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Sales Won't Improve Just From a Website FaceliftThe decision has been made and you’ve received a blessing from your executive team. Your website redesign initiative is a go. So where will you take it? Have you thought about utilizing a website redesign checklist?More often than not a website overhaul is just a visual re-work. Things might feel dated, out of order, or simply not come through the way you want your company to be represented. In this case, marketing departments or web designers commonly go through the motions and only give the website a superficial face lift. They’ll research the web and pick a new template, which likely looks better but doesn’t do much for your marketing beyond that. Even if you have a tight budget or small time frame, this approach is short sighted and misses out on a huge opportunity.Smart marketers will take a minute and step back to ask what more can be done in this rare moment to improve branding, user experience, and most importantly - sales. Redesigning a website provides companies with the unique chance to look at the big picture and see where improvements can be made to your entire marketing and sales process.Refining different areas of your marketing strategy or plan is most commonly done in bits and pieces throughout the year, with less consideration on the approach as a whole, but by using your website redesign as the basis for a larger marketing initiative, you can dramatically improve both the quality of the website, and your entire marketing engine.We’ve detailed 17 common myths about useless websites which are often found on those sites where teams are reactive and not proactive about making improvements. Does your website fall into any of these areas? If so, it’s probably time to take a step back and do things right.It’s worth noting that teams with limited resources or time can and should undergo this process at a high level to see where improvements can be made. Your goal might be to simply change the aesthetic of the site, but that process should be carefully considered and methodical to make sure it’s as effective as possible.So how should marketers ready to thoughtfully overhaul, and not just redesign their website go about it?Lets dive into this detailed 7 step website redesign checklist and get started. You can also download our detailed website redesign workbook for a convenient template to help you follow this step by step process.It All Starts With StrategyFirst things first. Start by consider your strategy for this process, just as you would for other aspects of your marketing plan. Why are you doing the redesign? Has it been poorly needed and just put off for months? Or maybe it’s centered around a branding change, or even a product launch? Consider here why it’s important to go through the process and what the measurable results will be afterwards like contribution to sales, better user engagement, or increased brand awareness.You should also go through the exercise of defining your company’s brand in this step. This includes your message, value proposition, and why the competition can’t compete. Even if it feels tedious this process will be extremely helpful as you develop content further in the process.Along the same lines, be sure to define your buyer persona as well. List your target audiences out in detail and think about whether these audiences might be shifting with this redesign. Consider where your branding plays a role here, as you want to make sure that’s synced up with the types of people who will be coming across your website. Many times, this is an afterthought or executives believe they know their target market inside and out. However it’s a common myth that you can’t learn more about your target as there are always more details and behaviors you can uncover. Get started developing your dynamic buyer personas with the resources here.When was the last time you took a long hard look at the competition? Well now is the time. Take a new trip to the competition’s websites and marketing programs to see what you like, don’t like, or where you can highlight your differentiation from them. Do your research and see which competitors rank well in search engines, get talked about on social, and have strong brand awareness. All of these factors are important to consider before even thinking about a design.Last but not least, benchmark your current metrics. Many times this is the catalyst for a website redesign - the desire to improve on some poor web metrics. Document what these numbers are currently, what the averages have been, the rate of improvement or decline, and any statistics that show how your site has contributed to sales. Be sure to take a look at the first tab of our redesign workbook for a complete list of benchmarks to report on.Get Your Plan on PaperIn the planning stage we can now start to consider how the website will be structured and engage users. It’s important to carefully consider what works now and what doesn’t for your visitors. Your employees may know the website inside and out, but that does not always translate to ease of use or a clear understanding when a visitor lands on it for the first time. Equally as important is connecting these desired changes to your goals.Ask yourself open-ended questions like “What first impression do I want to give my audience?” and “How trustworthy would a customer find it?” These are critical to creating your plan around how potential customers will experience your website.This is also the stage to consider the specific type of platform or content management system (CMS) you will be using. How do the benefits of your options stack up against the goals and experience you are looking to deliver? There are many options to consider when choosing the right CMS, and that process alone takes very careful consideration and debate. For a deeper dive into this topic, don’t miss our popular HubSpot COS vs. Wordpress CMS blog.You'll also want to plan it out by following these steps:Create a catalog of current content assets. Where are your strongest or most popular pieces? Which pages rank best? Is there a trend with duplicate content, and are you prepared to avoid this down the road?Create a sitemap of your ideal website architecture. Which pages will be primary and which will be secondary? How important are call to actions or lead generators and where do they need to fit in?Use your content asset catalog from earlier in this stage and develop a future content plan. Will you be keeping content, will you be getting rid of most of it, or do you just need to rewrite and bring it up to date? Plan out your call to actions based around your sitemap and past experience gathering an understanding of what resonates with your audience.Get Designing - But Skip the DetailsThe design phase is often the step that designers and web developers focus on most, especially when the other six steps described here go out the window. Hours and hours can be spent finding a color pallet or modifying a template to get the exact look you want, but in the end there tends to be little consideration on how this affects the user or relates back to your goals. This is not to say that design is not important, but after seeing so many projects start and finish with design and nothing more, it truly should be a piece of the larger process.Design can make or break a website, but are you creating a design for yourself or for your prospects? You'll want your design process to unfold in a collaborative and efficient way.Follow this proven process to keep things moving:Layout - Review wireframes of your new layout with your team and make necessary revisions. Limit these changes to 2-3 times at most.Mockups - Take these approved wireframes and develop site mockups based on the chosen design as well as your strategy and plan for user experience. Again, you’ll want to only go through the revision process up to 3 times or else risk going down the rabbit hole of just focusing on the finer details.Colors - Create a color pallet that matches your branding and products. Many teams don’t follow a formal process when doing this but it’s essential if you have a content or social media plan that needs to be branded accordingly with the website.Visuals - Have consider what type of imagery the site will be using? Do some browsing online for images that represent your brand or relate to the information you are providing.Build It OutGetting your redesigned website built and on the web can take anywhere from a few hours to many months based on the scope of the project. A lot of the time and effort required goes back to the CMS or platform you have chosen from the planning stage. Tools like HubSpot and Rainmaker make it straightforward, while Wordpress will require extra effort and development.There is a lot that can and has been said about the build and development process itself, so we won’t get into detail on all that here, but whether you are handling this stage in-house or through an outside firm, make sure it unfolds in an orderly way.The following steps can ensure a successful build:Decide which platform works best and the time frame you can expect to build it within.Finalize all your web content and visuals from the design stage.Make sure the staging and development site (if your CMS has one) is setup correctly as non-index, so search engines don’t crawl it.As the site is built, go through a continuous revision process to see how user experience actually feels compared to your planned wireframes or mockups.Optimization Is KeyThe optimize stage includes implementing many aspects of your SEO plan as well as a general review on the site details. Be sure to download our website redesign workbook for an in-depth checklist of all the elements that need to be considered here.You’ll want to do a thorough SEO review of the site in it’s new form to see where search engine optimization can be improved. This includes the sitemap and robot.txt files, clear and meaningful use of keywords, as well as implementation of the mobile version of your site. It’s a little known fact outside of the marketing and web development community that non-responsive mobile websites will actually negatively affect your search ranking, so it must be optimized before going live. You’ll also want to review your keyword approach and make sure they are focused on with your most important sites, and throughout the site in general.This is also your last time to improve on the quality of the user experience and site flow before the public gets to decide for themselves. Is the page hierarchy clear? Are the call to actions obvious and move the visitor further down the funnel? Are there elements of the site like imagery or graphics that help or hinder the website?Here's a good example from Udemy of a strong and carefully considered call to action that matches their web design.It’s wise to improve on all of these aspects now before you begin setting new benchmarks on user engagement. If you make these changes after the site goes live, you won’t be getting a clear understanding of performance indicators from the start. Some other areas to consider in this stage as they relate to SEO and getting the other elements of the site online:Review SEO basics like multi-browser capabilities, broken link checks, spelling errors especially for keywords.Shareability features like social tools and the ability to subscribe to your content.Analytics tracking installed like Google Analytics and monitoring tools like Crazy Egg or Hot Jar.Run speed tests like this tool from Pingdom to gauge whether it performs better or worse than the previous design, and where your problem areas might be.Are your redirects set up properly? Ensure that people can find your content easily even if they visit a broken link.Last but not least here you want to prepare the site for upcoming launch. This typically requires sign off from management and decision makers on all aspects of the revised website and determining a realist launch date. Often times these revisions are done in concert with new product releases or a new branding, so you will want to make that time line is synced up with the new site being available to everyone.Launch and LiftoffNow’s the time - get ready to launch your redesigned website. Murphy’s Law usually applies here for such a big change, so be sure that your support and marketing teams are ready and available to fix problems if they arise. Many teams prefer to do a soft launch or make the switch at a slow time for traffic, but this varies based on your own situation.Have you given more thought to your announcement plan? Don’t miss the chance to get the word out via email, social media, public relations, company or partner blogs, and any other means you have.Don’t forget to begin implementing your new content plan once you go live. The new company blog will be a great place to start, as you can roll out updated content there continuously and give your revamped content plan a kickstart. There’s some great advice in our detailed case study analysis of three firms who prove you’re probably doing content all wrong.Analyze and ScrutinizeA lack of focus on the final stage of this process is many times the cause of needing to do a redesign in the first place. Companies often neglect the performance - and what actions can be taken to fix that - when they are unhappy with the current state of their website. So use this opportunity to start doing a regular analysis on how well it is performing.Compare these new metrics with the benchmarks you set in the first stage when considering the strategy. Look at the numbers daily, weekly, and monthly to see overall trends. If you haven’t already, don’t miss getting our ultimate website redesign workbook for a detailed list of all the metrics you should be watching.You’ll want to see how these changes are contributing to your main goals. Has the improved layout on the homepage resulted in more people clicking your call to action? Are people spending more time on your product pages while considering their options? These are all crucial indicators or your new website’s performance as they relate to your larger goals.So are you up to the challenge? The next time your company is ready to rework their website from the ground up or even just give it a face lift, use it as a larger opportunity to improve your entire marketing engine and process. If you were revising your marketing strategy you certainly would take your time and be as thoughtful as possible in your decision making. So treat your website redesign no different since it is the core of all your activities and the face of your business online.You might also like these resources:17 Myths About Useless Websites Redesign Your Website The Right Way

So you need your own website, but you don’t know where to start? In a website builder, you can create your site, even without IT knowledge. Just select the elements you wish to have on your page and drag them where you want to.What is a WWW Website Builder?Let us start with the basics by first defining the goal of website builders. The goal is simple- to provide you with the tools necessary to help you create your own internet page in an easy and quick way, without having the need to know anything about programming language or any other IT specifics. It is designed to help you make your own site independently; for anyone who has a basic knowledge of using a computer. At the same time, it is designed for professional site builders who can add fragments of code on their own.The goal of website builders? To quickly and easily create a simple web page and make it just as easy to edit.This rule is an advantage of website builders - all the elements visible on the page are visible while editing and all changes done are in real-time. You want to change the colors, text font, layout, but you’re not certain of the end result? Adjust your changes in the editor, preview your changes, and then you can decide if you wish to save the changes made.CMS vs. website builderBefore discussing which is better, let us describe the similarities. CMS (Content Management Systems) and website builders help us publish new information on the site. Both allow, to a certain degree, editing pages for people who don’t have IT knowledge. So where do the differences lie?CMS is a system which supports the functioning of the web page. As the full name suggests, it’s main purpose is to manage page content, but not creating websites, such as web page builders, which are used to create sites from A to Z.The most important differences between CMS and Website builders are:1.The type of WWW pageThe CMS is a good solution for complex and often updated sites, f.e. blogs, info portals, social media, whereas the web builder is a better option for small to medium-sized businesses, freelancers and for portfolio presentations.2. Ease of usageManaging sites with the use of CMS is significantly more difficult than using a web builder. A person without knowledge of HTML or CSS will be able to add a new subpage or publish a new blog entry in CMS, but only just that. To implement more changes, often new plug-ins need to be installed and configured, and even this method has its limitations. In the case of the builder, an average “Internet user” will be able to not only edit, but create their own web page.3. Operating speedChanging content/layouts in web page creators isn’t only easier, but much quicker when compared to the speed of the CMS. More importantly, you do not need to constantly update the site- when changes are implemented in the builder, the site automatically updates.4. Method of page editingIn the case of CMS, changes are made in the administrative panel. Web builders, on the other hand, work on a drag-and-drop method; all changes made are in real time, so there is no need to preview the page before seeing the end result.5.Template editingBoth CMS and web builders offer us the opportunity to build our page, basing it on a template. However, in builders it is far easier to edit the templates to make them look they way we would like them to. By doing this, we can avoid having our websites looking similar to competing pages.6. AppsApps are a vital element of www pages, for they can help us expand the functionality of our sites, f.e: enable online shopping, booking a reservation, or offering coupons. In CMS, external apps need to be installed, while in we builders, apps are an integral part, or have been created by other companies in a way which enables their usage in site creators.Pages created by CMS might not have properly working apps if we do not update them. Apps in site creators are automatically updated when it’s creator’s version is updated.7. Cloud vs. In-server InstallationOnline web creators have cloud servers, where the page’s information is stored; this makes it possible to edit the page on any other device with Internet access, as well as in any place available, as long as you provide your log-in and password.With CMS, this needs to be installed, which could be troublesome for inexperienced users. You also need to decide which host to use, remember to extend its usage period and updating the CMS for your web page. In other cases, this will make your page vulnerable to hacker attacks, and also you will need to update the apps on your page, or else you will have to start your page anew.8. Tech supportCMS systems usually have only user handbooks as a point of help. If technical problems occur, hiring a web developer is a must, which is an additional cost to fix an issue. With web builders, the user can count on higher quality tech support, due to the easiness of most problems, the user is able to solve said problems on their own after receiving just a few tips.9. Susceptibility to hacker attacksPages created in web builders are less vulnerable to hacker attacks than pages created in popular CMS systems, because CMS are an “open source” platform, meaning that anyone can have access to it’s codes- making them more easy to crack.Hackers target CMS websites more often, due to the fact that they can further get access to other computers and to bigger platforms from where they can launch further attacks.Sites operating with CMS are also more difficult to update, so more money has to be spent on this issue, and not many small companies can afford the costs. With www site creators, on the other hand, if the page is not updated, the vulnerability to a hacking attack increases.Find out, what are differences between website builders and WordPress.10. PriceTheoretically, CMS systems are available free of charge, but to create a good-looking and fully operational website requires knowledge of HTML or CSS, as well as it being very time-consuming. This could be an uphill challenge for first-time web page creators.While the cost of creating a web page on a template in a CMS program isn’t costly, almost nothing can be edited in the template, but if we want the page to look professional, we have to pay a web developer or web design companies a large sum of cash.In web builders, a page created by the user can be aesthetically vastly different from its beginning template, and the cost for such extensive editing is much lower than that of using a CMS.WWW page creators are the new generation CMS systems. A properly designed website builder allows its users to create and edit it’s page in a fast, simple and intuitive manner, allowing anyone with basic Internet knowledge to use a web builder.When can I use a web builder, and when must I ask a web developer for help?If you intend on creating a big and elaborate web page that will often require frequent updates- it would be much better to relay the task to a highly experienced web developer.If you run a small business or create minor sites for other small businesses, a web builder will be a much better solution for You. The cost of creating a website will be significantly lower and you will be able to implement changes on your own.You don't want to create a website on your own? Before you choose a web designer, be sure to ask him these 10 relevant questions that will make it easier to verify that you're cooperating with a professional.For what type of business will a website builder be suited best?A www creator is the best option for those who want to run their own web page for their business without paying large amounts of money. It will be best suited for micro, small or medium sized companies, as well as for local businesses and freelancers.WWW page builders are also a great tool for web designers- with ease, they can create pages for their clients, in accordance with the needs of the clients.Examples of businesses, where a website builder would be the best solution:restaurants and cafeshotels and bed & breakfastshair salons and barber shopsbeauticians and cosmetologistsstylists and personal shoppersdoctors, physiotherapists, masseurssenior caretaker agenciescleaning and maintenance servicesconstruction and interior design companiessmall furniture companieshandymen, plumbing, electricianscar mechanicsdriver’s license preparation schoolstransport companieswedding organizersinsurance agents and financial advisorsworkplace safety serviceslaw firmsaccountantspersonal fitness coachesdance and yoga instructorslanguage schools and tutorspreschools and other centers of public educationmusical bandsfuneral parlorsphotographersvisual artists and graphic designershandicraft creatorsjournalists and content writersNon-government organizations (NGOs)and many moreTo sum it all up: website builders are a great choice for nearly any branch of micro, small and medium businesses.What should I look for when choosing a website builder?1. Available templatesLook through the available templates in the site creator of your choice. First ask yourself how You would like your page to look like and if the templates correspond to your needs. Carefully look over all available templates, and most importantly- see what kind of quality are they offering.Take notice of both the aesthetic and functional aspects of the template, as well as the availability of different functions that will be useful for the company that you’re creating the template for. Log into the creator and try to construct the page on the basis of your selected template. It is imperative that you check the results!Take a look, what types of www pages' templates are available at BOWWE website builder.Keep in mind that the template should be designed in such a way that it should invite potential clients so they decide to use your company’s services. Also, look for elements that could be used for gaining new clients: CTA button, online reservation form, a section where clients can post their opinions, or a section for portfolio presentation.The best web creators are those that focus on the benefits in which the site could bring for the company, and not only focused on design.2. Page creation technologyAs the old saying goes: “looks aren’t everything”. The same could be said in the case of page creators. Your web page must be made with the backup of the newest available technology, so it could last for a good number of years. Find out if it operates in accordance with the standards of HTML5 and CSS. A high quality HTML5 code guarantees a long-term stable functionality of the website. In addition, any programmer should not have any problems adding changes on the page, for it will be easier, if you decide to relay your request for editing your www site.Check if adding texts in a different section of the page is possible. If all the elements (pictures and texts) are outside the frame and overlap with other layers, then this means that the page was not created in accordance with basic rules for website building.Site creation in that kind of builder will have many negative outcomes in several areas (f.e. worse section positioning, lesser amount of site visits, which in turn will cause a drop in clients).3. Ease of editing and updatingEvery web builder should allow editing by drag & drop. Drag the elements over the area where you want and drop them there, edit/ delete unneeded sections or parts of sections. If the creator allows you to do these tasks with ease, then the page’s code becomes more advanced, meaning that your page will be placed higher in search engine results.The whole process of creating a web page should be simple and intuitive. It is important to see if the editor has all the sections that you would like your page to have. Check how much time it takes to add the sections, f.e. a change of the logo, publishing a new portfolio implementation or new photographs in your album, as well as adding a new blog entry or modifying address information.4. Template responsivenessYour website will not be opened only on a computer/laptop, but also on mobile devices, and it is important that your page looks good on them as well. A well-functioning creator must allow you to preview your page as it would appear on a mobile device.The best creators not only have the ability to create responsive sites, but also to edit them separately on computers, laptops, mobile phones and tablets. Check if you can open, edit and hide sections of your page on separate devices.Keep in mind that over 50% of all Internet page traffic is accessed through mobile devices, mainly mobile phones. A poorly designed and presented website can dissuade over half of those viewing it, which in turn can result in the same amount of potential client loss.5. Ability to publish a page on your own domainUsually, in a free website creator, your site is published in the builder’s domain (example: http://YourPageName.PageCreatorName.com). Check if the domain allows you to add your desired page title, and above all, how much it will cost you now and in the future (a year’s time).6. Offered hostingFind out what your creator offers you in terms of hosting, f.e: does it offer you the ability to upload your site without annoying pop-up ads? Be sure to look through everything, see if everything is clear, and if you can change your host plan to fit your needs.7. Disc spaceIt is a unit of measurement often highlighted in the creator’s offer, but in most cases this information is irrelevant. Sometimes, this information is a smokescreento conceal other specifics. Hardly any company has over 50MB of data on their www page, and a greater amount of data is a sign of insufficient optimisation.If a web builder offers f.e, an app to publish your portfolio, then this means that the app allows you to publish and you are not using up your page’s space. Unless you plan on adding hundreds of photos, videos and audio files, all your data can easily fit within 50MB.8. Ability to fill up the SEO sectionBefore you decide on a website creator, check if pages created in their domains are highly placed within search results (especially in Google). The best builders cooperate with search engines, providing webmasters with the tools for page optimisation along the lines of SEO.Make sure that you can fill out meta titles and meta descriptions for every subpage as well as including H1 and H2 headings and including ALT attributes on the pictures within your page, adding page mapping and modifying URL addresses regardless of the subpage’s title. Make sure that your page can redirect from defunct subpages to the current ones.9. Number of subpagesBefore sitting down and creating your page, first it is advised that you should plan out how many subpages your site will have and how to lay them out so everything is coherent and if visitors can find all the necessary info on your page. All of this is vital for your site to look convincing and accessible for customers.In free versions of web builders the amount of subpages could be limited. If this does not constitute a problem for you, make sure that the amount of subpages offered in the free version will be sufficient for your needs. Within versions that charge a fee, there is no limit on the number of subpages you can create, so if you plan on having a complex and big website, it is suggested that you subscribe to a paid version.It is advised that you do not duplicate the content of subpages, because this will reduce the conversion rate (a lower percentage of your page’s visitors will become clients).10. Appearance of WWW pages built in the editorShould you decide upon a web creator, it is imperative to look through pages created by the builder and see how they present themselves visually. For reference, you can look through pages created in free versions of web creators by writing in the search engine, f.e: site:.Within free web builders, it can happen that a web page will not look appealing because sometimes the people creating them cease to finish the creation or are unable to add all desired elements. However, if the vast majority of the pages created by using the free web builder do not present themselves in an aesthetically appealing manner or if they look to be unfinished, this is probably an indication that this page generator was not made with the thought of making it usable for the “everyday Internet user”.Due to this reason, several web creators have introduced templates for specific sections of the page. Just select what section you wish to have on your site (ex: Opinions, Portfolio, Products, Photo Gallery, etc.) and the web builder will give you a choice of various styles of the selected section. With one click you can confirm your choice that suits best for your page.11. Sale SupportWhile the aesthetics of your page is an important element, it is not enough to help you realize your business and marketing goals. Make sure to check if the builder contains within its offer the tools necessary for you to obtain new clients. Many builders offer you the possibility to generate your site...and that’s just about it.The best course of action would be to choose a generator and template so as to create a site designed to generate sales - even if it was created for an offline small business.Do not focus only on the visual aspect of your site. A WWW page created for a company should support sales. If the website builder of your choice does not offer this possibility, it would be for the best to look for a different one, one that will help promote your company online.Examples of sale support solutions, which could be included in WWW page generators:Opinions of real clientsPortfolioCoupons/VouchersList of productsOnline reservation formPop-ups12. Quality of serviceYou wish to create a website in the builder of your choice, but not all the details are readily understood? Are you having technical difficulties? Write to the creator’s tech support, and see if they respond adequately. Will they provide answers to all your questions? Will they guide you through solving an issue? All of this is important because if you cannot count on any help from the beginning, you probably will not receive it in the future should you encounter difficulties.13. Client’s opinionsBe sure to check what other clients are saying about different website builders. Look through opinions on internet forums. Also, you can leave a question on ex. Quora or groups on Facebook. By doing this you can find about the experiences of other users and this might help you in deciding upon a web builder. Keep in mind, however, that some comments might have been placed there as a means of promoting and marketing their own services. Another way of confirming opinions is to contact companies that have used a certain web page generator in order to ask them about their experience and level of satisfaction.14. PricingThink about your annual budget when it comes to running and compare them with the prices available in various web builders. Prices can vary greatly between different page creators, even if the services they offer are similar, their templates have a professional appearance and the level of usage is simple and intuitive.Before you decide on a payment plan, sign up for either a trial usage or a free version in different generators in order to compare their ease of creating, editing and publishing sites to see which builder gives the best end result.Some subscription costs are too high on certain creators; you can easily find an alternative one with the same features for a lower price.While analysing the prices of website builders, keep an eye on:For whom is the purchase best suited forSome purchase plans are specifically priced for small businesses, others for online stores, and others are meant for people who create www pages for profit: web designers or interactive agencies.Monthly and annual payment plansCheck which plan works best for you, compare prices and calculate everything precisely. Beware of any hidden additional costs!What is includedOftentimes, the purchase packages have very similar titles ( Basic, Mini, Premium, Business, Advanced, Pro, E-Commerce ), but their respective offers could be very different from one another.Below are examples of features that could be included in a web creator’s purchase package:publishing under your personal domaindesignated transfer limit or no transfer limitpossibility of creating multiple pagesaccess to higher quality templatesinclusion of more subpagesuploading multilingual versions of your siteuseful appssocial media integrationadding contact formsadding chats on the webpageSEO toolsanalytic tool connectivity (f.e. Google Analytics)monitoring website trafficintegration of sales with external toolsimplementing various online payment methodstech support (via email, phone, chat, 24/7)HTTPS protocoldata backupability to include your own HTML codefont indexMake sure to carefully check exactly what is included within certain purchase packages. If you have any doubts - get in contact with the creators of the website builder.15. Company position within the world marketShould any web generator catch your interest, check how long has it been available for use. What exactly is the point of doing that? Because your site will be on the world wide web as long as the creator exists along with it. If you select a website builder that is new, you could be putting yourself at risk due to the fact that this page.Begin your adventure with website builders, create an account on BOWWE and make your own website - for yourself or your client.

Here are just a few tried and true questions that you should ask yourself before you decide on a site template.Choosing a website template is an important decision for every business owner. There are plenty of things to consider; from the type of website you want to build, and different features and customization options, down to the budget and your level of experience with editing templates.It’s quite natural to feel overwhelmed when it comes to picking the right site template for your website. With that in mind, we put together this walk-through to identify the steps necessary to choose the best website template.How to Choose a TemplateBefore choosing a website template, there are a couple of key points you need to take into consideration:1. What Type of Website Do You Want to Build?A website template determines your sites structure, functions, and how it will display. Are you building a simple one-page website or do you need several pages which include galleries, maps, or videos?You should also keep in mind your industry and your niche to choose the best site template. A template created with photographers in mind will not be suitable for an accounting business and vice versa.2. What Type of Layout and Design Fits Your Needs?The layout and design determine how the information will be structured when you create a website. There are five key design and usability points to consider when it comes to choosing the right website template:content width designheader layoutnavigation designlogo placementoverall usability and user experienceContent Width DesignMost website templates today offer two types of content width: full-width and boxed width.A full-width design is when the background image stretches the full width of your computer screen. Full-width layouts are very popular and work well for mobile responsive templates and graphic heavy websites. Generally speaking, they are considered more creative and modern.The Canvas HTML5 Template has a beautiful full-width design (notice how the header image spans the entire width of the canvas from edge to edge):Canvas Site Template - Example of a full-width layout.Boxed width is when your content has a visible frame to the left and right side of the screen. This type of layout is better suited for business-oriented websites because it feels more traditional and professional. The Brandon WordPress Theme has a boxed design option:Example of a boxed-width designBrandon WordPress Template - Example of a boxed-width layout.Header LayoutThe header is usually the first thing your visitors will see when they visit your website. There are many different types of header layouts and they can range from a simple logo image and main navigation to headers that contain slideshows, videos, an image with text overlays, and so on.Choosing the right type of header is more of a goal-oriented decision rather than a design decision. Your website header should successfully communicate the core message of your business to your visitors.Using a captivating image to create an amazing visual experience works well for businesses such as hotels, restaurants, or spas.If on the other hand, your type of business might be hard to explain with image only, you should choose a header design that incorporates an image with a text overlay. Make sure to include your headline, a supporting paragraph or your tagline, and a call-to-action in the overlay.This is also the most used type of header design, which is displayed below in the Foundry WordPress Template:Foundry WordPress Theme - Example of a site header with a prominent text overlay.Likewise, if your business offers more than one service or if you cater to different audiences, using a slideshow header can be an excellent way to showcase everything you have to offer in an organized way. The Porto Site Template shows a header slideshow in action below:Porto Website Theme - Example of a site with a slideshow header design.Headers featuring video, on the other hand, can work extremely well for most small business owners when done correctly. They can be a powerful marketing tool, giving your brand a more personal feel, and explaining your business mission in an engaging way.Navigation Bar DesignYour navigation is the primary tool that will guide your visitors around your website. Your navigation bar should be clean and simple, with a background color that is easy on the eyes. Your pages should be laid out in order of importance from left to right and should include only the essential pages. Supporting pages should be added as drop down menu items rather than included on the main menu.The position of your navigation bar is also important. A horizontal top navigation menu is a classic design and one that most people are used to.If your pages are very long, then you should consider using a menu bar that is permanently fixed at the top of the page no matter how far down your visitors scroll.If your website will be graphic heavy, consider using a vertical navigation bar which is particularly effective if your menu items have long titles or if you have a lot of tabs.Another option for graphic heavy websites is the bottom horizontal navigation menu which puts the focus primarily on the content and eliminates visual distractions. This type of menu also works well if your website’s primary goal includes a call-to-action such as an email sign up or to shop your online store.Logo PlacementThe placement of your logo says a lot about your business goals. A logo placed in the same line as your main navigation works well for businesses who are more focused on their products and services and put less importance on branding. It’s best suited for companies who serve the business-to-business (B2B) market.A centered logo, either below or above the main navigation, works well for businesses focused on creating a brand identity and is most commonly popular with retail businesses.Overall Usability and User ExperienceLast, but not least, you should consider overall usability and user experience of the website template. Keeping the above-mentioned points in mind, your chosen website template should not only have an attractive design, it should also fit your requirements. More importantly, it should include responsive and mobile-friendly design, load quickly, and include SEO optimization.3. Features and CustomizationMost modern website templates allow for some level of customization to blend in with your existing brand. The customization options range from color and font selection and adding your company logo all the way to adding multimedia and creating a custom layout.Bear in mind that website template customization should enhance the template not require a complete redesign.Website templates also offer a wide variety of features which are either very niche specific such as including a reservation form or a photo gallery to very general features which can be used across a range of niches.Consider what features you need from your website template and eliminate all the templates with features you don’t need and will never use.4. Customer Support and Budget ConsiderationsNo matter how "simple to use" or "easy to update," website templates claim to be, they must be supported by a template developer who offers support if you run into any problems. Choose a template whose designer clearly states they offer customer support via phone, email, or online chat so that you can feasibly get your site uploaded and ready for viewing as quickly as possible.Quite a few of our templates come with 6-month support which includes:Answering questions about how to use the template.Answering technical questions about the item (and included third-party assets) such as specific questions about the features and functionality of the item, provide guidance on the way the item is designed, help you with issues related to using the item and getting the most value out of its functionality, etc.Help with defects in the theme or included third-party assets such as bugs and minor item issues.Item updates to ensure ongoing compatibility and to resolve security vulnerabilities.Our support doesn’t provide theme customizations, installation of the item, hosting, server environment or software, and help from authors of included third-party assets. For customization or installation services that will help you tailor the template to your specific requirements, we recommend checking out the professional service providers and developers on Envato Studio.Types of TemplatesThere are two main types of website templates you should consider for your business website. Those are static or HTML templates and WordPress templates. Let’s take a closer look at the two.1. Static TemplatesStatic website templates refer to website templates that use predominantly a combination of HTML and CSS to display the design and the content of your website; and JavaScript to add additional features such as a slideshow or form validation.Static site templates have their own set of pros and cons.Static Website Template Pros:Little to No Maintenance – Once your website is live, there is no need to install any updates or perform regular backups. In most cases, the initial backup is more than enough.Low Requirements – Since static templates don’t use PHP or a database such as MySQL, they can run on a cheaper server with few resources needed which lowers the hosting costs.Static Website Template Cons:No Updates – Unless you are familiar with HTML/CSS, static website templates can be very difficult to update for beginners which often translates into hiring a developer even for simple tasks.No Additional Features – If your business grows and you want to add a feature to your website like a store, you will have to hire a developer to do this for you.Costs - Even though website templates are pretty affordable, they can quickly prove to be quite expensive if you require lots of changes and updates.Now that you know the pros and cons of static website templates, it’s worth mentioning when a static website template makes a wise choice.A static website template is a perfect choice if you are absolutely certain that you won't want to update, change, or add anything new to your website or if you know how to code and can easily make changes to your website yourself. Similarly, if you don’t have the time nor the resources to develop content for a business blog, then a static template is a better choice.Here is a popular static website template - Pillar, which has a built in page builder to help you craft a variety of html sites:Pillar HTML Website Template With Page Builder - available on Envato Market.2. WordPress TemplatesWordPress is a Content Management System (CMS).A CMS such as WordPress is built with the programming language PHP and MySQL for the database, which contains all your data. That data is then displayed dynamically on the front-end of your website through HTML/CSS and Javascript.So, there are more components built into a WordPress template compared to a simple site template. You access all those components and setup your site through the WordPress interface, as well as add plugins and manage your site. The biggest advantage of any CMS is the ability to update your website from a user-friendly interface.Having said that, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of using WordPress.Pros of Using WordPressEasy to Update – Thanks to an intuitive user interface, WordPress makes it easy for you to create or update pages on your site.Professional Templates – There are thousands of ready-made templates that you can use on your site and most of these templates include a user-friendly interface which allows you to change the colors, fonts, layout, and much more with just a couple of mouse clicks.Incredibly Powerful – WordPress has a huge library of plugins which allow you to further extend the functionality of your website, such as: adding a contact form, adding a reservation system, adding a photo gallery, and more.Cons of Using WordPressLearning Curve – While WordPress is easy to use, it takes a while for most beginners to get familiar with the software. However, the Internet is full of helpful resources centered specifically around WordPress.Maintenance – If you use WordPress, it’s extremely important to keep it up-to-date, as well as any themes and plugins you have installed. You can either do this yourself or use a managed WordPress hosting provider which will take care of this for you.Here is the most popular WordPress theme on Envato Market (Avada), because of it's flexible design and full-featured options:Avada is the best-selling WordPress theme on Envato Market.WordPress is a great choice if you want to be able to update your website easily whenever you want. If you plan on using content marketing as your strategy for business growth, then WordPress makes even more sense because it allows you to start a business blog and grow your email list effortlessly.(Your little appreciation and honest feedback make me write even more. A person who feels appreciated will always do more than expected.)Thanks for reading, Yours,Deepak Gehlot ✍ (:-