Recent figures show that almost 53 million UK residents are using the internet and spending around 17 hours per week online. What’s more, as smartphone and tablet use increases, the need for information on the go will continue to grow. It’s not surprising then that the web is such a valuable marketing tool for any business, no matter what their industry.
Build a free website with Wix
Thankfully, we’re past the days of being forced to hire an expensive website designer and coder to get an online presence. A do-it-yourself web publishing platform such as Wix.com lets you create a website for free, without needing to understand HTML or Javascript code or have any design skills. Building a high-quality, professional website is now at the fingertips of every business owner and individual wanting to reach the millions of web surfers who are shopping and researching from the comfort of their mobile devices.
Before followng the steps below, head to www.wix.com and click the Start Now button. Then click the Create New Account link, and enter a username and password.
1) Select a Template
The first step is to choose from the hundreds of designer-made website templates. There are lots of categories to browse through and get inspiration from, no matter what industry your business is in. Visit the ‘Templates’ page, select one that takes your fancy, click ‘Edit’ and you’re on your way.
2) Customise Design and Content
A business website is your shop window – it’s an extension of your brand and what it stands for. In the ‘Design’ tab you can change the background, colours and fonts to reflect your brand’s personality. Click on any text box to easily personalise the content and add more copy by visiting the ‘Add’ tab. This is the place to tell site visitors what you’re about, so sell yourself with strong website copy - be creative, sharp and clear.
3) Organise Pages and Add Elements
Make the website your own by customising the pages to fit your business. Simply click on ‘Pages’ and delete, add and create subpages to suit your needs. Then if you’re feeling creative, add elements to your website that will entice users to spend more time there. Add galleries to show off your products or services, media your vistitors can interact with and buttons that will generate a call to action.
4) Add Third-Party Apps
Power up your website with third-party apps that will increase your site’s functionality, encourage engagement, and boost profitability. Browse through the ‘App Market’ to find suitable apps for your business – such as Instagram, SoundCloud and Google AdSense - and in a few clicks you can seamlessly integrate these services into your web pages. Another app worth highlighting is Shopify, which allows you to create an online store for selling physical products.
5) Get Social
Integrating social media feeds into your website is an excellent way to keep it current, fresh and interesting. Again, in the App Market you can easily drag and drop social apps into your web pages with no hassle and at no extra cost. You can also encourage site visitors to follow your social channels by adding an easily accessible social bar to the top of your website, found in the ‘Add’ tab of the Wix Editor.
6) Boost SEO
Help Google to find you by maximising your website’s SEO. Manage the SEO for the website as a whole in ‘Settings’ and then for each individual page in ‘Pages’ and then ‘Settings’. To learn more about SEO, follow the links in the Settings tab.
Guest author Ilana Stemmer is Community Account and PR Manager at Wix
