How to Make a Website for Your Business in 2024

In 2024, having a professional website is very important for any and every business.

Recent studies show that nearly half the world’s population are now using the internet regularly – if your business isn’t online, you’re missing out.

And the best way to get online? A website.

Why Having a Website is Important

Your website is likely going to be the first contact people have with your company.

Depending on the industry, people tend to search for things online before physically visiting or contacting the company.

It’s important to make sure your website…

• Looks good
• is user-friendly
• contains all relevant information
• comes across as professional…

But how do you achieve all this without breaking the bank?

Here’s everything you need to know about building a beautiful website on a budget in 2024:

Affordable Website Hosting Options

Fancy websites often come with a crazy price tag.

However, there are several packages available that are much more affordable, and make beautiful websites attainable for even small businesses.

Here are some of the best free and affordable hosting packages:

1. Google My Business

• Overview: Perfect for a simple website on a tight budget.
• Cost: Free
• Features: Google helps you create an efficient, functional website in minutes. All you need is a Google My Business profile.

Ideal for small businesses looking to establish an online presence quickly and efficiently.

2. Shopify

• Overview: The No. 1 eCommerce platform, ideal for selling products online.
• Cost: 14-day free trial, then a monthly fee
• Features: Unlimited 24/7 support, 100s of professional templates.

Perfect for businesses that want to sell products directly through their website.

3. Squarespace

• Overview: Another big international competitor with excellent service.
• Cost: 1-month free trial, then a monthly fee
• Features: Award-winning 24/7 customer support, many themes to choose from.

Great for businesses needing a sleek, professional-looking website with robust support.

4. WordPress

• Overview: A versatile platform suitable for various types of websites.
• Cost: Free, with premium options available
• Features: Thousands of templates and plugins.

Ideal for blogs, informational sites, and basic eCommerce with plugins like WooCommerce.

5. Site123

• Overview: Comprehensive service with a free image library and built-in SEO tool.
• Cost: Free and premium options available
• Features: User-friendly interface, SEO tools, free image library.

Excellent for businesses that want an easy-to-use platform with SEO capabilities.

6. Webflow

• Overview: Powerful website builder for visually strong, responsive sites.
• Cost: Free and premium options available
• Features: Regular free workshops, extensive customization options.

Best for those with some experience in web design looking to create a highly customised site.

Steps to Building Your Website

Step 1: Choose a Hosting Service

Based on your needs and budget, pick one of the above services. Consider factors like…

• eCommerce capabilities
• Ease of use
• Customer support

Step 2: Register a Domain Name

Your domain name is the web address people will type in to access your website (e.g., yourcompany.com)

Services like GoDaddy and Namecheap offer affordable domain registration.

Step 3: Select a Template

Most hosting services offer a variety of templates.

Choose one that suits your brand’s look and feel.

Step 4: Customise Your Site

Add your logo, choose a colour scheme, and customise the layout.

Make sure it’s user-friendly and reflects your brand identity.

Step 5: Add Content

Include essential pages like…

• Home
• About Us
• Services
• Contact
• Blog

Ensure your content is clear, concise, and informative.

Use high-quality images and videos to enhance your content.

Step 6: Optimise for SEO

Use relevant keywords in your titles, meta descriptions, and content.

Tools like Google Analytics and Yoast SEO can help you to improve your site's SEO.

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) determines where your site ranks on Google when people search for different things in your industry.

Step 7: Set Up E-Commerce

If you’re selling products, integrate an eCommerce platform like Shopify or WooCommerce.

Step 8: Test Your Site

Before going live, test your site on different devices to ensure it’s responsive and functional.

Why Mobile Optimization is Important

More than half of web traffic comes from mobile devices.

So, if your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you could be missing out on a significant portion of potential customers.

How to Optimise your site for Mobile:

• Choose a responsive template that adjusts to different screen sizes.
• Test and make sure your site looks good and functions well on various mobile devices.
• Make it easy for mobile users to find what they need quickly.

Step 9: Include links to your social media

Integrating Social Media on your website

Social media can drive traffic to your website and help build your brand.

Here’s how to integrate Social Media on your website:

• Include buttons for your social media profiles on your website.
• Regularly share your website content on social media platforms.
• Use social media to interact with your audience and drive engagement.

Step 10: Publish

Once everything looks good, you can publish your site and start promoting it!

Pro tip: Monitor and Improve Constantly by using Analytics

This is important because understanding how visitors interact with your site can help you improve it and increase conversions.

How to Monitor Your Website:

• Track visitor behaviour, traffic sources, and other key metrics with Google Analytics.
• Set goals by deciding what actions you want visitors to take (e.g., sign up for a newsletter) and track them.
• Review the data regularly to identify areas for improvement.

Helpful Tools to Use

You can get free stock photos to use on your website here:

• Unsplash
• Pexels

Here are some free tools for brand colours and fonts:

• Coolors
• FontPair

If you’re here looking to build a website because you’re trying to start a business, you can register your company in a few simple steps with this online service we made for budding entrepreneurs like you.

Building a beautiful website without breaking the bank and without coding knowledge is entirely possible in 2024.

By choosing the right hosting service, customising your site, and making the most of the tools and resources available to you, you can create an impressive online presence that attracts and keeps customers.