Now you’ve got your domain name, you just need web hosting to house your website and get in front of your audience!

Note that this guide is for WordPress websites. Services like Squarespace offer hosting as part of their package so you won’t need to get hosting separately.

WordPress is a hugely popular platform to build your website on. It’s free to use and is versatile. I recommend it because a WordPress website is flexible enough to grow with you as you scale your business. 

Think of WordPress as the frame you build your website on. You need to place that frame somewhere people can see it. That’s where web hosting comes in. A hosting provider offers digital real estate for you to house your website.

*This post contains affiliate links for tools and resources that I have tried, used, and love. Click here for my full disclosure statement. Thanks for your support!

Choosing WordPress hosting

My clients get premium managed WordPress hosting through Flywheel as part of the services I offer. This means they get lightning-fast, secure websites that can handle higher traffic, and don’t have to worry about any of the upkeep that comes with a WordPress site. I take care of all the technical stuff for them.

If you’re working with a web designer, ask them if they offer web hosting services. This option is usually the priciest. It’s ideal if you want someone else to take care of the techy side of your website needs so that you can focus on other aspects of running your business.

Another option is to take care of your own hosting through Flywheel or Siteground. Both companies offer managed WordPress hosting and have excellent customer service – check out the reviews on their websites! This is a great option if you want to be more involved in this aspect of running your website, but want a great support team who has your back.

On the other hand, you may be just starting out and want to prioritize keeping your costs as low as possible until you know your business is viable. 

In that case, Bluehost is a popular option and offers a free domain name along with hosting services. I find this is also the most complex option in terms of setting things up. However, if you just need something quick and basic without worrying about the backend, it’s a learning curve that you can manage.

All three hosting providers mentioned above offer a free SSL certificate to keep your website secure (as should any other reputable hosting provider).

In most cases, I recommend getting managed WordPress hosting instead of shared hosting for optimum website performance.

If you’re new to this and can’t decide, just pick one host for the shortest term possible (usually a year) so that you can get your website online. Once you’ve used it for a while, you’ll have a better idea of what you and your business need. At that point, you can reevaluate your options and migrate to another hosting provider if necessary. 

Trying to choose a web host can be overwhelming, especially when you’re first starting out. I hope this guide makes your choice a little simpler!

Haven’t picked up your domain name yet? Here’s my simple guide that walks you through registering your first domain, step by step.

The post How to choose web hosting appeared first on The Designist Studio.

You figured out what you want to name your new business and you’re ready to build your first website! Now what? You’ll need to buy a domain name and get hosting. Time to see if the domain name you want is available, and snag it for yourself! 

To do that, you’ll have to get the name you want at a domain name registrar. The registrar then registers your domain name with ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), after which you officially own the domain. 

Technically, you’re registering your domain name for a set period of time. You can’t buy it and then own it for life, but will have to renew your registration periodically. 

You can register domain names whenever you like, even if you don’t have a website or hosting yet. Good domain names tend to be taken fast, so I’d suggest doing it sooner rather than later!

Read on for the quick guide on how to register your domain name and some tips and advice for a smoother process.

*This post contains affiliate links for tools and resources that I have tried, used, and love. Click here for my full disclosure statement. Thanks for your support!

Buy your domain name: a step-by-step guide

1. Visit a domain registrar to first check if your domain name is available. 

I use Domain.com and find it really easy to manage, and that’s what I used in the screenshots below. However, the process will be very similar with other registrars.

Alternatively, if you are planning to use Bluehost for your hosting needs, you can get a free domain from them for a year.

Search your preferred domain name to see if it’s available.

2. If your choice is available, it will be automatically added to your cart. You might be shown recommendations for similar domain names to “secure your brand”, so to speak.

Some businesses opt to purchase domain names that reflect common misspellings so that they can redirect that traffic to the correct site. Others buy similar names or multiple TLDs (top level domains, otherwise known as domain extensions) to avoid sharing similar domain names with other businesses.

In most cases, this is probably overkill and you won’t have to worry about it.

You have a couple of options if your domain name is unavailable. There are ways to pursue a domain name that someone else has purchased, which I won’t get into here as most people aren’t interested in the hassle involved.

You can try searching a different domain name to find one that is available. Alternatively, you can try a variation with a different TLD. 

Domain.com makes it easy for you by offering a list of available suggestions that include TLD variations as well as variations on the full name, with corresponding one-year pricing.

So for example, if creativepursuits.com isn’t available, explore your options like creativepursuits.design, .tech, or creativebusiness.com. (I know they’re not great examples, I’m just trying to illustrate my point!)

If you’re picking a different TLD from the list of suggestions then you can go ahead and add your domain name choice to the cart!

3. You can’t purchase a domain for life. Instead, most registrars will offer it for a number of years.

If you’re concerned about forgetting to renew your purchase, you can purchase your domain name for a longer period of time OR just enable reminders and auto-billing to ensure your site suddenly doesn’t have an address. 

Pick the length of time you want to purchase the domain name for, select any add-ons you want, then make your purchase!

4. Your registrar will send you information confirming your purchase and your login credentials to manage your domain.

Things to consider when buying a domain

Choosing a domain registrar

You don’t have to buy your domain name from the same place that you get your hosting.

In fact, I encourage getting your domain name and hosting services from separate companies. This way, if you decide you want to switch hosting services later, you can do it easily without worrying about having to move your domain name as well.

Choosing a domain name and TLD

Your TLD is the last part of your domain name, most popularly the “.com”. 

.com URLs are popular and easy for others to remember, so it tends to be first choice for most people. Also, smartphone keyboards have a dedicated ‘.com’ key which makes it easier to type in a website address, so it’s a smart move to make your visitors’ lives a little easier.

However, if it makes sense for your business, then go ahead and choose something like .space, .me, or .design! 

You can expect most .com domains to cost around $15 per year, though it could be less or more (sometimes significantly more). Pricing for non-‘.com’ TLDs can really vary.

Try to keep your website address short and simple. Type it out the way it would look in a browser address bar with no spaces and show it to a couple of friends to make sure it reads the way you want. 

To make it more search engine-friendly, use your brand name and/or keywords in the domain name. 

Choosing add-ons: privacy protection

ICANN requires that you provide accurate contact information. (You’ll want to make sure to update this with your registrar if you change your address.) 

If you have concerns about your address being listed with your domain purchase, you’ll want to include privacy registration (WHOIS Protection) in your purchase.

It will be offered as an option before you check out. Namecheap even offers it for free. You will have to renew privacy protection when you renew your domain.

Alternatively, use a postal box address if you’d rather not register your domain name using your private address.

Choosing add-ons: SSL certificate

You will want an SSL certificate, but most reputable registrars now offer basic SSL for free. An SSL cert keeps your website safe to browse and helps you rank in search engine results – secure sites are better for business!

Unless you handle sensitive information like credit card numbers on your website, a basic SSL certificate should suffice and will help keep visitors to your site safe. In the event that you do start processing information that needs to be secured, you can easily upgrade to a premium SSL certificate.

When enabled, it will show in your URL as the ‘s’ in “HTTPS” and visitors will know that your website is secure as a padlock icon will show next to the URL in your browser window. In fact, some browsers won’t even open unsecure sites, so don’t skip this!

Choosing add-ons: email registration

Some domain registrars offer email registration so that your email address looks professional and reflects your business. If you aren’t sure whether you need this yet, you can skip it for now and upgrade later.

And that’s it, simple and easy! Ready to buy hosting and get your website online? Here’s my (very) simple guide to choosing a web host based on your current priorities.

The post How to buy a domain name appeared first on The Designist Studio.

Responsive web design is a huge topic and can get quite technical, so I want to focus on a few things that you can start improving as soon as possible.

Look at your site header, footer, sidebars, and overall content when you’re designing a responsive website, but don’t forget these seven elements that will help you convert!

1. Navigation

Can visitors to your website easily find their way around? This is an important element of any responsive website that hopes to turn potential customers into paying clients. Plan your site navigation carefully. The more complex your menu is, the less likely potential customers will see the rest of your website.

Sticky menus (menus that stay at the top of the screen as you scroll) might seem cool, but so many websites obscure their content with these. I recently visited a local retailer’s e-commerce website hoping to do some shopping. The menu took up about 30% of my desktop screen (I measured) and blocked out product images. I left the site in frustration. This would have been just as frustrating, if not more, on a mobile device. 

My recommendation? If you must keep your sticky menu, leave it for larger screens but use another option for smaller mobile device screens.

Dropdown menus are going to add another layer of complexity if there isn’t a hover option on mobile devices. If dropdown menus are important to you, save them for larger screens. On smaller screens, show all menu items so that visitors see them all at a glance.

2. Logo(s)

If you have designed your brand’s visual identity, you’re probably familiar with the idea of a primary logo and a secondary one to complement it.

The secondary logo is usually a simplified or stripped down version of the primary one. It’s designed to fit smaller spaces and contexts, whether digitally or in print. Some brands don’t stop at two and design a whole logo set to fit a variety of contexts and environments, from massive billboards and jumbotrons to tiny social media profile pics. 

This really cool site by Joe Harrison shows you how some big brands incorporate responsive logos. Resize your browser window to see them morph!

3. Padding & White Space

Responsive design usually involves shifting elements around. For example, you might have a single column of content on a mobile phone but two columns and a sidebar for a desktop screen. 

However, you want to make sure that you maintain some breathing room for your content. This way, the page looks visually more appealing and things won’t feel too crowded.

When you give content space to breathe, it helps your audience focus on what matters. Your audience won’t get distracted by visual clutter and is more likely to engage with your content, whether they’re using a smartphone or a large desktop computer.

4. Typography

Typography can be a wonderful way to express your brand visually and keep things cohesive. Just remember to check if it’s legible on smaller devices.

The more complex a font is, the harder it can be to read, so make sure it’s easy to read on various devices and don’t make your font size too small!

5. Pop-ups

I’m not a fan of pop-ups – they’re so often poorly executed – but pop-ups are a popular tool to get website visitors to sign up for newsletters, download freebies, or receive exclusive offers.

If you use a pop-up, check to see that the whole box is visible on different screen sizes. Make sure the close or “X” button is visible and works on any device, and that the styling doesn’t get mangled on some screen sizes.

6. Forms

When used effectively, contact and opt-in forms can help you generate leads and help convert viewers. Like popups, any forms you use on your website should also be tested on various screen sizes.

Check that the form looks good on smaller screen sizes, that all elements function well (drop down menus drop down, check boxes are checked off) and stack form fields vertically if they’re too narrow on mobile screens.

7. Calls to Action

Your calls to action are a major deciding factor on whether a website visitor turns into a potential customer. Display your CTAs prominently on all screen sizes and make sure the text is always legible!

Tip: If you have a CTA that says something like “Contact Us”, try changing it to “Call Now!” on mobile phones – and make sure your phone number is included!

Resources

1. Responsive logos: Check out these famous logos designed for different viewing contexts! Just resize your browser to watch them shift in response.
2. Inspiration: Examples of some great responsive websites at Codrops.

The post 7 responsive features to improve your customers’ website experience appeared first on The Designist Studio.

If you use a website to grow your business, or you’re thinking about investing in one, and you haven’t heard the term “responsive design”, this post is for you. Responsive design is going to change the way visitors to your website engage with your business.

What is responsive design?

Responsive design is basically web design that optimizes your users’ experience based on their device’s screen size and orientation (as in which way they’re holding their device – portrait/landscape).

This means you can look at the same website or app on an Android phone, an iPad, a laptop, or desktop computer, and – it doesn’t have to look exactly the same – but will look good and function well on any of those devices.

88% of users will stop engaging with web content if it doesn’t display well on the device they are using. 

Ideally, responsive design allows us to use the functions on a website intuitively. You should be able to see everything comfortably without pinching or zooming or scrolling from side to side to see everything on the screen, click a button or use a feature.

Why responsive design matters

Implementing responsive design can increase traffic to your site, improve customer satisfaction, and grow conversion rates. On the other hand, unresponsive design could cause visitor frustration and cost you potential customers.

61% of users won’t return to a site on mobile if they had trouble accessing it and 40% will visit a competitor’s site instead!

Responsive websites generally load faster. Even one second can make all the difference for a mobile user, so a faster load time keeps potential customers on your website instead of looking for an alternative.

Bonus: you improve your search engine rankings with faster speeds! Keep in mind also that Google prioritizes responsive sites in search results.

If your users have a positive experience on your mobile site, they are significantly more likely to buy a product or service.

70% of users have abandoned their shopping carts because of a poor experience BUT 90% of smartphone users say they’d continue to shop at a particular site if they have a good user experience.

Responsive design is also cost-effective for you because it future-proofs your website. With more devices on the market being introduced constantly, a responsive website ensures your online presence looks good and works well no matter the device and minimizes any adjustments you might have to make later. 

How do I design a website that is responsive?

1. Define your website’s goal

Identify what you want your visitors to get out of their website experience, whether that’s information, a purchase, or something else entirely. Then make sure your website allows your visitor to do just that, regardless of the device they’re using. 

Test your website on different devices to confirm that your design and layout works, or use a tool that allows you to compare how your site looks on different screens and orientations. (I’ve included a nifty tool in the resources section below.)

2. Understand your users

Whether you’re hiring a web designer or building your own website, it’s essential to try to understand how your visitors will be using your website. 

Will they be booking an appointment on their mobile phone? Pre-shopping on their smartphone and then making purchases on their laptop? Or are they looking for detailed information about a service or product you offer? 

You may want to offer different things to users based on the device they use. Clearly define how you want users to interact with your site and ensure your design caters to that objective.

If you already have a website, an analytics tool can help you optimize your website based on actual user behaviour rather than guesswork. (Check the resources list for a couple of options.)

3. Design your website with a mobile-first approach

Since mobile traffic makes up at least 60% of all internet traffic, take a mobile-first approach when designing your website.

Prioritize your content, images, and features for mobile devices. Remove anything that is unnecessary on a smaller screen. Keep your forms simple and reduce the number of fields to fill out.

How does your site look on a mobile phone versus on a laptop? Do you find yourself having to scroll horizontally on a smaller screen? Are you zooming in to read the text? What can you do to make your website simpler for visitors to navigate and use on mobile devices?

Think about touch screens and how people use them. Are your buttons too small or too close together for the average user’s fingers? Is your call-to-action button too far away from a user’s thumb, forcing them to stretch or switch how they are holding their mobile phone to click on it?

Responsive design can get pretty technical, but it’s something you should definitely be thinking about if you want to ensure your digital presence is drawing traffic, satisfying customers, and generating sales. 

If you’re feeling uncertain about your website and how to make it more responsive, send me a message and I’ll be happy to answer your questions!

Resources

1. Resizer by Google Design: There are different ways to check your website responsiveness (including browser tools) but here’s an easy one. Just pop in your website address to see what it looks like on different devices and in different orientations. Or try it out with other websites to learn what they are doing.
2. Analytics tools to help understand your users and how they engage (or don’t) with your website: Google Analytics, Matomo.

The post Why is responsive design important for your small business website? appeared first on The Designist Studio.

So you’ve decided that having a website is a good investment in your business. Your website is the first digital impression you will probably have on most potential customers. You want to make sure it’s a great one! But how do you do that?

Some factors of a great website are universal, regardless of the industry or field you are in. Even if you have a brilliant business model, great products and services, and excellent customer service, a website that functions poorly won’t convert customers, which means you might miss out on significant sales. 

First of all, let me get one thing out of the way. If you already have a website, that’s a HUGE step. You have established your business presence online and increased your credibility, can stay open to customers at all times, and grow your business. 

(If you don’t have a website yet, check out these 3 big reasons it’s important to get a small business website as soon as possible.)

Now, to make the most of being online, you need an impactful website. An impactful website is aesthetically pleasing, functional, and helps customers find the information they want.

Imagine walking by a store with a display window. Having the window to show product is good, but what makes it impactful is having a beautiful display that attracts attention and gives you a better idea of what the store is, what their products are, and how they can improve your life.

You want a website that converts potential customers into buying customers. Here are 6 major factors to consider if you’re about to get a new website, or need to refresh an existing one.

1. Define your website’s objective.

Your first step is to identify the purpose of your website. 

Do you want to build brand awareness, or is your goal to build your credibility as an industry expert? Do you want to generate more leads? Are you trying to sell a product or service directly through the site? 

Once you identify your purpose, you can design your website around it so that it gets you the results you want. Identify a clear purpose, define your target audience, and include messaging with strong calls to action to get results.

2. Tie your branding into your website.

Consider your brand and implement cohesive branding throughout your website.

An on-brand website will strengthen your brand, build trust, and help increase sales. This means having a web address that reflects your business, consistent brand colours and fonts, and logo(s).

Your language and tone of voice should reflect who you are and speak directly to your target audience. 

The design and layout of your website should also speak to your brand and visitors. Consider getting web design that is tailored to your brand and business to help define you and set you apart from your competitors.

3. Make your website fast, intuitive, and easy to use.

A user-friendly site experience can make the difference between a visitor buying in or simply leaving.

Make it easy for visitors to find their way around your website. Implement simple navigation and consistent layouts so that it makes sense to your audience. 

Make sure your contact information is easily found. TIP: A simple way to make sure your contact info is present, no matter what page your visitor ends up on, is to add it to your footer.

Do you have to wait a long time for pages or images to load? Those are precious seconds in which you might lose potential customers.

Use a hosting provider that guarantees speed so that you don’t lose potential customers who get frustrated waiting for your page to load. (I personally love Flywheel for hosting, and SiteGround and WPEngine are also great!)

Load time needs to be shorter than you might expect – think 3 seconds or less! Check out the resources at the bottom of this page for a tool you can use to test your site speed and performance.

4. Get responsive web design.

Design your website with mobile devices in mind.

You’ve probably heard this a lot. More and more people browse the internet on their phones now, so your site should be optimized for viewing on those screens. 

A responsive design is pretty much the same thing as a mobile-optimized or mobile-friendly site, but ensures your website looks good on any device, whether it’s a laptop, tablet, or phone, and in horizontal or vertical format.

5. Update your website regularly with great content.

The next point tends to come as a surprise to some: post fresh, quality content, regularly.

Think about the websites that keep you going back. What is it that makes you think: “I should bookmark this site!” or “Can I subscribe to this so I don’t miss anything new?”

A blog is one way to regularly add fresh content to your site. You can also use social media integrations on your website to keep regular updates coming in.

This keeps visitors coming back for more information, resources, and even inspiration. Bonus: it also helps keep you more relevant for search engine results!

6. Incorporate good design strategy in your website.

Finally, you need a website that’s well-designed. I won’t get into design elements here, but if you’re unsure, there are a few things you should keep in mind when designing your website.

• – Keep it simple and uncluttered. Visitors should be able to find what they are looking for without getting distracted.
• – Use legible fonts that are easy on the eyes. Great copy and important information won’t be helpful if they’re difficult to read.
• – Avoid fancy features if they don’t serve their purpose – visitors are rarely as impressed by them as the person building the website!

If you are seriously thinking about a website to help you grow and stay competitive, you don’t need a flashy, expensive site.

Instead, define what you want to achieve with your website, and ensure that how it looks and what it says guides your visitors towards that goal.

Keep your branding cohesive and consistent. Pretend you’re a visitor seeing your site for the first time, and see if you can easily get information and move around smoothly on the site – on both a computer AND a cellphone!

Share information that is relevant to your target audience to establish your expertise and keep them coming back.

Finally, reassess your website regularly to keep it fresh, functional, and effective.

Resources

1. Test your website speed at Pingdom.

The post What Makes a Good Website? appeared first on The Designist Studio.

If you’re a freelancer or a small business owner, I see you. You’re busy trying to figure out the business side of things: marketing, generating leads, accounting…the list goes on.

Then there’s the thing that drives you. The reason you’re even doing all of this, whether that’s making a product or providing a service that adds value to your clients’ lives.

With everything else you have to take care of, you might not think a website is worth the time. Or maybe you don’t know where to start, and you feel overwhelmed before you even begin.

I try to keep a lot of balls in the air to run my web design business and succeed at it. Fortunately, the things I’m already good at – web design and marketing – help me spend my time and money efficiently as I grow my business. 

I’ll share with you how getting a strong website can help you grow your business too.

A website helps you build trust

Having a website gives your business instant credibility and sets you apart from your competition. This is especially true if they don’t have websites or have poorly designed sites.

Better still if you have a branded email address. (For example, you can email The Designist Studio at hello@thedesignist.studio.)

Having a well-designed website helps build trust among potential clients. The more trust someone has in you, the more likely they are to purchase what you have to offer. 

A website also offers the opportunity for you to establish yourself as a voice of authority in your industry.

Build your reputation as an expert at what you do. Add videos, podcasts, webinars, social media integrations, and other assets to your website.

Develop a positive reputation by featuring customer testimonials that further develop trust in you. 

Keep in mind: to get the most from your website, it’s important to have a clean design that is mobile-friendly and aligns with your brand. And don’t forget relevant and fresh content!

A website helps your business remain accessible after hours (or during a pandemic)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, retail sales in Canada dropped drastically. However, more people started shopping from home for products and services, and online sales have boomed. 

Businesses that were already online, and those who moved online quickly, have benefitted during a troubling time.

Increasingly, we use websites to research things we want or need. We search for solutions to problems, compare prices, and get trusted information about businesses. All this happens before we commit to spending any money.

Maybe you’re limited by pandemic restrictions or simply by your business hours. Either way, your website is a customer service representative that potential clients have access to all the time.

A website is crucial if you don’t have a physical location (or can’t open to customers). It allows you to communicate important information about your business, the products and services you offer, and how to contact you.

Use website features that allow visitors to contact you, sign up for events, schedule appointments, and purchase directly from you, even if you’re not open (or even awake).

A website will grow your business

The most important reason to have a website is that it is critical to growing your business. 

Today, having a well-designed website that is mobile-friendly and accessible will help you find new clients. It can simplify and optimize your marketing efforts, and keep customers coming back.

One of the best ways to keep attracting new clients is to be visible in search engine results. Remember that most people will look up a business or service online before they make a purchase decision. You need to be visible on Google so your dream clients can find you.

Whether you choose to build and maintain a website yourself or to invest in hiring an expert, you can keep the costs within your budget. 

Ultimately, investing in a great website will be worth all the potential clients who can now find you online. It’s also simpler and cheaper than traditional advertising. 

You can’t afford to not have a website if you want to stay competitive, find more clients, and make more money.

Getting a well-designed website for your business doesn’t have to cost a fortune. In fact, not making the investment can cost you both time and money. There has never been a better or more important time to invest in a website for you to stay competitive and grow your business.

Resources

1. Looking for insightful data on how Canadian e-commerce has evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic? I recommend checking out Statistic Canada’s article Retail e-commerce and COVID-19: How online shopping opened doors while many were closing.

The post Why does my small business need a website? appeared first on The Designist Studio.