How to Build a Killer Website on a Budget

In the modern age of technology, every business, brand and franchise needs a killer website. This central hub allows you to harness the promotional power of the internet and reach a wider audience than could ever be possible in the physical world. However, for small businesses and start-ups, getting the capital together to build a website that will live up to the needs and quality of your brand can be tricky. More elements go into a successful site than simply an attractive design. This guide covers five key aspects of perfecting your online domain that will help you take your company to the next level.  

1. Concept

Obviously, when building a website, the most important thing is to have a strong concept. You have to ensure your site will add value to the internet as a whole so users have a reason to visit and even more reason to stay. If your online endeavors are surrounding blogging, then you have a clear concept to work with, but if you're promoting a business, service or product, then you have to get somewhat more creative. Unfortunately, just marketing is not a good enough reason to have a website. No one will invest time and money into a webpage that only tries to sell. It has to have its own unique function that will entice visitors. For example, if you’re selling a product, why not make a product review website? If you’re marketing your photography, then why not create a site that offers online tutorials? Identifying your niche and finding ways to snag the interest of your target audience is the essential first step.   

2. Design

Once you've solidified an idea for your webpage, it’s time to think about design. Humans are visual creatures, so the aesthetic of your site needs to speak just as loudly as the content you will create. Choices to be made here include color, font and images. All of these things are critical in creating a feel and mood for your site and, therefore, attracting the right type of viewers who will invest in your company and return again and again. If you’re struggling to come up with an appropriate design concept, then here are some points to consider:

• Color. Colors are highly emotive. Consider the theme of your site and choose a palette to match.
• Font. Different fonts communicate different emotions and feelings. Consider the difference between a flowing script font and a hard, sharp one—which is more appropriate to represent your brand?
• Theme. What do you want the focal point to be? Do you want more focus on the pictures or the words? Which pages need to stand out most? Pick a theme that fulfills all of these requirements.
• Photos. Photos are one of the strongest forms of nonverbal communication. Each picture you use on your site will convey a message, and it’s important each one is cohesive to the overall image. If you're using stock photos, sticking to one resource is a good way to ensure continuity.

 Many great hosting platforms, such as WordPress.com and Shopify, will take care of the design for no charge if you’re trying to keep the costs low. However, if you want more freedom to customize layouts, then there is a small investment required. This payment also covers the cost of hosting, so it could actually be a saving in the long run.   

3. Content

Once you’ve established an overall concept and design, the next element to consider is content. For a successful website, it’s essential to post regularly. Even if you want a static site, it is wise to set up a blogging section. Doing this means you can continually attract attention to your webpage. By focusing on articles around your niche, you can target the visitors you are getting to the people you actually want to see your brand. It can quickly become extremely time-consuming to write your own posts, as it’s recommended to put out content at least once a day, so you may find this is another point that forces some expenditure. However, with low-rate freelance sites, such as Fiverr, you can find workers who won’t break your budget and will be able to deliver content that will be invaluable for marketing your company or brand.   

4. Security

If you are dedicated to creating and maintaining a successful website that will help grow your business exponentially, then security is an element that is essential to consider. Online attacks are increasingly common, and if a large amount your business is based on the web, then you need to take steps to secure yourself. It’s essential to start with good personal security, which means having a comprehensive security suite running on the machine you use most often. It’s also paramount to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) when on the go, as public WiFi provides the greatest risk to online security.  This article explains how a VPN works in order to tackle this problem. There are also many website-specific practices you can employ to stay safe. For WordPress users, there are numerous plug-ins available for little to no cost. These include dedicated anti-virus, two-step authentication, malware alerts and much, much, more.   

5. Marketing

Finally, no matter how well you create your website, how beautiful your theme is or how relevant your content, if you fail to use the available channels to get your webpage out into the world, it will never bring you the success you’re looking for. For those on a budget, social media is most definitely one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal. Almost all platforms are free to set up an account, so the only costs you will incur will be optional. However, there are opportunities to promote your posts to a wider audience for a small fee. If not, by simply being active on social media and utilizing platform-specific tactics such as hashtags and shares, you can significantly increase the traffic to your site and help market your business endeavors.  Building a killer website isn't something that's reserved for the wealthiest of business owners. There are many great tools and platforms that can provide you with low-cost ways to market your company online. By following these five points, you can cover all the major bases to ensure your website is a thriving success. Be sure to leave a comment below if you have any more tips to add to the list!