10 things you need to know before paying for web design and web development services

In a world where having a website for your business is mandatory, it’s not difficult to find somebody to do this for you. You can find freelancers and web agencies at every step, ready to jump on you and to offer services with many 0s at the end.

Or maybe you choose to create one by yourself, with the help of web builders. But how do you know what plan to choose, what options do you need? If you decided to work with a freelancer or a web agency. I’m sure it was an effort to understand that long and gibberish proposal. Hosting, domain names, security, mobile-friendly, and many more, there are so many things you need to take into consideration when you want a website for your business.

To make your life easier and understand how a website works, I made a list of 10 things you need to know before paying for web design and development services.

1. Planning is vital

You need to know that having a website doesn’t guarantee you anything. You can spend thousands of dollars on web design, and web development services, but if those are not made with a good plan in front, your website will be like millions of other websites on the internet that do not attract any visitors at all.

2. The purpose of your website

Why do you need a website? Ok, to have an online presence, but beyond this? What do you expect from your website visitors? A sale, leads, subscriptions? Maybe you want to educate prospects on what you do and your business values. Anyway, the purpose of your website needs to be clear before the web design, and web development process starts.

3. Choosing a domain name

When you want to visit a website, you either follow a link or tape some words without spaces in the URL box from the top of your browser. Those words represent the name of your website, always known as the domain name. Your domain name should reflect your business name, but at the same time, you need to keep your domain short, easy to pronounce and spell. If you are struggling to find a domain name for your business, check out this domain name generator(https://domainwheel.com/) and play with it. You will be amazed at how helpful it is.

4. Hosting

Now that you have a domain name, your website needs a place to store its data. This place is named hosting. There is a lot to discuss hosting, but the most important thing you need to know is the two types of hosting: shared hosting and dedicated hosting. With shared hosting, your website lives alongside others websites, which utilize the same server. It’s ideal for small businesses being a cost-effective option. With dedicated hosting, your website has a server all to itself resulting in more robust website performance.

5. Functionality

Before paying for web design, and web development, you need to know the functionalities your website needs. Whether we are talking about a contact form, social media buttons, payment, or schedule integration, don’t forget about your website purpose defined at one.

6. You want responsive

For the past years, most people are browsing the Internet on their smartphones. A responsive design means that all your website content is mobile-friendly and will automatically re-size to fit any screen on which is viewed.

7. Content

With great functionalities and a responsive website, you need engaging content. If you think you are not able to create good content by yourself, there are plenty of copywriters who would tell the story of your business in an original and relevant way.

8. Search Engine Optimization

As the name is saying, SEO helps your website to be found on the Internet. What’s the purpose of having a good website if you don’t have any visitors? Create good and original content within your niche or hire an SEO specialist, but don’t neglect the aspects of search optimization.

9. Maintenance

The process of keeping your website updated, secured, and healthy is called website maintenance. It is an essential process to provide a great experience for your website visitors. There are several tasks included in website maintenance that need to be done weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly. Although you might be tempted to skip this part, don’t underestimate the power of website maintenance.

10. Analytics

If you don’t know yet, Analytics is a great tool provided by Google that allows you to monitor your website traffic and its provenience. The great news is that it’s free and every business owner should use it. Once you have a website that generates traffic, you will be able to improve your visitor’s experience more efficient.

Now that you have the main factors about how a website works, you will be able to understand better what are you paying for, or, why not, to start creating your business website by yourself. Once your website is up and running, don’t forget about Google Analytics and regular maintenance.

Here at Web Dev and Media, we help small business owners to create a great online presence. From web design and web development services to SEO and marketing strategies, we are here to make your life easier. If you think you need our help, please contact us.