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Are you currently looking for a host and website builder? It’s important to not just jump into a contract with the first one you find. Instead, invest some time into researching which website builder is right for you. Whether you are a small business, artist, eCommerce startup, or looking to enter the world of blogging there are some questions you need to ask before making your choice.
Purpose of Your Website
Why do you need a website? Are you looking to begin online marketing of a product or service? Do you have a specific niche in mind? Various website builders specialize in specific niches. A recipe blog will look and feel significantly different from a comic book store. Their markets are different as well as their layout.
Know your competitors, search out their online presence and who they use to host and build their websites. What does the quality of your competitors’ sites look like and are they hitting the goals you wish to hit? This is a great way to begin researching the knowledge of various hosts and website builders.
By knowing your target market, your competitions online presence, and which website builders cater to certain niches you will be well ahead of the competition before you even begin.
Web Design
Quality web design is essential. Your website needs to have the same quality you would put into curb appeal for a brick and mortar store. The use of color, content layout, images, and headers all play into the audiences’ experience. You can get some valuable tips on how to build a website from WebsitePlanet.com.
Find out whether or not the website builder is user-friendly. Do they offer website marketing/SEO themed plugins and compatibility? Are they mobile-friendly or responsive in their designs? Knowing the answers to this will play into your long-time audience. The simpler it is to access your website across various devices and the better your SEO is the more success you will find online. Know the importance of this before you even begin and you will save yourself a great deal of trouble down the road.
Tech Help
As you read customer reviews and sales pitches look for accessibility of help. How does the host respond in crisis? If your site suddenly crashes are they available 24/7 to get it back up and running? You should not have to learn HTML. This is something that is done for you. Instead look for programs where it is user-friendly and easy to insert content. Find out what their customer retention is like. Ask on forums and from friends what services they have tried and whether they have found success or frustration. Do not get stuck in the back-door coding of a site, you have enough to do in creating content and providing relevant content. The purpose of a host and website builder is to free you up to do what you are good at.
Read comprehensive reviews before choosing your host and website builder. Do the research ahead of time to avoid future headaches and frustration. A little preemptive work will go a long way towards your success.