not mobile-friendly will not even be included in Google results!
5. Mobile-friendly website.
In today’s world, more and more people are using their mobile devices to access the internet. This means that having a mobile-friendly website is no longer an option but a necessity.
A mobile-friendly website is one that is designed to be easily viewed and navigated on a mobile device. This includes things like responsive design, easy-to-click buttons, and mobile-specific features like click-to-call or location-based services.
Having a mobile-friendly website is also important for search engine rankings. In fact, Google has stated that mobile-friendliness is a ranking factor in its search algorithm. This means that if your website is not mobile-friendly, it may not rank as high in mobile search results.
6. User Experience
Perhaps you have encountered a webpage where a warning pops up immediately after opening, notifying you that cookies are used and requesting your acceptance. Many website owners are displaying this message unnecessarily out of fear of being fined or simply due to a lack of knowledge about its necessity. However, I must inform you that this is no longer a legal requirement, as evident by its absence on major websites such as Facebook, Google, or bank pages.
Additionally, it’s not uncommon to be bombarded with requests such as “Like our Facebook page” as soon as you close the cookie warning. This can be a nuisance, particularly if you don’t have a Facebook account or if it’s your first time seeing the page. To make matters worse, some websites even prompt you to allow them to send you notifications, which can be overwhelming.
As a result, I recommend that website owners use more subtle methods to encourage users to stay connected rather than bombarding them with pop-ups.
The location of the menu bar can also affect the user experience. If it’s not in its usual place on a webpage, such as at the top or on the left side, it can be challenging to locate. This can lead to frustration and disorientation, particularly for first-time visitors.
Similarly, an illogical menu structure can be confusing when items are organized into sub-sub-sub menus. For example, consider the following sequence: Home -> Garden -> Watering -> Sprinkler Hoses -> 1/2 Inch Hoses -> UV Resistant Hoses -> Rigid Wall Hoses. This type of structure can be frustrating to navigate and deter users from exploring the site further.”
In a well-designed system, any product or service should be accessible with a maximum of three clicks. To achieve further efficiency, the use of grays should be employed. The website’s navigation should be intuitive, and if clicking is necessary, the button should be clearly visible. To emphasize the button, it is acceptable to highlight it, such as >>>Click HERE<<<. When requesting user input, only ask for necessary information. It should be clear what information is needed, and superfluous details like a person’s mother’s name, eye color, and date of birth should not be requested unless they are required.
7. Above-the-fold section.
This is the part of the website that appears to the visitor without scrolling or clicking, i.e. the upper part of your website approximately 1000 pixels high. It’s like the front page of a newspaper. To sell the newspaper, you need a striking front page. However, on many websites, this section consists of a large image that barely provides information to the visitor or a video that most people don’t want to watch. Instead, information and items that are interesting and attractive to the visitor should immediately appear here. Welcome messages or information about the company’s history should be avoided, and the focus should be on what is being sold. If the customer is interested in the product, they will search for more information about the company.
8: Use of headings and sections.
Good transparency is crucial, and headings can help achieve it. Google also pays attention to headings, and using keywords in headings can improve search engine rankings. Headings are marked up in the code with:
<h1>,<h2><h3>,9. Sufficient content.
Dry text is insufficient for a website; instead, you need writing that grabs the visitor’s attention and influences them. Most people make emotional decisions, so you need to evoke emotions in your writing. First, outline the problem, then present your solution.
Describe how your product can do more than other similar products and explain why it’s worth purchasing from you. If you provide more information about a product than your competition, you will appear knowledgeable. People often buy where they can get appropriate confirmation that the product they want to buy is the right choice. It’s worth watching the movie “The Wolf of Wall Street” and observing how effective writing can sell almost anything to anyone.
When writing content, it’s crucial to include a suitable proportion of SEO keywords. You’re not only writing for website visitors, but also for Google’s search robots.
