We all require a website today in order to get our face up front in the digital world. It marks a true identity, a home for online businesses. But in order to be noticed by the right audience, it is also important to have a website that stands out.

It may cost you thousands of dollars if you are to design a website, especially if it’s not your forte. It is because we all want that something special that doesn’t come easy, otherwise everyone would have had it, right? But that something special doesn’t always have to be an expensive choice.

There are so many DIY tools available today, basic tips and tricks to build a website that it is no more something that is out of reach. It stands true even for a non-designer. This leads everyone to online website builders. Nonetheless, something that really needs to be taken care of is that readymade templates or website builders can be monotonous. It is because a lot many people are already considering that. So what can you really do that is quite different?

If you want your business to have a website and you have zero knowledge on the subject, then this is where you find out all about and how to go about it. Take a look at this step by step guide to begin with.

Hosting comes first

First things first, you need a home for your site, a place where it can rest. This is what you call a website hosting. For that you need a domain name (or URL), so that visitors can actually visit your website. There are so many options available today that provide hosting services. However, you need to go with the one that is the most reliable. If you look around, you can find plans that are low-cost but they provide an absolute support and all the features that a website require. Just look for reliable sources and a name that is well-known and is established in the market.

Get hold of a CMS

After hosting comes management of the website. You need to look into the design to ensure that it looks good and is easy to manage as well. So before you go about doing that, think of a content management system (CMS) that is quite easy to use. WordPress is used by many as it is the simplest of all the CMS available to date. A reason for its popularity is that it has a huge community as well as various online tutorials that can help you get started.

But why do you need a CMS in the first place? It will enable to update the content (including text as well as images, etc.) without any coding or design principles that are quite advanced for a non-designer like yourself. All you have to do is input what you would like to showcase to the visitors and you’re done.

Ensure simplicity in design

Remember: “Less is more.” That being said, take a look at various professional-looking websites. They are pristine and as a matter of fact quite simple in their look and feel. In order to pull off a website that is neat just like that, decide upon the information that is most relevant for your visitors. This means that just convey the message that is most important and keep the rest of the information on other pages. You don’t want your site to be stocked with so much content that it would start confusing the visitors now do you?

User-friendly navigation

So the users will be needing to explore your website. To begin with, they will head to the navigation menu and navigate from there. Give them a clear menu to hover so that they can easily find their way around. The more intuitive and user-friendly it is, the better it is for your user to find what she’s looking for. Also include a workable search box to make things easier for them.

Amazing content

So content is still king, period. Good content goes with great-looking websites because it helps businesses to grow. A relevant, precise and lucid copy that is easily understood, catchy headlines that are real-time head-turners, use appealing images but don’t go overboard with them. But above all, make sure that none of it accounts for longer page load times. That could be frustrating for the user.

Infuse SEO

Search engine optimization is important. That is how your website ranks on any search engine. If you want to be found, search engine is the first place that you would like to put yourself up to. Think about the keywords, the plugins or simply hiring a web design company that will get your business website to land on the first few pages.

Provide contact information

Regardless of the information that you put up on the web, in the end all we need is business and that can come only if you have provided clear contact information. Okay, so maybe everybody knows this fact but what most people are unaware of that you also need to make sure that you make it easy for the visitors to contact you. So make a stunning ‘Contact Us’ page to set the right impression and put it up on navigation. Also include a very precise version of the information in the website footer.

Make notes of these ideas and lead the web design process from inception all the way to its end. So plan in advance, hire the right people for the job and create a website that is stunning and fully functional in every way!