Nowadays it is of utmost importance to have a website as it is our letter of introduction and our second location open 24/7 for customers, playing an important role in increasing sales.
That is why having an enabled, attractive and concise website will open your way to a sea of potential customers that will begin to build your database of contacts and start positioning you in search engines.
But let’s start with the basics, what is a website?
It is a means of communication online that offers information through its different web pages. Its operation is based on the user’s action to navigate between them.
With this out of the way, let’s continue with another aspect also very essential, what is a web domain?
It is the address that your website has online. It’s the phrase (so to speak) that will take your customers and visitors to your web pages through a browser and is composed of two elements:
- Your company name (e.g. brainfoodmkt), and an extension indicating the type of domain (.com), thus creating the web address brainfoodmkt.com.
- The “.com” is used for commercial purposes while the others known as “.net” or “.org” are used for technological or organizational purposes respectively.
With almost 1.3 billion websites in force as of 2020, it’s typical that if you are trying to acquire a domain for your brand, you may find it a bit difficult to register just the one you want. So the other extensions open the door to generate the closest combination to what you want.
For example, if the domain “brainfoodmkt” wouldn’t have been able to be applied with the “.com”, you could have chosen another extension such as “.mx”, to locate us in Mexico. Domain extensions can also be geographic (“.es” for Spain, “.us” for United States, “.la” for Latin America), so there are still many options to get the most accurate domain.
It’s advisable that your domain has the full name of your brand to give it seriousness, remember that your website is the online business card par excellence. It opens the way to visitors and buyers, so keep in mind that it will be easier for them to remember you for the facilities you provide and the online experience to which you direct them to perceive. That’s why you need a digital marketing strategy to make this experience happen.
What is hosting?
In order for your website to stay up to date and online seven days a week, 24 hours a day, it is necessary to stay connected to the WWW (World Wide Web or internet) through a web server.
This means that hosting is a space in the virtual world which has the mission to maintain and host your web page active and available so that users can access it at any time from anywhere in the world.
It also ensures that your information is protected as well as that of your potential customers and prevents malicious attacks.
Think of it as your own computer which houses your files, music and photos, you must keep it on when you want to access them and you can only see them when you are connected to a power source or your battery is charged. Well, with web hosting the server must be amply powerful to keep all your information hosted so that the system never crashes and your visitors can see what you offer at all times.
Have you ever visited a website at 3 o’clock in the morning thanks to insomnia to check out useful and nice things to buy? Well, a hosting makes that possible and allows the sale of products of all kinds within your website at all times, very useful isn’t it?
How can a website help my business?
As I mentioned before, it’s the ultimate business card. I know you may be thinking that keeping your social networks active (like Facebook and Instagram) and with frequent and aesthetic publications will get you a great online attraction, but it’s not that simple.
While that’s true, remember that having your own website shows you’re serious. It shows that you’re a trustworthy business that people can get to know and if they enter their banking information they’ll get just what they expect: an accurate background of who you are and what you offer, an increased liking for your brand, and therefore, a secure transaction.
It’s also a digital marketing tool that opens the way to compete with modern companies. If you don’t have a set up website, you are falling far behind in terms of competitiveness and sales reach, as well as visualization.
What elements should my website have?
Make sure it’s eye-catching. There are several techniques you can employ depending on the type of service or product you offer, but if you are not sure, a web page with limited text and striking images that highlight the aesthetics and quality of your product or service, can take you a long way.
All of this encompasses web design, an aspect of web pages that should be considered primarily to capture the exact image you want to convey.
“Web design is a creative function that focuses on the visible configuration of a site and the user experience. It consists of planning through artistic concepts that aim to embody the image of a company or project through implementation and regular updating” – HubSpot.
Don’t make life difficult for your visitors! Keep in mind that a website full of text and little organization will send them running away from you. The point is to keep them interested with a clean but eye-catching design so that they know directly what you offer.
Here are 3 basic principles:
– Functionality
– Form
– Compatibility
Functionality refers to making the interface comfortable for the visitor. Keep everything simple and organized to get to the final step: a quick transaction.
Form is the shape you are implementing to the site. What shape are you molding to your business card? I’m referring to visual art: figures, abstract images, real pictures and pictures of your team members, etc. In short, how do you explain through graphics what you do (with diverse typographies, colors and interactive elements).
Compatibility means your platform is available for all browsers and mobile and desktop devices, so you capture the largest possible audience. Don’t lose prospects! Keep up to date.
Remember that flexibility is an essential element to take into account. Make your website responsive: this means that you must be visible for all types of devices and screens.
Today’s users search for everything on their smartphone or tablet (no longer only desktop computers or laptops). Making a responsive website has the mission that your content is distributed to all these platforms to achieve a uniformity for your website.
E-commerce to boost your business
Your website will take you directly to the practice of E-commerce, which aims at sales or hiring a service online. Take advantage of your corporate image and lead your visitors to complete a purchase and more in these times of pandemic.
Selling through all media (whether physical or online) allows you to enhance your brand from all sides. Remember that digital marketing encompasses all these terms to unify a strong online and physical presence.
According to the website Markeging4eCommerce, there are 5.19 billion smartphone users by the beginning of 2020, which makes up 59 percent of the world’s population. Can you imagine all you can gain if you take advantage of e-commerce today?
To empower your business and follow the right steps to make all this design and e-commerce stuff go perfectly, we recommend hiring a marketing agency ready to take action at the grassroots of your company.
At BrainFood Marketing, we make it our mission to deliver immediate results and profits so that your online presence gets the attention it deserves. All with a high standard of quality that you can trust forever.
