With everything happening, it’s often the case that things fall through the cracks or don’t get the attention they deserve.

Don’t let that happen to your marketing efforts.

Below, you’ll find a handy holiday marketing checklist to help guide you through the busiest retail season of the year.

Holiday Marketing Checklist 2022

Pre-holiday Checklist

Have the following items completed by mid to late October.

• Review and forecast your online store based on your historical data or the previous year’s performance.
  • If this is your first year in business, review industry trends and data from the year prior, so you have a sense of what to expect.
• Create the framework for your marketing plan.
• Decide on the holidays you want to focus on.
• Set your S.M.A.R.T. goals.
• Figure out what tactics you’ll use to support your overall strategy and goals.
• Optimize your online store for the holidays.
  • Fix broken links, optimize SEO, test your user experience, and add holiday elements where appropriate.
• Prepare and update your social media accounts.

As the Season Progresses…

• Keep tabs on your performance.
  • Actively monitoring your online performance helps you identify and resolve issues as they occur, instead of allowing them to become bigger problems.
• Communicate your “ship by” dates to your audience. And then remind them of it!
  • Create a sense of urgency, or FOMO (fear of missing out), so that your audience is incentivized to transact ASAP.

Post-Holiday Checklist

• Remove holiday content from your site in a timely manner.
• Review and analyze your metrics while they’re fresh.
  • If you haven’t kept great records, you might not remember what actions influenced your results come next year.
• Keep your customers and clients engaged!
  • You want them to do business with you all year long, not just the holidays. Stay in touch via email, and social media, and keep your site current.

Yet, when you find yourself staring a new year in the face, it can be tough to decide on a resolution (much less multiple resolutions.) Should this be the year you take up yoga or kickboxing? Have you been meaning to get into meditation? After 2020, we could all use some TLC.

If you’re like most of the people we’ve talked to, you’re focusing on personal health and improvement. But why stop there?

This year, why don’t you resolve to improve your website? Whether it’s for a passion project, hobby, or small business, your website could use a little TLC too. Use the following suggestions to improve your site and attract more visitors.

A New Year’s Website Checklist

1 – Contact Information

You want your customers to trust you. If they don’t, do you honestly think they’ll do business with you?

What kind of image are you projecting if you don’t provide any contact information so they can reach out to you with questions? Contact information provides security for potential customers — it lets them know that you’re available if they have any concerns.

There are many ways to include your information on your site. Consider adding it to the footer of each web page, creating a dedicated “Contact Us” page, or creating a pop-up form where people can submit questions.

2 – Security

People will be alerted if your website isn’t secure and that leads to a loss of trust. Would you feel comfortable providing your personal or financial information to a site that’s been flagged as “Not Secure”?

Websites that don’t have SSL enabled are marked as “Not Secure” across many browsers. If that’s not the first thing you want people to see when they type your domain name into their browser bar, invest in SSL.

3 – Call-to-Actions

Attention spans aren’t quite what they used to be. Instead of making site visitors guess and figure out what they need to do on your site, tell them what to do.

Want someone to sign up for your email list? Ask them via a signup form. Want them to purchase your goods? Include a “Buy Now” button with your product descriptions.

4 – Domain Name

Having the right domain name can make a world of difference for your website and your business.

Make sure your domain name is easy to understand and avoid hyphens and creative spellings. If someone were to hear your domain name on the radio and not see it written out, could they make it to your site? If your domain name doesn’t pass the “radio test” consider updating it to something better.

5 – Content

Content is essential to websites and the Internet as we know it.

If you want to sell your goods, connect with your customers, and rank higher in search engine results then your website needs content. This can include a blog, notices and updates about your business, new product listings, and more.  

What makes for good website content? We go into detail on that in this post.

6 – SEO

Don’t let the name fool you, search engine optimization isn’t about optimizing search engines at all. SEO is all about optimizing your website so that it appears higher up in search engine results.

Wouldn’t it be nice to see your site listed as the first result to a Google query versus having your site stuck on the third page of the results?

Our beginner’s guide to SEO is perfect for getting started quickly.

7 – Reliable Hosting

If your website is down you’re not doing business. It’s that simple.

Don’t settle for a mediocre website host. You can’t afford to take hosting for granted if your business depends on online transactions.

Do your research to find the best hosting package and website host for your needs.

Domain.com offers a variety of web hosting plans to fit your needs, all of which include the features seen below.

8 – Social media

How many people do you know of that aren’t on social media? Likely, very few.

Everyone is on social media these days and they’re connecting with brands and businesses through these platforms. Make sure your website includes social media buttons so that your visitors can connect with you after they’ve left your site, ensuring that you stay top of mind.

9 – Mobile Friendly

Mobile traffic has increased by 222% in the last 5 years. Mobile internet users outnumber desktop internet users, and this is something you must account for when creating and designing your website.

Good website builders offer mobile friendly website templates that you can use and modify to create your site.

10 – Internal Links

Internal linking is part of a well-developed SEO strategy, but we thought it was important enough to single out. An internal link connects one page of your domain, or website, with another page of your domain, or site.

Internal linking helps with the navigation of your website, gently pointing people to related content. It helps with your page authority and ranking power on search engines, too.

If you’ve noticed, we’ve linked other relevant blog posts and website pages throughout this article and that’s what internal linking is all about.

Make Sure Your Site is Ready for 2021

Whether you’re just starting your first website or are a website pro, Domain.com has the tools you need to get online quickly and easily.

Our AI-powered WebsiteBuilder takes the stress out of website creation — just answer a few questions and our intelligent builder starts the design for you.

Need an extra hand with getting online? Our experts are here to help you build a beautiful site from start to finish.

Is it the striking colors you chose to use in your design? Is it the fancy way your website scrolls?

Probably not.

Good content is what keeps your website visitors engaged and interested in your site. But, “good content” is a little vague, isn’t it? We think so, too. That’s why we’ve put together the following tips for you. Follow these tips and you’re on your way to creating good website content.

It all starts with a great domain. Get yours today.

What makes for good website content?

• Know your audience and their goals.

When you create a website, you’re not creating it for yourself. Yes, you’ll reap the benefits of having a good website: increased visitors that translate into increased revenue, but that’s not quite the same. Your website exists to help your desired audience learn about you, or specifically, how your product or service helps them meet their goals or needs. If you do a good job of convincing them that you have what they need, they’re more likely to purchase from you.

 If you aren’t sure who your audience is, or what they want, how can you ever market yourself and your site to them? You can’t. At least not well.

Before writing content that you assume will attract people, do your homework. Take a look at your competitors and see how they’re positioning similar products. What’s your differentiator? Highlight it in your content and on your website.

• Clear, crisp copy.

Have you ever read a sentence worded so poorly that it physically made your brain hurt? Or one that’s left you cross-eyed as you try to figure out what it’s trying to convey? Don’t be that person and don’t create that kind of content for your website. If your website content causes people to stumble and falter as they read, there’s an issue.

So what can you do to make sure that your website content is legible and most importantly, easily understood? Write for the average reading level, unless your audience is more advanced (i.e., if your website provides resources for lawyers, let the legal jargon roll. If not, refrain from the difficult vocabulary and syntax.)

Did you know that the National Adult Literacy Survey results suggest that the average American reads at the 7^th to 8^th grade level? By using a readability grading tool you can score your writing to make sure you’re writing isn’t too difficult, or easy, for your audience. For example, after Microsoft Word reviews the spelling and grammar in a document, it can provide you with your writing score on the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level and Flesch Reading Ease tests. You can then use this data to refine your writing. 

• Mixed media.

Do you enjoy spending time on websites that have nothing to look at but text? No photos, no images, just endless text.

Good website content isn’t restricted to blog posts and the written word. In addition to the text and writing on your website, consider using videos or other graphics to share your message and value proposition with your audience.

• Concise, understandable CTAs.

What actions do you want visitors to take on your website? Is it completing a purchase, filling out a form, or donating money?

Whatever you desire, make it obvious to your website visitors with a clear Call-to-Action (CTA). If they don’t know what they’re supposed to do, then chances are they may not do it. Your CTAs should focus on one action at a time — don’t ask someone to do three different things all from the same popup — they’ll never remember everything and they’ll be driven away by the volume of your requests. When writing a good CTA keep these three things in mind: make it concise, clear, and actionable.

• SEO optimized.

Good website content is SEO optimized. In a nutshell, that means it’s written in a way that’s attractive to search engines, and of course, humans. If your content is disliked by humans (perhaps indicated by a high bounce rate on that certain page) then search engines won’t want to surface it in search results. Search engines are in the business of getting people the information they’re seeking — quickly, efficiently, and accurately.

To write SEO optimized content, do some research around keywords. If you know what your desired audience is searching for, you know what words and terms to include in your website content. That should give you a little boost in search engine results.

There are many free tools that can help you research your keywords, so don’t hesitate to use them.

A custom domain name helps customers find you and builds your credibility.

How do you know when you’ve created good content for your website?

If your content is good, you should see an increase in traffic, an increase in conversions, and increased activity on your website. Good content is rewarded by search engines and website visitors alike. Search engines will rank good website content higher in search engine results, and website visitors will be more likely to follow your CTAs and complete the actions on your website that you want them to take.

Go ahead and take a look at the website content you have now. Do a content audit to see what material you have that performs well and what is lackluster. Use an online readability tool to score your work to see if there’s anything you can change to better it, and then revisit it in a few months to gauge how well your content is performing.

As you practice our five tips to create good website content, let us know how it goes! If you have any other suggestions, share them in the comments below.

Gone are the days when a copy of the bulky, softcover Yellow Pages would bring in the customers. Now, it’s as though your business doesn’t exist if you don’t have a website. People pick up their shiny cellphones and run online searches to find the business that fits their needs instead of flipping through musty old phone books and directories.

Recently, I moved. It wasn’t a huge move, but it was far enough away from my old surroundings that I wasn’t sure what businesses existed in my new town. After what felt like years of hauling a never-ending stream of boxes down multiple flights of stairs, I arrived at my new place — and I was starving. I like supporting local businesses, so I located my phone amidst a jumble of papers and used Google to find some nearby restaurants to sate my hunger. What was so special about what I did? Absolutely nothing. In fact, according to SEO Tribunal, Google receives over 63,000 searches per second on any given day. Even a small sliver of that traffic could do wonders for your business. 

Your website needs a domain name. We can help.

Does having a website guarantee that my business shows up first in search results? 

First off, if you don’t have a website you won’t be showing up in any search results. Secondly, your website has to be good. Search engines don’t reward bad websites with better placement in search results. 

Creating a good website that performs well and captures customer attention is a lot easier than it used to be with the advent of website builders. Website builders, like ours, help you create a good-looking, sensible website in a short amount of time. They provide a large selection of customizable templates for you to choose from; then, you click on the item you want (photo placeholder, text box, etc.), drag it where you’d like for it to appear on your website, and drop it in place. You can customize those elements with your own wording, photos, videos, and more. Search engines favor websites with good, informative content. If your website isn’t appealing to customers, or doesn’t answer their questions, it won’t appeal to search engines either. 

Do I need a website if I don’t sell products or services online?

Yes! Not selling products online is no excuse to forego a website. Think of your website as the digital face of your physical location. You always want to put your best face forward because you never know who’ll see it. 

Your customers, and potential customers, expect you to have a website as well. If they find you don’t have one, they’ll wonder why that is and could question whether or not you’re a legitimate business.

Your website is a goldmine of marketing opportunities.

On social media, you can’t control the conversation about your business. People can comment, like, react, or otherwise change your business narrative. But this isn’t the case on your website. On your site, you position your products and services (even if you don’t do e-commerce) exactly as you see fit, and tell your story the way it should be told.

You can even derive insights from the actions your visitors take on your site — what are they clicking on? How far down are they scrolling on the page? And so much more! Apply these insights to refine your messaging, your marketing, all the way down to your products and business M.O., if applicable. 

If you’d like to continue building a relationship with your site visitors after they’ve left your site, consider email marketing. Email marketing is a small investment of your time for a big return ($38 return for every $1 spent.) You’ll need to include an email marketing sign-up list on your website, but any good email marketing provider will give you premade options you can quickly add to your site. 

How do I start creating a website?

Good question! It all starts with a great domain name. You can think of your domain name as your website’s unique name and address. It distinguishes your website from all the others out there.

Your domain name should reflect your business, and if possible, match your business name. If you can’t find an available domain name to register, consider purchasing a premium domain name to really solidify your brand. 

Got your domain name? Good, let’s continue.

Plan your website, then create. 

It’s a smart idea to plan out how you think your website will be used, what pages should be included, and how to leverage content on your site. What you put on your site should be intentional and serve a purpose, whether that be to inform your customers or drive purchases. 

Before creating your website, ask yourself the following questions. 

• How many people do I expect to visit my website each day?
  • The amount of website traffic you expect to receive will influence what type of web hosting you need. Website hosting is where all the data and files that comprise your website live. It’s also what allows you to publish your website on the internet, thereby allowing people to find and visit it. You know how retail stores have a back room to store inventory for when it’s needed, and also a shop to handle customer foot traffic? Hosting is a lot like that, but digital.
• What actions do I want people to take on my site?
  • Are you trying to drive purchase volume? Or provide educational content? When you’re creating a website you’re designing an experience for your site visitors, and the actions they take on your site should benefit your business.
• What should visitors see when they land on my site?
  • Should they be greeted with your sale of the day? Your bright, beautiful face? Or an informative landing page? Again, think about what actions you want your site visitors to take, and about whether or not their first impression of your site will help lead them to that action.
• Am I providing them with a way to reach me if they have questions?
  • You can provide all the relevant and pertinent information about your business that you want, but someone is still going to have questions. That someone may be your most valuable customer. If they have a question and need to get in touch with you, they should be able to easily and quickly find your contact information. A “Contact Us” page on your site should suffice. 

So that’s it then, my brick-and-mortar needs a website?

The bottom line is, yes, you really do need a website. 

Creating a website for your brick-and-mortar business is a lot quicker and easier than it used to be. You can use a tool like WebsiteBuilder to create a site that reflects your business in the best light possible, and you can do it in less than an afternoon. However, remember that planning is half the battle in website creation. If you go into creating your website with clearly defined goals, you’ll have an easier time deciding where things should go and what information should be displayed. Your website will be the gift that keeps on giving — from visitor insights, to marketing opportunities, to new customers — so what are you waiting for?

Get the perfect domain name today.

You’re not on your own, Domain.com is here to help.

Need an extra hand when creating a website? Or do you have some lingering questions? We’ve got you covered. Our teams are here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you’re in need of assistance. 

Make no mistake, good design is more than aesthetics; it can impact your search engine optimization, google rankings, site visitor’s behavior, and brand perception. So, if you want your online business to thrive, it starts with the foundation of your web design. We’ll discuss the key elements of web design below so that you can draw in more customers by enhancing the appearance, functionality, and overall experience of your website.

What is Web Design?

Website design used to mean creating websites for desktop browsers. In recent years, however, the importance of mobile and tablet browsers has moved to the forefront. Today, more people browse the internet daily on their phone than on a desktop, with 63% of all web traffic coming from mobile.

There are a variety of aspects of web design, including:

• Web graphic design
• Interface design
• User experience design
• Authoring
• Search Engine Optimization

With that in mind, web design typically functions as a stand-in to describe the client side, or front-end design of the website. The front-end of your website is the part that your customers see, navigate, and interact with on their browser.

The purpose of a well-thought-out design is to hook your customers’ attention, sell a product or service, and give a real sense of what your company is. Good design gathers ideas then assembles and displays them in a pleasing aesthetic — it utilizes various concepts and guiding principles based on human behavior and online consumer habits.

It all starts with the right domain. Get yours today at Domain.com.

5 Elements of Web Design

If you’re planning on building a website for your company or revamping your old one, it’s crucial that you take the time to understand the ins-and-outs of web design. Creating the perfect schema for your business website requires experimentation and trial and error. Finding the perfect mix of elements can be a frustrating and challenging process, but it will pay off in the long run as your customers and prospects spend more time on your site. It takes effort and patience to get it just right, but when you do, you’ll have a website you can be proud of.

What are the main visual elements to focus on when designing your website? The top 5 are:

Layout

People make up their minds or form opinions in the blink of an eye, within 100 milliseconds. First impressions matter, especially for websites. In 2012, Google confirmed this with a study that found aesthetic design impacted users’ views towards the site in less than 50 milliseconds of exposure.

A great visual design is hugely important, and it all begins with your layout. In short, a layout is the way text, ads, graphics, and media are organized and placed on a page. A good layout will make locating vital information as easy as possible. This includes:

• The company logo
• The main navigation bar
• The search box
• Main image
• Content
• The bottom of the website

A good layout includes the following elements:

• Has plenty of whitespace – White space refers to the empty space on a page that separates the various parts including copy, margins, and the sidebar. Whitespace prevents clutter and helps direct the customer’s eye to the important features or messages.
• Intuitive – You do not need to reinvent the wheel. Internet users have been conditioned to expect certain fundamental aspects on any website. For example, the search bar is typically in the top right and the page navigation is top and center.  
• Draws the eye – Similar to how framing in art, photography, or cinema can subconsciously direct the viewer’s eyes to the point of emphasis, solid web design naturally guides the user’s eyes to the essentials.
• Grid-based designs – Recently, this type of web design has become increasingly popular. It involves intersecting vertical and horizontal lines that act as parameters for placing various elements. Grids keep the visual design simple, ordered, and organized. McDonald’s, for example, uses a grid-based design.

Color

Color is another facet that subconsciously triggers something in people, evoking emotions or feelings, whether or not they are aware of the fact. Modern day web design relies heavily on color schemes and thoughtful color usage to create a memorable and robust palette.

Finding the right balance can be tricky. You don’t want to overdo it with colors since that can be visually overwhelming and create a distraction. Did you know that the vast majority of modern websites will only use two to three colors? For example, Bose’s website uses an off-black primary color with grey highlights. This keeps things simple and allows them to emphasize the colors of their headphones.

If you go to Facebook or Amazon, you’ll see that they purposefully stick to a primary background color and an accent color. Color can catch a visitor’s eye but can also overwhelm if there’s too much or the colors aren’t coordinated. If you’re in this stage of picking your colors, experiment with different combinations, tints, and shades to find the color scheme that best evokes your brand’s personality.

Graphics

Many people forget the power of images in order to convey information or sell a brand. Just consider the logos for Coca Cola, Nike, or Apple. Their images sell their brand or service better than any commercial ever could. Approximately 65% of Americans are visual learners, so do not discount the importance of using images to help you succinctly express your message. The nuclear hazard symbol paints a picture far more eloquently than written warnings ever could.

Graphics encompass:

• Photos
• Infographics
• Charts
• Logos
• Clipart
• Icons
• Page art

All of these components can improve web design and help give your site personality and character. As with color, graphics should be used tastefully to complement rather than detract from the main focus of your site. Consider using a blend of text and graphics as it’s the best way to keep your website looking fresh while simultaneously sending a clear message.

Fonts

Typography is an ingenious way of communicating your message, style, and personality. You’ll want to find a typeset that matches your profession. A doctor or lawyer, for example, may want a timeless serif font, while a startup may be best served by selecting something more playful or out-of-the-box. The vast majority of web browsers are only capable of reading specific fonts, so make sure to choose web-safe fonts for your website.

Some of the most popular fonts include:

• Sans-serif
  • Arial
  • Calibri
  • Geneva
  • Helvetica Trebuchet MS
  • Century Gothic

• Serif
  • Cambria
  • Garamond
  • Georgia
  • Times New Roman
  • Book Antiqua

• Monospaced
  • Courier New
  • Lucida Sans Typewriter
  • Monaco
  • Consolas
  • Andale Mono

• Fantasy and Script
  • Papyrus
  • Copperplate
  • Brush Script MT
  • Apple Chancery
  • Chiller

Your goal is to find fonts that are complementary your overall design but remain easy to read. You want your target audience spending time browsing your site, not wasting time translating hieroglyphics.

Content

Once you’ve laid the foundations of your web design, it’s time to fill your site with content. Content involves written pages on the website as well as blog posts and other media. Content should focus on several things, including:

• Search Engine Optimization
• Incorporating relevant keywords
• Selling the service or product
• Conveying the brand’s experience and authority
• Illustrating that the brand is trustworthy

You don’t have a lot of time to reel in customers, so content should be quick and to the point. Your content should be informative, point out a problem or a need, offer a solution, and provide a call to action.

It all starts with the right domain. Get yours today at Domain.com.

The Two Forms of Web Design

When creating your website, you’ll likely have to decide between using a responsive or adaptive web design. In recent years, these two methods of web design have become staples.

• Responsive Design (RWD) – Websites are designed to adapt and change the size of the page in accordance with the various resolutions, screen sizes, and content. Content moves dynamically on the screen. The benefits include:
  • Very user-friendly. Allows for flexibility with different screen resolutions and devices.
  • Good for SEO since it’s all one page rather than 3 distinct pages.
  • Lower maintenance costs since the operation program is universal
  • And no redirection required between mobile and desktop.  

• Adaptive design (AWD) – Pages are created uniquely for each device. So there will be a desktop page, mobile page, and tablet page. Each space will correspond to the device’s screen resolution and pages will look different based on size and screen resolution. The website detects the screen size and selects the proper layout for the screen. There are six different screen widths commonly found:  
  • 320
  • 480
  • 760
  • 960
  • 1200
  • 1600

The benefits include:

• Costs less because it is simpler to program and implement.
• Coding is less complicated and more time-efficient.
• Better compatibility with more intricate sites.
• Easier and more accurate in regards to testing.

Adaptive is ideal for retrofitting an older site in order to improve its mobile or tablet friendliness. Responsive, on the other hand, is most commonly used on new sites since they are easier to maintain and give a more fluid navigational feel.

Improving User-Friendliness

In addition to the key components of web design that give the page personality, any good website takes its users into consideration. Designing a user-friendly web page can help you avoid needlessly turning away prospective customers. All too often companies choose to prioritize Google SERPs over their content. Don’t fall into the trap of emphasizing SEO or rankings over the user experience. Instead, optimize your website for the user and build a loyal customer base of recurring visitors to boost your rankings. Elements to consider include:

• Multimedia – Consider using video, audio, or music to improve the design, or sell your story. However, remember that many users don’t appreciate videos that autoplay with the volume on. Your goal is to bolster your message and not annoy your target audience, so be sparing with multimedia.
• Navigation – The architecture of the web pages and menus should be created with users in mind. It functions as a map of all the places the user can go. Design should be focused on making navigation intuitive and effortless; you do not want to overcomplicate movement or hide aspects. Confusing your new users will turn them away from your website.
• Mobile – Although desktop once reigned supreme, mobile and tablet are the way of the future. Your webpage should be compatible and perform at high levels with all the devices, OS, and browsers.
• Interactive – To create a thriving site and loyal user base, you want to build a community for users to react and interact. Consider adding comment boxes and the ability to share things on social media. Create an Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook account to help bolster your company’s online presence and clout.
• The Home Page – Don’t be scared of creating a longer homepage that draws the user in and forces them to scroll down. Making them interact with the site improves conversion and click-through rates. The home page could include:
  • Value proposition
  • Summary of the goods or services
  • An introductory video
  • Product Features
  • Testimonials
  • Success Stories
  • Resources
  • About Us

Getting Started

If you need to create a website design, Domain.com has one of the best Website Builders that integrates all the elements you need to make your own website. This includes:

• Mobile responsive web options with a variety of fantastic themes and templates
• Prebuilt sections and customizable designs
• Drag and drop webpage design
• No coding, no installations, no plugins
• Customizable fonts, colors, and design elements
• SEO tools

Getting started is quick and easy. You don’t need to have the skills of a web design specialist, all you need is a solid website builder to get started. Reach out today and one of the Domain.com experts can help with web design or domain registration needs. If you’re looking to revamp your entire site, ask us about our full service web design services.

It all starts with the right domain. Get yours today at Domain.com.

If you’re starting a new business and need an e-commerce site, or finally getting around to it with your current company, it’s crucial that you not only have a website but that it stands out amongst the oversaturated crowd. While visitors may not be able to explain in detail what makes a good website, they are more than capable of identifying a bad one when they see it.

So, if you want to create the best website to showcase your business, keep reading to discover the best website builder features as well as tips for making a user friendly website.

It all starts with the right domain. Get yours today at Domain.com.

Questions to Ask about Website Builders

Building your own website used to both break the bank and require specialized knowledge. Fortunately, we now live in a time with “drag and drop” website builders that allow you to make a fantastic website without knowing a lick of code. These are also called “WYSIWYG” editors, or “What You See Is What You Get” which makes the creation process very simple. By removing the technical barrier to entry, the cost in both time and money to create your own site has dramatically lowered.

Since there are quite a few website builders on the market, there are a few questions you should be asking when shopping around. Today, for simplicity’s sake we’ will use Domain.com’s website builder as an example:

• How Long Has the Company Been in the Business? – It is important to find a company that has plenty of experience and business acumen. Using someone who is new to the game can end in disaster. Domain.com has been operating since 2000, and for nearly two decades we have been at the forefront of domain registration and website hosting products and services. We specialize in:

• Website creation
• Domain names
• VPS hosting
• Web hosting
• Professional web design
• SSL certificates
• Online marketing services

• How many users are there? – A happy and thriving user base is demonstrative of a useful good or service. Domain.com has tens of thousands of users who have used their services for domain registration, website creation, and web hosting.
• How much does it cost? – Obviously, cost is one of the largest factors in determining the best website builder for you. Domain.com has three affordable options, starting with a Basic Plan that is free with the purchase of a domain name.
• How’s the customer support? – You’re in for a headache if your website goes down or issues arise and you have no one to help fix the problem. Domain.com has a 24/7 customer support line ready to troubleshoot anything that happens.

Best Website Builders: What to Look For

There are a wide range of key features that must be offered in the website builder you choose. For instance, Domain.com is powered by WordPress and has three tiers of service that provide various website building features:

Basic Features

Basic comes with the purchase of any domain name. It includes the following:

• Drag and drop website builder – Create up to 6 web pages using the easy building feature. Drag and drop anything from text, pictures, videos, logos, and other page components. No coding or previous experience is necessary.
• Pre-built sections and pages – If you do not want to create everything from scratch, there are a plethora of pre-built sections and pages that you can select from. If you like them, you can keep them as is, or you can customize by simply adding or removing parts. You can also change fonts, colors, and a variety of other design elements.
• Mobile friendly website templates – Mobile is every bit as important as your desktop website; therefore, it is critical that you invest the time in ensuring that mobile works brilliantly. There are more than 100+ mobile-friendly website templates that you can choose from.
• SEO tools – Search engine optimization can make the difference in whether your online business fails or thrives. SEO tools allow you to add keywords and other such metadata in order to track and improve your SERPs, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Read here for current SEO trends.
• Stock image library – There is a massive library of stock images you can use to help tell your story. Images are an important aspect of messaging that many forget or underutilize. The wide selection of stock photos means that you are practically guaranteed to find the right pictures for your website.
• PayPal integration – Sell your goods or services directly through your website or Facebook page with PayPal integration. This service accepts credit cards and grants store access to mobile, tablet, and desktop users.

Pro

Pro allows for all the basic features as well as:

• Unlimited pages – No maximum number of pages or artificial limit. You have the ability to create as many pages as you want with the unlimited feature.
• Revision history – Your website may undergo various changes during its lifetime; some good, and some not so much. Revision history allows you to go back and see past versions of your website and revert to those versions if you so wish.
• Custom favicon – Favicons are “An icon associated with a URL that is variously displayed, as in a browser’s address bar or next to the site name in a bookmark list.” With Pro, you can create your own customizable favicon. If you want to know why favicons can help your business, read here.
• Google Analytics Integration – Google Analytics help you get to know your visitor and customer. It allows you to paint a clear picture of your website to gauge performance, marketing, products, and content. All of this information helps provide insight on ways to optimize your site and grow your business.  

Business

Business has all the benefits of pro and then adds various e-commerce features such as:

• E-Commerce Shopping Cart – The shopping cart allows you to sell your goods or services whether a user is on a desktop, tablet, or mobile device.   
• Inventory Management – With inventory management, you can track your inventory and stock.
• Payment Processing – You want to give your potential customers various means to pay for their purchases. With this feature, visitors can choose between PayPal and Stripe.
• Coupon Codes – Coupon codes provide a way to entice customers. Deals, even small ones, tend to drive sales.

WordPress Live

As time passes, you will inevitably run into issues that require some expertise and troubleshooting to fix. WordPress Live is a fantastic service that seeks to help you solve any of your website building or maintenance issues. If you do not have the money to have a website creator on retainer, WP Live is an excellent alternative as Domain.com offers three affordable plans: WP Live Lite, WP Live, and WP Live Pro.

Benefits include:

• Guides – WP has hundreds of helpful guides on building your website. These tutorials help you save time as you create a beautiful site that not only looks great but functions perfectly.
• Expert Advice – As soon as you have a problem, you can turn to WP Live’s experts. Simply reach out via live chat, email, or phone to get immediate assistancehelp. They can help you:

• Utilize social media and integrate those features onto your site.
• Learn methods and means for growing your audience and building traffic to your site.
• Analyze data to look for weak spots or strengths in order to increase click-through and conversion rates.  
• Optimize videos and images on your site so that each page loads and responds in a reflexive manner.
• Screen Sharing – With this feature, you can get live step-by-step help on your website for any issues that cannot be solved over the phone.

Whatever your issue, WordPress Live has a solution.

Tips for Building Your Website

As you go about the process of creating your own site, there are a couple of things you should keep in mind:

• Have a clear goal in mind – Websites serve different purposes according to their owner’s need. Whether you want to sell something, build an audience, or share your talent, your website needs to be developed with your specific goal in mind. Creating a generic website will waste an opportunity to generate a new customer or fan.
• Create Your Content – Even if you plan on hiring a writer to edit or polish the content on your site, you should have a thorough understanding of your messaging. The goal of your content should be to state your purpose briefly and then tell your audience why they need that specific product or service.   
• Use a call to action – Every page on your website should encourage the visitor to do something. Whether that be calling, signing up, downloading, or purchasing, you want to entice your audience to take what they’ve read and then act on it.
• Do not ignore mobile – According to Statista, 34.5% of all e-commerce purchases are performed on a mobile device. If trends continue, this number is expected to surpass 50% by 2021. As a result, it is vital that you create a site that is responsive and works flawlessly on mobile devices. A bad mobile experience with a website is one of the quickest ways to turn away potential customers.
• Keep it simple – Quite often, less is more, especially when it comes to web design. You do not want to clutter a page, overwhelm a new visitor, and detract from your message. Keep your pages simple and clean by sticking to minimal colors. Use photos and media sparingly as a means of highlighting or emphasizing your messaging. Utilize white space in order to create a natural flow and to break up sections. More and more we see simplistic design at the forefront of quality web design.
• Make navigation easy – Moving through your site should not be some sort of treasure hunt. You want the navigation menu to be easy to spot and use. It is critical that each page redirects back to the home page.
• Tell your story – It is important that you captivate your audience by telling them your story. A business is often a proposed solution to a problem the owner encountered at some point in their life. By highlighting the reasons behind building your company, you can connect to your site’s visitors in a much more personal way. People love to hear stories, so tell them yours.
• Invest in a logo – Although it may cost more than the website itself, hiring a professional to design your company’s logo is a fantastic form of branding. Logos are a simple way to spread your message with just an image. If you choose to hire a designer for this task, ask them to create it as a .PNG file so it has a transparent background. Doing so will help it blend in seamlessly with your website’s header.

It all starts with the right domain. Get yours today at Domain.com.

Don’t Wait

The thought of creating your own website should not be a cause for anxiety. With Domain.com’s website builder, the process is stress-free. Simply sign up and you can get started immediately. If you have any questions about domains or building out your website, our experts at Domain.com are ready and willing to help. Just reach out and we can provide answers and help get you started!