The Ultimate Guide to Launching Your First Website

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Struggling to know where to start when it comes to creating your website? Well, look no further, I am Khedgen Willis, and you are reading The Influencer Revive blog, which you probably have already noticed. I created this website to help Influencers/Small Business Owners level up their marketing game. This guide will help you determine the purpose of your website and what steps it takes to make it come alive. Let’s jump right in!

Planning & Preparation

The first step is planning out what your website is for and defining your purpose. You may be creating a professional/personal portfolio, a blog to publish stories, an e-commerce site to market and sell your products, or a site for your restaurant where customers can browse through the menu and place orders. Websites can be used for a wide range of reasons and understanding your purpose will have you starting off on the right foot.

Now that you have a purpose, determine which platform is best to build your website. I personally use Wix, however there are many other website builder platforms specific to your need like WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify etc. When deciding which one works best it’s important to weigh pricing, site navigation and interface options. You will have to purchase a domain and have a membership to access specific features to have your website operating in the most optimal way.

When preparing, create a mockup idea of what your website will look like. Outline what information your homepage and what your separate tabs will have. When I prepared my website, I created a graphic of how my homepage will be constructed, and I decided how many different tabs I would have and what each visitor will come across when clicking around on my website. If you are creating a website for your small business, it could show your homepage with insight on what your business offers, contact information, hours of operation, and recent business updates.

The Development Phase: Challenges and Solutions

Throughout my journey building my website I did run into a few hurdles. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Mobile Compatibility were a few issues that I ran into. Determining how to optimize my website for search engines really took me some time to make sure my target audience would be able to find my content. Identifying keywords and having the proper title tags will have you set up for success.

Another issue was mobile compatibility, one of the most ways the internet is used is through mobile devices and it’s good to have a website that is compatible on mobile. I ran into a few hiccups when creating my website which made me change a few things around before officially launching.

If you are having trouble with any part of creating your website, utilize resources like online tutorials and forums where you can connect with others who may be dealing with the same challenges. Wix offers tutorials on setting up specific parts of your site and can guide you through the process of setting up your domain and SEO.

Lessons Learned

Now that we have gotten through the tough part, here are a few lessons that I learned throughout my journey.

• -  Start Simple: It is important to launch a basic version first and add features later. Don’t get caught up in trying to make your website prefect, you can always change features around, take things out, and switch themes any time you want.

• -  User Experience (UX) is King: Focus on making the website easy to navigate and visually appealing. When visitors come to your website you don’t want them to have trouble finding what they may be looking for, ensure that they can have a great experience.

• -  The Learning Never Stops: Website development is an ongoing process. You will continuously learn new concepts and ways to innovate. Embrace change and understand that where you start is not where you will end.

What’s Next?

Now that I have provided you some insight on developing your website. What steps will you take to begin your journey? Be sure to define your purpose, choose a platform that works best for you, and outline your design template. If you run into issues, don’t be afraid to ask for help, its important to reach out your community or gain expert advice when you may feel stuck. This is the beginning of my websites story. Stay tuned for new updates and features coming soon!