Today, if you want to be competitive in the business world, then you need an effective online presence. The problem is, from appearance and functionality to coding and navigation, three are a lot of different elements involved in making a powerful, and user-friendly website.
Designers and web developers need to work together to create sites that delight customers and search engines alike, improving your chances that you’ll make the best impact online. The good news is that if you’re just getting started in the world of website creation, this list should help to keep you on track.

1. Host and Domain Name

While a reliable host will make sure that your site stays up and running 24/7, a great domain name is how you’ll be able to start developing your identity as an online brand. Your domain name needs to accurately reflect your company’s personality while giving your customer an insight into what you’re capable of. Think about how you can combine SEO, with simple spelling and memorability to get the best results.

2. Content Management System Software

You’ll always struggle to develop a fantastic website if you don’t have a programme keeping the backend running smoothly. Although it’s important to make sure that your site looks good on the surface, a CMS solution will help you to keep everything running as it should be behind the scenes. It will also mean that you can add and remove features as your business starts to grow.

3. Great Design

While looks aren’t everything in the world of web design, it’s worth noting that people won’t take your business seriously unless you have a clean and sophisticated website. Work with an expert to ensure that your web design choices reflect the nature of your business and address the needs and expectations of your customers at the same time. A clean design will help people to see the true value of your brand the moment they visit your website.

4. Functionality

A great website needs to be functional – however, that term can mean several different things depending on who you speak to. The first thing you need to determine is whether your website is functional in the most basic sense. Are there any broken links or loading issues that could be holding you back. Once you’ve assessed basic functionality, think about additional concerns such as security features, contact forms, and comment sections.

5. Navigation

Just as a customer needs to be able to use your site easily, they also need to navigate seamlessly from one page to another. If your website is too confusing, then you run the risk that your visitors will simply take their business elsewhere. To increase the appeal of your site, make sure you perform a full audit of your navigation solutions every year and update your options depending on the latest trends and innovations in the marketplace.

6. Speed

When people are searching for information or products online, there’s nothing worse than a website that simply refuses to load. Customers are often instantly turned off if your website is slow, so it’s important to make sure that you take steps to improve speed as much as possible. Periodically evaluate loading times, and make sure that you work with a host that delivers a reliable ongoing level of performance.

7. Security

While security is an important element to consider when building any website, it’s even more important if you’re hoping your customers will buy things from you online. To give your users peace of mind in an age of malware and cyber-attacks, make sure that you have plenty of security measures installed on your site. For instance, an SSL certificate can reduce your risk of browser-based attacks and satisfy customers too.

8. Full Sitemap

If you’re looking for a particular piece of information in a large book, the first thing you’ll do is search for the table of contents. A sitemap can deliver the same value to your website, providing a snapshot of all the material found within. Sitemaps can provide both visitors and search engines with the information they need to navigate your website and determine its value. Remember to update your sitemap whenever you add new content or pages.

9. An Active Blog

Content marketing is one of the most valuable promotional methods for any business today. An on-site blog showcases your value to your customer instantly and demonstrates your authority within a niche. A blog on your website can be a great way to connect with customers, particularly if you link that blog to your social media pages. Just make sure that you write about relevant topics and keep your site consistently updated with new and fresh content.

10. Captcha Tests

Finally, if you want a comment section but you need to avoid the spam, then it’s important to put a captcha test in place. These tests help you to separate robots from humans, ensuring that only humans will make the most of your website’s resources.