Designing a great website can take a lot of work and even some trial and error to figure out the best practices. Website design has come a long way over the past decade and some of the standards and expected features that we have nowadays are completely different to what was considered the norm in the past. In short, web design is something that constantly changes so it’s difficult to pinpoint the most important factors and features to consider.

However, there are some extremely important fundamentals that every business website should be focusing on if they want to draw in a large audience. So here are 15 of those big factors and how they can transform your website for the better.

1. Your website must have a purpose

Firstly, make sure your website actually has a purpose. “Business website” is a vague term that can mean anything from an eCommerce website that offers online products to a simple contact page that explains what your services are. If you don’t have a purpose, then it’s hard to make other decisions involving your business website.

2. Choosing a suitable domain name

Domain names are extremely important. If yours is not memorable or related to your business’s name, then people are going to have a hard time remembering or finding your website. Make it something simple, relevant to your business (such as having your brand’s name in it) and make sure the domain extension is suitable for your region or purposes.

3. Having a reliable host

A reliable host ensures that your website can stay online and be accessed around the world. If you don’t have a reliable host, then there’s a good chance your website will go down at random times which prevents access. It could also cause security-related problems and there’s even a chance that you could lose your data if there is no reliable backup or storage system. A reliable host gives you peace of mind knowing that your website will be up 99.9% of the time.

4. Choosing backend services

Backend services can also help you manage your business website. This includes content management systems to post news updates or an easy-to-use system for adding new products to your store and an automated on-line checkout system for customers to buy your products. Backend services essentially form the backbone of your business website and it’s extremely important to learn how it works.

5. Building a website for demand

Customers have different demands and expectations of brands, so it’s important to consider what your audience wants and how you can appeal to their needs. Listen to feedback, understand what their demands are, and find ways to offer them the content and services that they want.

6. Understanding how to get noticed

Getting noticed usually involves search engine optimization, but you can also focus on areas such as lead generation, pay-per-click marketing and even social media. With so many ways to spread your brand, it’s vital that you try new things and reach out to multiple different platforms.

7. Creating content that your audience cares about

Content is important if you want people to care about your website. Articles about the industry or your products are always welcome, product descriptions are extremely important, and relevant photographs are a must.

8. Branding your website

Whether you’re thinking of having a custom eCommerce web design or plan to use a template for now, you have to think about how you want to brand your website to make it unique, personalized, and recognizable.

9. Adding necessary functionality

There are a number of functions that your audience may deem as necessities for your website. For example, if you plan to sell products then having a login page to access current and past orders is helpful.

10. Improving usability

Usability means improving the overall user experience. This can include improving the navigation of your website so things are easier to find, or it could mean making buttons large so that mobile users have an easy time clicking links.

11. Consider adding a business blog

Having a business blog can be a great idea for marketing, discussing the industry, or even just talking about your latest products and services. It’s also a great way to engage your audience and accept feedback which can be helpful in the long run.

12. Making it shareable on social media

Sharing widgets and social media integration can make it easy to spread your presence over the internet. Place sharing icons on product pages so that people can share the products they find on your website.

13. Compatibility with different browsers and devices

It’s vital that you build your website with different browsers and devices in mind. Responsive design is a good option here as it automatically adjusts to the size and type of browser, but you should also consider testing on a variety of devices to ensure that your website looks and feels as you intended it to.

14. Security considerations to keep in mind

Security is also a major concern when it comes to designing a business website, especially if you plan to store user data and information such as having an account system. You need to find ways to protect your infrastructure, but luckily, this is mostly handled by the web host itself. Regardless, it’s a good idea to focus on improving your overall security to give you and your customers peace of mind.

15. Tracking analytics

Lastly, we can’t forget about analytics tracking to help better understand user behaviors and how you can improve your website to make it more appealing to your audience. The better you understand how your audience uses your website, the easier it will be to make improvements in the future.