How to Create a Professional Service Based Website in 10 Steps

Having a website for your small business is one of the most essential steps towards attracting an audience and letting your word out. The easiest and simplest way to reach out to your audience in today's world is by having a presence on digital media.

Whether your business is about selling flowers, providing carpet cleaning service, freelance services, or any other small business, a website is mandatory for your business to flourish and develop a brand identity. Having a service-based business requires you to have an interactive, engaging, and aesthetically pleasing website where your audience finds complete information.

Your website shouldn't be cluttered with too much information; rather, have an adequate number of pages so the user can quickly navigate through your website and gets the knowledge he is looking for. Too often, people stuff their website with a lot of content, or on the other hand, leave it empty.

If you still do not have a website for your professional services small business, we have broken down the whole process of creating a website in 10 simple steps. Keep reading to find out how you can establish a business website for your small business:

1. Register a Domain name

This is the first step that you have to fulfill while getting your website made, as it is your website's unique web address and the name through which the audience is going to search your business.

Ideally, your domain name should be the same as your business name, but if the same name isn't available, then you can add a word or two to register a domain name on your business name.

For example, you can add the word "shop," "services," "online," "store" after your brand name if the existing name is already taken. Moreover, you will have to purchase the domain name and pay annual charges for maintenance.

2. Purchase Secure Website Hosting

Next up is purchasing website hosting services; these are the services that you need to keep your website running up on the internet. Your website's domain name is then connected with the hosting services so that your website goes live for the audience.

There are several plans regarding the website hosting starting as low as $2 up to $100. You get a better discount on your annual purchase packages so that you don't have to pay each month for the hosting services.

You can check a few websites hosting companies, including the following:
• GoDaddy
• DreamHost
• Bluehost

3. Write a Clear Description of Your Business

Having a clear description of what your business is about and what you are providing is essential so that the audience stays clear about your business. It is also essential for web crawlers and search engines to rank your inappropriate search results.

Hence make sure your website has a clear and concise description explaining your business. Add an adequate amount of information on your home page and include details in the "About Us" page.

4. Get an Official Email Address

People who are coming to your website could have queries regarding your business, and hence providing a clear way of communication is essential. Get a custom official business email address for your business queries.

This email address mostly includes your domain name; for example, if your business name is "xyz Cleaners," then your official email address can be info@xyzcleaners.com.

5. Invest in a Content Management System

A content management systemis essential to manage and display the content on your website. Create and manage your digital content through a reliable content management system that is easy to use and comes under your budget.

There are several CMS that you can consider for your website, including:
• WordPress
• Drupal
• Squarespace
• Joomla!
• Wix

These systems have their pros and cons that you have to first research to find the best fit for your business. Some of the platforms have amazing plugins through which you can manage your website without having strong technical knowledge of IT. You can also manage the website by simple drag and drop using these systems to make the job easier.

6. Engaging Website User Interface

One of the essential aspects of creating a website is to make it appealing and interactive for the user. There are gazillions of websites present online, so you need to give a reason to your audience for staying on your website.

A few tips to keep your website interactive and user-friendly are:
• High quality graphics and easy-to-read fonts.
• Provide accessible contact information.
• Link relevant pages, for example, contact us, location, etc.
• Include essential pages including Home, about us, Products/Services, Management team, Contact us, relatable images.
• Infographics.

7. Optimize Your Small Business Website for Search Engines

You might have heard the term "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)" a lot. SEO includes the essential practices through which you can rank better on search engines and help people search for your business.

SEO includes the following practices:
• Keyword research and implementation
• Optimal website code
• Fast loading speed
• Content optimization
• Mobile-friendly interface
• Strong online presence

8. Regularly Create and Publish Quality Content

The next step is to keep your website updated and post new content frequently. You don't have to make the website and leave it as it is; rather, keep updating with new offers/ pages/ visuals, etc., so that it stays engaging for the audience. It is also good for your website's search engine recognition.

9. Integrate Webmaster Tools

To track the performance of your website and make improvements based on analytics, you need to integrate webmaster tools. These tools are helpful in several ways:
Track daily, weekly, and monthly visitors to your site
Number of views on each page of your site
• Broken links
• Bounce rate
• SEO tips

10. Implement a Website Maintenance Plan

As mentioned above, you shouldn't leave your website after getting it made; rather, it requires you to regularly update and check the website. Fix the issues that you are facing, update descriptions, add new images, check the performance, and try to update as much as you can.

The website must be maintained and thoroughly checked for errors and issues. Make sure all software used is always up to date and follow the ongoing trends of content marketing to keep the website in a good state.