Going to a webdesign company near me and designing and developing a custom WordPress website for your business. That sounds a little intimidating. Maybe you just have a small business, and want to have a website. You heard you could make a website for free, and wonder why someone would pay for what they could do themselves? Great question. Another great question is “What is the process that happens when you are working with a company to build a custom website? Let’s get to answering both of those questions.
Why I shouldn’t build my own website
You sure can build your own website. Many people do and it works out ok. Just know that there are limits to what you can build with those free websites, and to have a website built that has a nice contemporary look, does everything you want it to do and is a great experience to navigate for your clients can get a little tricky. My dad always used to say “Never ask a barber if you need a haircut” but I really believe that every business today needs a website, and every website should be designed and developed by a professional. Here’s four reasons why:
- You need a website for your business. The vast majority of customers looking for any services or product these days first turn to the internet for their search. The internet is how business is done these days, and if you don’t have a website, you are missing out on business, plain and simple.
- You need a good website that works well, looks good and is easy to use. Because the internet and your website is the first place your customers will first interact with you, your website should look, feel and interact with your clients as seamlessly, smoothly and professionally as possible.
- You need a website that loads fast. Customers also want to have the website load fast and look good on a mobile device. A professional web developer can optimize for page speed and mobile.
- You need a website that will rank in web searches. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is very important to any website. You want your website to be found on search engines. There are things that a professional website designer can do that will help your website be high in the search results page. Things like Meta tags, sitemaps and Robot txt. Are behind-the-scenes things that Google looks for, and a pro will know how to optimize.
A custom WordPress website allows you to create a unique online presence for your business or personal brand. In this article, we will discuss the process for developing a custom WordPress website.
This is the long description of the process for developing a custom website. If you are busy (and who isn’t!) and want the short version, scroll down to the heading “Here’s the Shorter Version” for the nuts and bolts.
The Detailed Version of Developing a Custom WordPress Website
Step 1: Define the purpose and goals of your website
The first step in developing a custom WordPress website is to go to a web design company near you. They will help you define the purpose and goals of your website. What do you want your website to achieve? What type of content do you want to include on your website? Who is your target audience? These questions will help you create a clear vision for your website.
Step 2: Choose a domain name and hosting provider
After defining the purpose and goals of your website, you need to choose a domain name and hosting provider. Your domain name should be short, memorable, and easy to spell. Your hosting provider should provide reliable hosting with good uptime, fast load times, and excellent customer support.
Step 3: Install WordPress
The next step is to install WordPress on your hosting server. This process is usually straightforward, and most hosting providers offer a one-click installation option. Once WordPress is installed, you can log in to the WordPress dashboard and start customizing your website.
Step 4: Choose a theme
WordPress themes determine the look and feel of your website. There are thousands of free and premium WordPress themes available, so it’s important to choose a theme that fits your website’s purpose and goals. You can browse and install themes from the WordPress theme repository or purchase premium themes from third-party marketplaces.
Step 5: Install plugins
WordPress plugins extend the functionality of your website. There are thousands of free and premium plugins available for WordPress. It’s important to choose plugins that are reliable, regularly updated, and compatible with your WordPress theme.
Step 6: Customize your website
Once you have chosen a theme and installed plugins, you can start customizing your website. You can add pages, posts, and media to your website. You can also customize the theme’s colors, fonts, and layout to match your brand’s style.
Step 7: Test and optimize your website
After customizing your website, it’s important to test your website’s performance and optimize it for search engines. You can use tools like Google Analytics and PageSpeed Insights to measure your website’s speed and performance. You can also optimize your website’s content and metadata for search engines.
Step 8: Launch your website
Once you have tested and optimized your website, you can launch your website. You can promote your website on social media, email newsletters, and other marketing channels to drive traffic to your website.
The Shorter Version
No where in the detailed version did I mention just how fun it is to be a part of the creation of your own, one-of-a-kind custom website! It is exciting, and creative, and fun and satisfying.
When you go to a web design company near you, there are basically three steps you will follow:
- Design
- Develop
- Launch
In the design phase, our team meets with you and discusses what you want out of the website, what the main goals are. Lead generation? E-Commerce? We will also ask a lot of questions about your style, your brand, your message and your mission and vision. Then, you have to give us about a week or two. During that week, we will look at color palettes and font pairings. We will look at the design and layout of the website, to make sure the UX (user experience) and the UI (user interface) are seamless, easy to understand, enjoyable and easy to navigate.
After a week or two, we will have another meeting. This one is exciting because you get to see your vision brought to life for the first time. Once we make any edits and get approval, we start to build.
This part takes some time, perhaps a month or more depending on the complexity of the website and how quickly you can give us, or we can develop content. Lastly, we go through a revision process, then when it’s ready, we launch your beautiful new website out into the world. That’s it! Pretty painless, and lots of fun to do!
We believe that you should go to a web design company near you if you are thinking about designing and developing a custom WordPress website. This process requires planning, research, and execution. We hope that this article has demystified the process a little, and that you are thinking about taking the leap and either creating a brand new website, or updating your old one. If you are, please consider using the best web design company near you, 212 Creative, LLC. Give us a call. Let’s begin!