business plan for website development company

Website Design Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their website design businesses. On this page, we will first give you some background information with regards to the importance of business planning. We will then go through a website design business plan template step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What is a Website Design Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your website design business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategy for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan for a Website Design Agency

If you’re looking to start a website design business, or grow your existing website design business, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your website design business in order to improve your chances of success. Your website design business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Website Design Businesses

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a website design business are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans and angel investors. With regards to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the lender will not only want to confirm that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business.

Personal savings is the most common form of funding for a website design business. Venture capitalists will usually not fund a website design business. They might consider funding a website design business with a national presence, but never an individual location. This is because most venture capitalists are looking for millions of dollars in return when they make an investment, and an individual location could never achieve such results.  With that said, personal savings and bank loans are the most common funding paths for website design businesses.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

If you want to start a website design business or expand your current one, you need a business plan. Below are links to each section of your website design business plan template:

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of website design business you are operating and its status. For example, are you a startup, do you have a website design business that you would like to grow, or are you operating website design businesses in multiple markets?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan. For example, give a brief overview of the website design industry. Discuss the type of website design business you are operating. Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers. Provide a snapshot of your marketing plan. Identify the key members of your team. And offer an overview of your financial plan.  

Company Analysis

In your company analysis, you will detail the type of website design business you are operating.

For example, you might operate one of the following types of website design businesses:

• WordPress website design : this type of business builds websites with WordPress, due to its capabilities, plugin options, and templates.
• Custom website design: this type of business involves developing both the front end and backend of a website using coding, programming, databases, forms, etc. without a content management platform.
• Other platform website design: this type of business uses a variety of other platforms to develop specific types of site, such as e-commerce. Platforms like Shopify or Squarespace make specific site development relatively easy.

In addition to explaining the type of website design business you will operate, the Company Analysis section of your business plan needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to question such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of websites launched, the types of sites developed, etc.
• Your legal structure. Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry analysis, you need to provide an overview of the website design industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the website design industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your strategy, particularly if your research identifies market trends.

The third reason for market research is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your website design business plan:

• How big is the website design industry (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential market for your website design business? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your website design business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: large corporations, small businesses, nonprofits, government entities, and individuals.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of website design business you operate. Clearly, large corporations would respond to different marketing promotions than nonprofits, for example.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, include a discussion of the ages, genders, locations and income levels of the customers you seek to serve. Because most website design businesses primarily serve customers living in their same city or town, such demographic information is easy to find on government websites.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can understand and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.  

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Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other website design businesses.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t direct competitors. This includes individuals who prefer to use template-based platforms to build their website on their own, or from dedicated in-house design teams.

With regards to direct competition, you want to describe the other website design businesses with which you compete. Most likely, your direct competitors will be website design businesses located very close to your location.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their businesses and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as:

• What types of customers do they serve?
• Do they specialize in specific site types (i.e. content sites, e-commerce sites, etc.)?
• What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you provide either a wider range or more specialized range of services?
• Will you offer features such as social media integration?
• Will you provide superior customer service?
• Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.  

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a website design business plan, your marketing plan should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of website design company that you documented in your Company Analysis. Then, detail the specific products you will be offering. For example, in addition to WordPress site development, will your website design business provide custom design options?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your marketing plan, you are presenting the services you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the location of your website design company. Document your location and mention how the location will impact your success. For example, will you operate from a physical office, or will you primarily interact with clients online and/or at their home or place of business? In this section, discuss how your location will affect demand for your services.

Promotions : The final part of your website design marketing plan is the promotions section. Here you will document how you will drive customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Advertising in local papers and magazines
• Reaching out to local websites
• Signs and billboards
• Social media marketing
• Local radio advertising

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your website design business, including marketing, providing consultations, programming, troubleshooting, keeping abreast of new technology, etc.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to launch your 100th e-commerce site, or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to open a website design business in a new location.  

Management Team

To demonstrate your website design business’ ability to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing website design businesses. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act like mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in programming, or successfully running small businesses.  

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statements.

Income Statement : an income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenues and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you complete/launch one website per week, or will you have teams working on multiple projects at once? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets : Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your website design business, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a bank writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement : Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and make sure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

In developing your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a website design business:

• Office build-out
• Cost of buying or leasing a company vehicle
• Cost of office supplies such as computers and software
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Taxes and permits
• Legal expenses

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your office lease, or an overview of the services you offer.  

Putting together a business plan for your website design business is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will really understand the website design industry, your competition, and your customers. You will have developed a marketing plan and will really understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful website design business.  

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How to Start a Web Design Business: Expert Tips from People Who Did It Themselves

Updated: July 18, 2024

Published: January 02, 2024

Have you heard the expression, "If it were easy, everyone would do it?" That saying certainly applies to starting your own business. However, with the right preparation, you'll discover that learning how to start a web design business isn't as hard as you might think.

I talked to two web design business owners who filled me in on everything you need to know about how to start a web design business. I'll walk you through the steps you'll take, plus some pro tips to help you make your launch a success. 

How to Start a Web Design Business: 15 Steps

• Figure out your working arrangements.
• Identify your website design business niche — if you have one.  
• Pick a name.
• Create a mission statement.
• Determine what you want to offer.
• Establish a business plan.
• Seek legal advice.
• Check off administrative tasks.
• Identify pricing.
• Make your branding.
• Create templates and establish workflows.
• Design your website.
• Start building your social presence.
• Train yourself on anything you're not sure about.
• Network in person and online.

Whether you are figuring out how to start a web design business from home or eventually want to open up your own brick-and-mortar location, there are a lot of items to check off before you're ready to take on clients. Here are 15 steps you can follow when learning how to start a web design business. 

1. Figure out your working arrangements. 

Your first step is to figure out your working arrangements. Will you work from home or rent out an office space? Will you interact with clients virtually or offer a brick-and-mortar location where you can meet? And if you're working from home, do you have a professional, private space where you can conduct business? 

It's possible to learn how to start a web design business from home, but by addressing these questions upfront, you'll know how to better set your business up for success. 

Mindy League, UX Director at Elevated Third, owned a web design agency that one of her clients went on to acquire. She knows her stuff — League has worked in digital marketing with B2B giants, including HP, IBM, Thermofisher, and more. When recounting her experience as a web design business owner, League mentions that she feels it's easier to start a business now in a world where working from home is normalized. 

She recounts, in a pre-pandemic world, needing to have a brick-and-mortar storefront where she could work with her team or meet clients. "Now, we have this really more acceptable work from home," she says. "I think it would be easier to start a business now than it was then. Because [then] it was expected that you had a brick and mortar, which was a high cost, a high expense. It was almost validating that you're in business." 

Once you've figured out your physical working arrangements, consider your hardware and software arrangements too. When learning how to start a web design business from home, keep in mind that you'll need all the bells and whistles you would in an office, such as a comfortable seat, functioning computer, and monitor, if you like using one. 

You may need to purchase a new laptop or monitor for your web design business work. Or, maybe you'll need to sign up for Adobe Creative Suite subscriptions. If you're not launching your business ASAP, you don't need to sign up for the software right away to avoid paying for it when it's not in use. However, you should have your physical hardware ready to go. 

Pro Tip:  I know that bills can quickly add up when you're first starting a business. If you're buying a computer, I recommend considering a lightly used one as they're reasonably priced. Or, purchase a gently used desk from a local thrift store to cut costs. What matters most is that your equipment is reliable. 

2. Identify your website design business niche — if you have one. 

Niche or no niche, that's the question. There are pros and cons to both — if you choose a niche, you can become the best in that industry and establish a reputation. Alternatively, if you don't choose a niche, you can garner a large pool of clients across industries. 

One way isn't better than the other; they're just different. 

Macey Miller , the owner of Be Bold Design Studio , has created websites for "all kinds of businesses," though much of the sites she's made have been for woman-owned companies. Miller initially became interested in website design because she wanted a creative outlet when working in marketing at a hospitality technology company. You should trust her advice because, since starting her business in 2018, she's created more than 120 websites. What started out as a side gig became so successful that Miller was able to quit her full-time salaried role in six months.

"I have a lot of friends who own businesses, and they need websites," she shares. "And so I started my business out of really an outlet for creativity, but then also as friends and family needed websites and logos and designs. I was always like, yeah,  I can hop in. I'll do that.  It was a nice break after all the analytical meetings and just all the things that came with …marketing." 

Pro Tip:  If you're stuck, let your portfolio and professional experience inform your decision about whether you'll pursue a niche subcategory of website design or offer more holistic services. If you only have experience creating websites for consumer packaged goods products (CPG), stick with the CPG industry. Or, if you've created websites for educational institutions, food and beverage, entrepreneurs, and more, you may consider sticking with a no-niche agency. 

3. Pick a name. 

I know — picking a business name is tricky! It should be descriptive but not too long. Reflective of your mission, yet clever. Unique but simple. That's a lot to keep in mind. (Psst: If you need help selecting your business name, check out these 300+ examples of business names we love for inspiration.) 

In some cases, you may want to use your own name as the title of your business. If you believe yourself to be the face of your brand, then maybe, using your name is a good idea. Of course, there's also the search engine optimization (SEO) value if you have an uncommon name. 

I advise you to test out your business names in front of family, colleagues, or friends. You can run a poll on LinkedIn to ask others in the industry which they prefer. Picking a moniker is a serious commitment, so be sure you're willing to stick with it for a while. 

Pro Tip:  I suggest doing some research before you commit to your name. When you Google it, if a lot of other agencies pop up, you might want to pick an alternative. If there are already a ton of other businesses with the name, you'll have a hard time securing social media handles, too.

4. Create a mission statement.

Before you begin ideating your company mission statement, I suggest you check out some examples from businesses you admire. ( May I humbly suggest HubSpot ?) 

I also love Be Bold Design Studio's mission statement . It's straightforward, focused on impact, and I love how Miller clearly displays it on the footer of the studio's homepage. 

Your mission statement doesn't have to be too long or intricate. The best mission statements are straightforward and succinct, and they showcase your company's values. 

Pro Tip:  You can include your mission statement on your homepage, footer, or on its own page, depending on how much emphasis you'd like to place on it. 

5. Determine what you want to offer.

You have your name, mission statement, and niche all picked out. Your next step is determining what you want your business to offer. Ultimately, you can make your business as all-encompassing (or niche) as you want. Do you want to offer complete website design services that include add-ons such as branding and logo design or photography? Or do you want to work mainly on website rebuilds? What about maintenance — do you want to offer it or leave clients to their own devices? 

It is  your  business — so you can decide what you want to offer based on both your skills and experience. However, keep in mind that if you don't have a well-rounded menu of offerings, clients may take their business elsewhere, where they can get their website created, logos created, and branding established all in one place. 

Pro Tip:  If you're building your business with a co-founder, League suggests that you consider picking someone with expertise in the opposite of what you do. "When you're getting started, you don't necessarily think of looking for someone who does the opposite of what you're doing," she says. However, by thinking about this in advance, you can reduce the likelihood that you'll need to outsource help. (Psst: That doesn't only apply to business offerings. For instance, if you have the creative portion under control, consider working with someone more analytical who can tackle the finances.) 

6. Establish a business plan. 

In my opinion, writing up a business plan is arguably the most daunting part of learning how to start a web design business. The good news? You don't have to do it yourself — this robust guide to creating a business plan will offer you a life raft.

Your business plan should provide a clear summarization of your organizational strategy for success. You can use your business plan to acquire funding from investors or help forecast your business demands. Most importantly, when starting out a business, your business plan should highlight your goals and the way you plan to achieve them. This is also where you'll tie in your mission statement and business purpose. 

If you're feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of writing your business plan, use one of our free templates to set you on the right track. For example, I love this one page business plan template.

It's concise, asks the right questions, and makes it easy for you to keep all your crucial information in one handy location. You can download it here . 

Pro Tip:  Taking a look at other business's plans can help you figure out how to build out your own. Here are 24 sample business plans to get your creative juices flowing. 

7. Seek legal advice. 

Congratulations; you're about halfway through the process of learning how to create your web design business from home. Give yourself a pat on the back — and take a deep breath because it can be overwhelming. 

Before you go any further in your business ownership journey, it's time to seek legal advice. Your best option is to find a lawyer who has experience working with small businesses and helping ensure they're compliant with all the laws in your jurisdiction. You may need a license to operate your business, depending on what it is and where you live. Or, you might need help deciding whether you want to be a sole proprietor, open an LLC, or start a corporation.

While no one likes shelling out cash for legal fees, the repercussions of not doing so and accidentally violating a law can be massive. Your lawyer can also help you draft the contracts that you'll share with clients when entering into an agreement with them. Getting liability insurance for your business is also a good idea, and your lawyer can advise more on the steps you should take to do so. 

Pro Tip:  Lawyer fees can be expensive — especially when you're just starting out. If the cost of working with a lawyer is prohibitive, I recommend you try to find one willing to do the work pro bono. I'll admit, it can be tricky to find a lawyer that'll do the work for free. But ask around — you may have a connection willing to help out. 

8. Check off administrative tasks. 

I told you learning how to start a web design business isn't always glamorous, didn't I? I promise it will be well worth it. Your next step is to complete various administrative tasks you need to check off your list before your business can open its doors. 

For example, now that you're starting your own business, you'll need to think about how you're going to get health insurance. Maybe you can still be on your parent's insurance, or you have a partner who can take you under their wing. However, if this isn't the case, you need to think through the ways you'll be able to get healthcare.

I know this doesn't seem directly related to starting your own web design business, but it's an important administrative task you need to check off. When you're just starting out, you'll only need to think about getting healthcare for yourself. But if your business grows and you hire teammates, you'll have to think about their insurance, too. 

The next thing you'll want to think about is your retirement plan. You can consider opening a Roth IRA or a Health Savings Account. (Of course, if you want more guidance about what's best for your financial future, I suggest you speak with a financial advisor who better understands your particular situation.) 

Lastly, think through your holiday and vacation policy. You're your own boss now, which means you'll have to be accountable for getting stuff done. Creating a clear vacation and holiday plan is an excellent way to keep you on the right track. Miller believes that holding herself accountable for getting work delivered in a reasonable amount of time is partially why her business has flourished. "I think it is very important to… be true to your word," she says. 

Miller continues, "If you say you're going to deliver something on Tuesday, you need to deliver something on Tuesday. A lot of times with a website design business, you know, it's creatives, and it's hard to pin us down within the website design business. You can be a creative, but you also have to be very, very careful with that more creative energy and focus on making sure that your clients are being served well and efficiently and on time." 

Pro Tip:  If you're struggling with administrative tasks, I highly recommend talking to other small business owners you know who have taken their business full-time to learn more about how they handled administrative tasks when starting out. 

9. Identify pricing.

Now that you know what you have to offer, it's time to decide how much you're going to charge for it. 

Your first step when identifying pricing is to take a look at your competitors' pricing. How much is your competition charging for a website, logo design, branding, and bespoke photography? What about a site refresh? Find out, and make notes of what your top 5-10 competitors are charging. This will inform your rates. I suggest creating a spreadsheet that clearly identifies competitor pricing.

You'll also have to decide if you want to charge a flat rate for a project or hourly. If you go the project route, consider how many hours it will likely take to complete the project and break that down into hourly wages. Remember: You deserve to pay yourself a livable salary. 

Now that you've done your research, consider your business's overhead. Do you have to pay for your space? Have you thought about how taxes factor in? How about the software you'll need to run your business? Did you include your insurance fees when factoring in how much it costs to run your business?

From there, you can subtract your overhead per project from the rate you're thinking of charging. This leaves you with your profit. 

Pro Tip:  Adding testimonials to your website can help you feel more confident about your rates. These testimonials demonstrate the value of your work, and you can easily point to them when conferring with potential clients about budget. For some inspiration, check out HubSpot's Customer Reviews page . 

10. Make your branding. 

We're finally at a fun part of the web design business creation process. You'll have to make your branding before you begin to share the news of your business online. You're a creative, so you likely already know exactly what to do, but here are a few branding tips in case you need them:

Consistency is key — choose a color palette, style of photography, and a few fonts. Then, stick with them. This will give your business a professional flair. 

Create a logo that's not too detailed. If it is, the details will get lost when you shrink it down. 

Try to avoid already popular color pairings because they'll subliminally remind your visitors of other, more famous brands. For instance, red and yellow may not be the best bet for your company because these colors together conjure up images of Ronald McDonald. 

Pro Tip:  Need a dose of inspiration for your business's color palette? These color pairings are sure to wow.  

11. Create templates and establish workflows.

Yes, you have your branding, pricing, and business plan — but you are not open for business yet. First, it's essential to create templates and establish workflows. That way, when you do get your client (and trust me, it will happen), you already have a handle on how to get them onboarded.

Using a project management tool can help you create workflows that hold you accountable and ensure you deliver results on time. I love Asana, Trello, and Notion, so experiment to find one that works best for you and is within your budget.

This is also the time for you to make sure those contracts you worked with your lawyer to create are ready to go. Plus, create a checklist for client onboarding, the steps you'll follow to launch a client website, and make any necessary supporting documentation or templates. You should also have your invoice template in place. If you do all of this, professional is the name of your game. 

Last but certainly not least, determine how you're going to track your time. It's not enough to set an iPhone timer — you need to keep track of your time and how you spend it. There are plenty of time-tracking apps available, some of which even integrate directly with your project management tools. 

Pro Tip:  By having your onboarding checklist ready to go, you'll be ready the moment your first client comes knocking. Plus, you'll score major points with your client for preparedness and professionalism. 

12. Design your website.

You already know how to do this, so I'll leave this one to you. And if you want some sources of inspiration, you know where to find them — here, where I identified the 25 best creative agency websites . 

Just to recap, here are some key things to keep in mind when designing your website. 

Were created with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind. 

Include mindful CTAs, or calls to action . (Psst: You shouldn't only have one place for visitors to go to reach out to you — that CTA should be sprinkled throughout your site so visitors can contact you the moment they feel inclined to.) 

Feature cohesive branding . 

Have testimonials and examples of past work. 

Have a sense of personality so visitors know who you are and why they should trust you with their website. 

Hire a proofreader or ask a family, friend, or mentor to look over your site. Ask them to read through it for clarity and accuracy. 

Consider having a blog on your website and writing posts that target keywords. 

Your goal on your business website is to reduce friction in any way that you can. 

Pro Tip:  About 42.5 million Americans have disabilities . Don't ignore website accessibility best practices when building your website . 

13. Start building your social presence. 

You're almost at launch day, congrats. It's time to start building your social presence. Whether you contribute to collaborative articles on LinkedIn to showcase your web design expertise, create your own X/Twitter posts with a link to your portfolio site, or begin filming trendy TikToks about web design misconceptions, the internet — erm, I mean the world — is your oyster. 

When deciding which social media platforms you want to hone in on, consider this:

Where is my audience?

What platform can I go viral on? (TikTok is great for this because, regardless of whether you have five followers or five million, you can go viral.) 

What platform feels intuitive for me to use? 

How can I best tell my brand story?

Pro Tip:  Ideally, you'll be able to create content for multiple social media platforms. However, focusing on one or two will help reduce stress. Dial in on wherever you're seeing the largest return on investment for your time. 

14. Train yourself on anything you're not sure about. 

Maybe you're a natural-born designer, but sales calls don't come easy for you. Or maybe you've always loved rebuilding websites, but you struggle with offering bespoke logo design services. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses — but your weaknesses don't have to stay weaknesses. You can decide to seek out training to teach yourself more about anything you're unsure about. 

"I think it's easy for people to say like, well, I'm not good at admin, or I'm not good at sales calls, and that's just an excuse," says Miller. "Why don't you go in and learn how to do a sales call? Like I've done two to three sales trainings, which has been very helpful because sales is a part of owning your own business. And if you're not comfortable with selling in a way that is natural and authentic but also just natural and authentic to you, then you won't be able to last." 

Pro Tip: HubSpot Academy has plenty of free courses that can help teach you more about different facets of marketing, sales, and beyond. You can even earn free certifications, which look great when you're trying to build authoritativeness. I've done several courses, and I found them to be both educational and engaging.  

15. Network in person and online.

You did it! You've successfully created your own web design business. I hope you're proud of yourself because I'm proud of you.

Now, it's time to share the incredible news with your family, friends, colleagues, and mentors. Remember to bring business cards with you when you meet with people, and bring along extras so your friends can pass them along to their friends. You never know who may be your first client. 

Online, you can spread the word on your personal and professional social media accounts. You can also reach out to any business owners you know and let them know you're open for business if they wish to enlist your help.

Pro Tip:  Keep your mind open when it comes to finding clients. You never know how your clients will make their way to you — just trust that they will. Be sure to spread the word so everyone you know can have their feelers out in case anyone they know needs a designer. 

What are 5 tips for people starting a web design business?

These five tips from Miller and League — who have actually gone through the process of building a web design business themselves — can help set you up for success. 

Remember that potential clients are everywhere. 

League recounts that when she owned her agency, she was living in Austin, Texas, where she had a large network. "There were a lot of folks that I knew," she says. "And so I would just make new clients at the retail stores, or wherever I was, I would just meet people. Or they knew someone, and then we referred." A valuable lesson to keep business cards with you at all times indeed.

Give back to your clients.

League also suggests the idea of using "swag" to gain momentum for your business. "We gave a lot to our customers," she says. "We had parties and gave them swag. So when we had profit, we really gave them things that we thought they would enjoy. We [were] really appreciative of them. We were constantly giving them mugs, and we made up cute campaigns around it, like a social media campaign. [With the cups, we asked clients to] send us your 'mug shot.'"

Keep in mind that things ebb and flow. 

The reality of owning your own business is that things will ebb and flow; there will be busy seasons and slower ones. However, to keep your business afloat during tougher times, Miller suggests you get creative. "There are a lot of different ways to make money as a website designer," she shares. "One tip is being open to potentially white labeling. There are a lot of agencies that white-label their services and that need freelance graphic designers to kind of come in and help with the workload. 

When you start your own business, a lot of times you think, oh, it's just going to be me, all by myself. I'm going to be getting all these clients, but in those slow seasons, it's nice to lend your services to an agency or even take on some retainer clients and do maintenance work or graphic design work." 

Customer service speaks for itself. 

Another key learning from Miller? That customer service really can set you apart from your competition. "I found that the reality of building a healthy business and a client base requires serving your clients, marketing, networking, and a strong online presence, but really more focusing on serving your clients," she says.

"A lot of people focus more on the design and the creative part, but I truly believe that customer service is almost as equally important as the beauty of creative design. It takes time to build a client base and to establish a reputation." 

Expect to wear a lot of hats. 

Depending on the client, you may have to wear more hats than just the assigned "web designer." For instance, League mentions that entrepreneurs are sometimes more anxious regarding where their money is going than large corporations, as it's their hard-earned cash they're spending. 

"They would get really nervous before the launch because it was the unveiling of their idea," she explains. "And so that, that was something I didn't realize, [that] I had to be so much of a psychologist, making that transition from the bigger agency, you know, to the smaller agency. There was a lot more psychology. Granted, when you work with an agency or with any client, you have to worry, think of, and be empathetic towards them." 

Bring Your Web Design Dream Business to Life 

You officially know how to start a web design business, and it's up to you to decide if you're ready to take that next step toward becoming your own boss. When building your company, keep your why in mind, and commit to customer service. If you do these two things, you can't go wrong. 

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Options and Tips for Creating a Web Design Business Plan

Don’t get too intimidated by writing a web design business plan, a lot of it just means getting down onto paper things you likely have been considering anyway. According to Entrepreneur “Writing…

Estimated Read Time:   40 minutes

Don’t get too intimidated by writing a web design business plan , a lot of it just means getting down onto paper things you likely have been considering anyway. According to Entrepreneur “Writing out your business plan forces you to review everything at once: your value proposition, marketing assumptions, operations plan, financial plan and staffing plan.”

If I can do it – and go from 1 to 10 people in three years, you can too 😉 My wife will tell you… I’m no genius.

Table of Contents

Main Points in a Web Design Business Plan Outline:

1. business concept –.

What is the web design industry like in your immediate area and region? What are the high-level possibilities for the success of your web design business? What are the prime differentiating factors and how you will set yourself apart from the competition?

2. Who is the market for your web design firm?

Who are your customers? Are you serving only mid-sized businesses? Only editorial publications? Churches? Non-profits? Teenie tiny mom and pop shops? Fortune 500 companies? What niche are you looking to serve? What is the demand like for the service? And this leads us into our next question.. What does your pricing need to look like to serve these customers? And it’s not always getting your price down into affordability; maybe you need to price higher so that your company seems more professional and that you can offer above and beyond service. “Price high and justify.”

3. Income and Cash Flow Statement, Balance Sheet etc.

“Start by estimating the revenues generated by an average sale. Then subtract the costs that change with each transaction, like sales commissions and costs of producing the products sold. The result is your “unit contribution.” Next, predict your monthly overhead, or expenses that don’t vary directly with sales volume, such as rent, salaries, utilities, legal fees, and accounting expenses. Finally, divide your monthly overhead by your unit contribution. That number will tell you how many transactions you’ll need per month to break-even.” From this article on Inc. of The Basics of a Business Plan by the Numbers.

Get started with this One Page Web Design Business Plan

General Principles for writing a Web Design Business Plan:

1. Keep your business plan short and simple.

Go for it right now with this One Page Web Design Business Plan .

2. Use visual charts to quickly show key numbers.

3. Do what you do best, and make it look professional.

4. Ask key questions like what will be it’s annual revenue in a year, and in 5 years.

5. What things can I delegate? Sales, Technical or others? How will you attract these people to help, and what will be your key differentiators of process and culture?

6. Is the business plan going to help you raise money? 

7. How much of an initial investment will the business need?

Tools for Creating a Business Plan:

1. LivePlan.com – Visual planning tool, helpful if you really don’t know where to start. It will give you the sections and the template is already there.

2. The Art of The Start 2.0 (Book by Guy Kawasaki) – “It’s most relevant for technology or IT companies, but he has a way of writing that’s very clear, very to the point. There’s not a lot of pedantic info that you’ll find in textbooks.”

3. Score – Business Planning Templates –  Quickly assess your marketing plan, Free business listing list for search engine optimization, Marketing must haves etc.

Thank you for reading! Share the love. 🙂

Keep the content coming, by tweeting this.

Other Links related to Web Design Plans:

• Web Design Sample Business Plan – Executive Summary
• 9 Steps to starting your freelance web design business – Business Tuts
• Plan a Web Development Business Part Two- BPlans
• How to Make a Business Plan for a Website Development Startup – Color Whistle

Getting Your First Web Design Clients

My first web design client was my future mother-in-law, a real doozie. A non-profit, I was paid $500 and an iPad. I’ve also been paid as little as – negative $ for making a website, because I was so eager for real world experience. Do you want a website? I want to give you one.. just let me pay for your hosting and I’ll make the website out of the salt from the sweat of my children.

Don’t sell yourself short. Charge a decent amount.

So the first real website I sold was a couple months later. I was just learning WordPress and I sold a site for 10 monthly payments of $250 dollars. Because it was a fairly simple marketing website and didn’t have a ton of custom features on it, this was actually a pretty solid deal for a starting out web designer.

The first half of selling yourself as a web designer is evidence. Let’s see the goods.

Make sure you have a decent portfolio out there, that you made yourself..

I don’t care if it’s on WordPress, straight HTML, or Ruby on Rails. Get that thing out in the open, give it the best you got and make sure it shows the best of your best work. Code up a non-profit’s website for free if you have to, and show as many real projects as you possibly can. I iterated on my website 3 times, with 2 live at my domain before I ever got my first real set of clients. It doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to exist.

Here’s my site I made in 2012 (click here to see it in the Internet Wayback Machine):

Here’s the site in 2013 (click here to see it in the Internet Wayback Machine):

Yes.. I agree my portfolio was a little weak at this point, but guess what? I was getting clients. I wasn’t by any means, raking them in, but people I knew were coming to me and asking if I could help with their website or help them make a new website. I was eager to be of service, and make enough money to stop bussing tables.

Let the world know you’re making websites now.

Change your job on Facebook to ‘Self Employed Web Designer’, change your LinkedIn –  don’t put Aspiring Web Designer in your Twitter profile, put Web Designer. You’re a big boy (or girl) now. I personally took a good hard running jump at web design, and with one client and one month covered in expenses jumped out into the market as a web designer. No more restaurant job (which for me didn’t pay THAT well anyways.) When people hear that’s what you do, and you take a friendly and helpful attitude when they reach out, or you offer your services you can quickly earn some awareness around the new service you offer.

Don’t wait until you have it perfected, just go for it.

I’m not suggesting you make the new 3M website, or try to sell yourself as a ten year veteran of website design. You can, however, say you will go above and beyond for a client as you are starting out fresh and will do everything in your power to make them an excellent website. If you’ve created a couple of examples, then that can help adjust expectations and although you may need to put ungodly amounts of time into your first couple websites you will earn your chops in the struggle. You’ll figure out how to z-index a logo over the top of overlapping nav div.

In defense of the designer-developer.

Yes, I’m suggesting you will have to write code. Can you sell a website for $2,500 dollars and give half of it away to a front-end developer when you’re starting out? Perhaps, perhaps not. I personally couldn’t, and so… I learned to code. Basics at first, how to modify WordPress themes ever so slightly with CSS. Then cutting and splicing bits of PHP, then eventually writing my own themes from scratch. This is why I suggest having a couple of websites under your belt before really having someone pay you for your web design services; you can find the rhythm that works for you. If you are an epic visual designer who can confidently charge $5,000 for your first website you could potentially find the right person to develop it for you and you can pay them adequately to make it good. It’s really to each is own, because I preach design/development, and you have an equally right  person 2 doors down who wouldn’t touch a CMS to save his life. Literally … my old neighbor above me would sell sites for 7-8k and I thought he was an internet god. He would write the HTML, CSS, and Javascript (In Dreamweaver, hello throwback,) and then outsource custom Content Management System development for 2k. I just wanted to learn how to not pay that 2k .

Other ways to promote your new web design business

• Look for ways to trade your services for advertising : I sold my services in an auction by a Minneapolis newspaper  in exchange for adspace in their lifestyle magazine VitaMN.
• Get every viable social media handle/url under the name you’re using to freelance , promote yourself vigorously on TWO of these, and understand you’re not going to do ALL of them well .
• Make a list of all the acquaintances who have small businesses, and that could use a website. Send them a quick note, and always be of the mind that you’re there to be of service – not sell.
• Go old school and create a flyer : I put boots on the ground and peddled my wares (a one page services sheet – without pricing on it) around every business that I could open the door to in my area of Uptown Minnesota. I focused on what I did that was different. Alot of times this is personal service, since you likely have less clients and more time and attention than alot of web design shops in town. – To be perfectly honest, this didn’t get me a client. Maybe what I’m really suggesting here is hustling your ass off and being as present as possible… take every opportunity to share what you do until you gain momentum.
• Put out content on a blog on your website and promote it on social media : Don’t sell dude. Don’t do it. You can still see my oldest posts on this blog that are salesy… it’s not going to kill your blog, but it’s really boring and no-one wants to read those. Just give as much value as you can, share your experiences and focus on the ONE SERVICE you are really trying to sell and things you’re learning in that discipline. Use it as an opportunity to dig deeper into your craft, and to share as you go.

Price High and Justify

After you promote the living shit out of yourself on social media, talk to your long lost friend with a supplement or house painting business, and make a few mistakes it’s time to price high and justify . You have to charge what people will pay, but as soon as you can push that number up as high as it can reasonably go. Why? If you have high prices it means you can make more excellent work! Justify the price with above and beyond service and you’ll feel great about what you do. Your work will mean more profitable businesses that benefit from the excellent websites you make. It feels good to help people feed their families by helping them get the word out about what makes their business special. And in the end, that’s what it boils down to for me.

Make Sure Your Process Differentiates You from Competitors

It’s important to recognize what your business’s competitive advantage is, and unless you want to build a business that depends upon what’s special about YOU as an individual you have to draw out and nurture the special things about your process. To focus on your own unique specialties alone builds a prison fortress around you, and if you ever want to hire or contract out parts of the business you’re stuck with a business that only works with you sweating away at the center of it; the wizard behind the curtain, slowly getting too tired to perform at the same level.

So for me the key pieces of my web design process as I am learning to define them are:

1. responsiveness to changes that clients need..

– Example: Client asks for a lighter color scheme in development, instead of fretting we work hard to satisfy the request and push back when appropriate to keep within a reasonable budget.

Key to fulfilling: Web design services should not be dirt cheap, and if they are they aren’t taking into consideration the time it takes to build something fully customized for the business’s needs. Templated solutions get generic unfulfilling results. (However, I still feel that for some customers templated solutions such as Squarespace.com and WordPress Themes from Themeforest without custom code can occasionally fulfill their needs and suggest that they try those routes if their budget doesn’t allow to really hire someone to do it right.)

2. Examining the overall market for the client and tailoring the content on the site to the scenarios that could be useful to their favorite kinds of clients.

– Example: Your site is serving people who just suffered hail damage to their home, we assess that a key to surprising and delighting these types of customers is serving up content that is about how to buff out hail damage on their car.

Key to fulfilling: It’s crucial we think about the psychology of the people coming into the site. This is the number one question we ask when making a website: “how can we serve your ideal customer with this content, this imagery, the messages we’re sharing and the story we’re telling.”

3. Building out the main service pages of the website in the hope that the content will attract new customers, making key items like ‘contact us’ and ‘buy now’ super easy to access on the main promos, sidebars, and at the end of content.

– Example: Adding bigger content pieces after key visual blocks on service pages so that the service page is indexable by Google and people who want to really dig into what you have that option. Big old juicy buttons that say “Contact us now” or “Request a quote” are super obvious and surrounded by trust factors such as positive testimonials, industry badges, a phone number, or 3 key differentiating features in bullet points.

Keys to fulfilling: It’s important not only to think about how people are going to perceive this site when they get there but how they are going to get there in the first place. By thinking about big content pieces that could provide big value for the client during the design process, the website can be built in a way that emphasizes and makes those big content pieces that are serving a real need available and to the forefront of the site with menu structure, and other pieces of navigation and structure.

4. Imagery is outside the box, and elicits a positive emotional response from key individuals your business is targeting.

– Example: A Death to Stock Photo image that feels less stock photo-esque and more candid than most stock photos.

Even better, you and your storefront, your set of tools. An ACTUAL satisfied client, smiling and holding your product or enjoying your work.

Keys to fulfilling: Often this involves imagining what a positive interaction between your business and your client will look like. Is it you sitting with them, them smiling, and a chart of upward momentum on the computer screen in front of you? Is it freshly cut grass without them lifting a finger, so they get to smile and sip fresh lemonade on their porch? This is the story we want to display. We want the imagery to feel candid, real and maybe even a bit unusual. But a visitor should be able to see it and think to themselves, I want to be there. They should be able to imagine themselves in the place of the person pictured on the site.

5. The copy is written in a way that quickly explains the core benefit/value from your product or service, invites the visitor to participate, and explains why it will be awesome for them.

– Example: A moving company could say “Your back will thank you, call us for a custom quote today.” A remodeling company could say, “You’ll feel as good as your home will look.” with a call to action button that says, “Get a quote for a fresh look.”

Keys to fulfilling: Never be generic! Shake out the cobwebs in your marketing brain right now. Seriously, every single product or service has a unique and special story behind it, and the customers you serve need to know why anyone would choose you . Why have they in the past? I speak to the business owners and people representing businesses in their marketing teams, and I ask: “Tell me the story of positive customer experience, that you’re aware of.” What does that look like. Tell that story on the site. The more you get curious about these stories and the core benefit a product or service is providing, very few things are truly boring. The more you get interested in the story of the product or service, and tell that positive experience story the more you’ll see that almost anything can be interesting.

And the moral of the story is:

As you can see, the key differentiating features of this design process is a personal connection, customizing the solution to the industry and those specific businesses prime differentiating features, and enthusiasm. That enthusiasm through every piece of the puzzle is crucial. It’s important to note at every step of the process that this is for a business composed of REAL PEOPLE, whose food and shelter depends on telling the story to the world, and REAL PEOPLE who benefit from the product or service being served. This is the real end value. So anyone I work with, or for feels that: the enthusiasm and the genuine intent to provide value. This is key to this design process. 

How to Speak About Design to Establish Trust

“I thought you might like the flourishes in the header, it has that bohemian, natural feeling you were talking about when we first met up to discuss the project.” = FIRE ME . “Thought you might like,” “Going for that feeling,” and “I was inspired to take a fun direction,” all scream of whimsical dainty little artist types who could literally die from the harsh realities of designing for real economic pressures. The real economic reality is that families food and shelter depends on the success of a business, and a key component of how a business does is how that business presents itself to the world through design.

I’m not saying you can’t feel a feeling and apply it to your work in design, but design isn’t art. It is meant to solve real world problems. So instead of focusing on your feelings while presenting to the client, focus on design principles, web design best practices, and the persona’s and scenario’s you established during your discovery phase. Focus the conversation around:

• Design Principles
• Web Design best practices
• Persona’s and scenario’s

Why do design principles even matter?

I’ve had a couple situations lately, where someone seems to be questioning why a font choice even matters. They rolled their eyes when I mentioned a study that called Baskerville the most trusted font. It got me thinking. How am I presenting this wrong? Because I know in my heart of hearts that design matters. <- FIRE ME,  but I can’t seem to always make it dead obvious to people I’m presenting work to.

I want to show them two ads side by side, one with high quality fonts that were chosen with serious intention and one with quickly chosen free fonts , and ask them which of them makes the product they represent seem more expensive, or which one makes the product seem more quality. Because good design does indeed represent products and services in a better light, and makes them seem more high quality. You know that, and I know that, but:

But how do we make the value of design dead obvious?

1. Resolve to help them find solutions to pain points. – Your website looks like shit on mobile, let’s fix that. Your logo has gradients and shadows in it to the point it’s hard to use on shirts and in other simple ways. Let’s address those and work from there how design can help solve problems you’re aware of now. Maybe it expands from there; as a designer, you’re a problem solver and the more you can identify and come up with creative and solid solutions for, the more design solutions you get to get paid for.

2. Dive into their world and become aware of what they value. – For web design you might realize the client cares more about looking cool than contact form submissions. You might realize they value their relationship with their family deeply, that a certain type of customer is their favorite . Once we realize what they care about deeply… pause pause pause …we can help them communicate those values through the design.  By diving in, visiting their shop, asking a lot of questions, and being present we can then better let them know how good design will help them do that.

3. Focus on the things they do understand like ‘Trust factors’, ‘color psychology’ and ‘telling the story.’ – ‘We have to tell the story of your business better,’ is going to resonate with some people better than my fascination with the font Baskerville. Even though I deeply care about typography, it’s just not always as accessible of a topic, or as interesting to clients. What they do understand is how adding a Better Business Bureau badge next to the contact form will help increase the likelihood of people contacting them, and how blue is associated with trust and how green get’s associated with natural, fresh, or innovative. This really depends on the particular client, as some clients can go deep without a lot of prep.

Let’s circle back for a bit and make sure you’re working with the right kind of client:

The client defines the value and the designer discovers it. Ask the client what their business or organization does and why is it important to their target audience. If they don’t give you a quick comprehensible answer they are not ready to work with a designer or an agency. If they do answer the question you should next ask them what success looks like and what their goals are. DO NOT lead them toward what you think success might be. Let them define it.

When you get their feedback, dig deeper. A good way to do this is by asking who their target audience is and what their target audience needs are. If they can’t answer this they are not ready for the value a designer or an agency will provide. The client needs to have experience communicating with their target audience in order to set proper goals. If there’s no goal, how will you know whether or not a project is successful? Here are some red flags to look out for in the beginning stages of communicating with a potential client. I asked a fellow designer, Brenna French to share some thoughts on this issue:

“You sit down at a coffee shop excited to talk to a potential client about the project and the first thing they say is, I want to build a website how much would that be? This is a red flag because this means their mindset is already focused on getting a deal and not on the value you can provide for their business or their target audience.

This goes both ways in the relationship by the way, you never want to position the project or conversation around money. If you talk about money right away this shows the client that you are money hungry or desperate for work. Remember you are a professional and you are serious about your work and the value you can provide. Positioning the conversation around value sets the tone for the whole relationship in a positive way.

Say you get past that money conversation and everything is going well so far so you start talking about the project. The client starts to explain that they are wanting a one-page website design and they also want the main colors to be blue and orange because to them those are beautiful colors, oh yeah they also want a picture of themselves in the main header. This is a red flag because they have too many ideas of what they are visually wanting the end product to look like.

As a design professional, I don’t want to execute the client’s wants in mind. I design the best possible solution for the client’s target audience so the client will reach their business goals. From my experience, a client that has a specific visual direction is difficult to work with. Position the conversation around value. By the end of the conversation, you both are excited to get started. You set clear expectations and attracted the client by positioning the conversation around value.”

– Brenna French

Ask these questions of new possible clients: Is the client sure of their target audience?

Is the client aware of their target audience’s needs?

Are they able to answer right away, what is it that you do and why is it important to your target audience?

Do they start talking about their budget right away? (If they do it might be a red flag – try to change the conversation to talk about value that you’ll provide, not an arbitrary number you come with on the fly without fully understanding the project.)

Do they give off the impression that they understand you’re the expert, that they understand that are only responsible for Content – and Business Goals?

Do they have alot of ideas already about how the website should look? – A possible red flag.

That last one is challenging, and occasionally working for small businesses it’s important to kindly educate your clients on what is your responsibility and what is yours. But needless to say, if they come out of the gate giving strong layout suggestions and explaining their specific vision for look and feel you’re being pigeon-holed into the position of technician implementing someone else’s design, not the dynamic problem-solving designer.

Ways to talk and words to use

Talk confidently and make sure to include examples of previous work where you solved a specific goal-oriented problem. Now is the time to ask what their primary objective is, and to set up a metric for the design you’re working on currently. 100 e-mail list subscriptions, 15 contact form submissions by legitimate prospects, 20 sales the first three months of launch. Make specific goals have a date attached to them. Gathering this information after the design should be part of what you’re being paid to do, and part of what you’re selling.

Do user testing on the old site when they come in, if it’s worth testing. Talk about testing critical things. Words and phrases to use: research, effective, goals, trust-worthy, tell your story, appeal to your core demographic. Always do research on their industry before getting into the site design. Their competitors, and brand positioning. By doing this you better understand what they are up against and you position yourself as the expert with a unique understanding of their dilemma. This is another reason to hold off giving a price for the work until you fully understand the problem at hand.

Share research. You don’t always have to have it on hand when you are discussing a particular issue. But you should do your due diligence, if they want a pop-up newsletter subscription box then you should be able to go find the research on which way of doing that is most effective (right away, timed, or exit intent,) or general tips on making a pop-up effective. I find it especially effective to share these bits of research right before you show the design at all. Come up with three pieces of research to support points that might be contentious or that push their comfort level on the design. Share them briefly before going over the design.

When you get into showing the design, avoid the real estate tour; ‘here’s the logo,’ ‘here’s the nav,’ etc. Go straight for the heart of why the design serves their goals. Talk about flow and conversions, and especially focus on how the design presents their story in a unique and compelling way to appeal to their core demographic. Never ask for feedback, ask if they have any questions. In this way, you can further ingrain yourself in their mind as an expert. I think of it as a bit of swagger. Humble swagger, but you have to have some swagger in this industry.

Content Strategy for Web Designers to Attract Ideal Customers

Devising a workable and effective content strategy can be difficult for any company or brand, as the needs and desires of readers, clients, and businesses always vary from individual to individual, and from day to day. With a bit of work and the following content strategy guide to get you started, you should be well on your way to developing a stellar web design content strategy ! The most important part is that you start, and these practical and actionable strategies will help you get your ass in gear.

Begin with an Introspective Evaluation

Before taking that first step down the road of content creation, the best tactic is to initially spend some time to evaluate where your company, your content, and your brand currently stand. Begin this evaluation by honestly answering a few simple questions:

How is our brand currently perceived in the marketplace?

What are good and bad aspects of the brand’s existing content?

What content-related goals would we like to achieve?

How does our brand match up to other web design competitors?

With these basic questions answered about your brand and where your company currently stands, you can move onto an overall content strategy design by answering “The Five Ws”:

Who is the audience of our content?

When should particular content be available?

Where (in which channels) should the content exist?

Why is the content relevant (or) why will the audience care?

What is the message or purpose of the content?

For example, throughout this article I’ll illustrate examples with a fictional up-and-coming web design firm called Green Lemon Design. The Green Lemon team — who are looking to establish themselves in the web design market as a talented, young, and energetic choice for lower to mid-tier web designs — might answer these questions in the following (simplified) form:

Potential clients: Users seeking low- to mid-range website design and consultation services.

Existing clients: Users who have worked with us in the past.

Most content on the website should be available 24/7, while content that is time-sensitive (such as a month-long new client special deal) can be temporary.

Onsite, Blog, Email, Twitter, Facebook

The audience should be seeking professional and affordable web design services that we can offer (for potential customers) or additional customer support and services (for existing clients).

To inform and educate our audience on the skills and capabilities of our brand, to impress with our past successes and portfolio, and to establish good rapport and relationships with both potential and existing clients.

Establishing Brand, Voice, and Tone Guidelines

With the basic questions answered that inform you of a need to change your content strategy , now is a good time to evaluate the brand, voice, and tone guidelines you’ll utilize throughout the content.

Brand guidelines can cover logo design to color pallette and everything in between. For content strategy , the best places to start are:

Fonts and typefaces : What fonts will be used throughout the content? How about sizes for various elements (paragraphs, headers, testimonials, etc)?

Colors and palettes : What colors best suit your brand or company and can be utilized throughout the content? – Example above includes a distinctive color palette that could be applied to other elements.

Images and logos : Which particular static images or logos should be prominent throughout the content? – It’s useful to repeat symbols such as the ‘greenish lemon’ throughout this piece. This may be particular to the content you put out on your site in general, or a particular blog post or content hub.

Videos and animations : As above, are there any video clips that should be frequent or readily available somewhere in the content?

Voice & Tone

Determine early in the process what kind of voice and tone you wish to attach to your content and thus associate with your brand. This can be difficult at first, particularly without much in the way of experienced writers on staff, but finding an appropriate voice can be a huge boon to your content strategy as a whole.

For example, Green Lemon Web Design may elect to take on a very informal, even humorous tone throughout their content. As a young and fresh company, they may feel most comfortable keeping their tone light-hearted and fun, to attract the business and clientele of smaller, younger companies like themselves.

Onsite Content: The Bread of Your Content Strategy Sandwich

Time to get down to the real core of your content strategy by first devising the outline of content that should exist onsite. Remember, anything  that exists on the company or brand website (with the exception of the blog) is considered onsite content and should be under your complete control.

For our fictitious Green Lemon Web Design, the outline for onsite content strategy might include the following sections:

Voice & Tone : Errors/alerts, testimonials, FAQ, portfolio should have a fun and humorous tone, while a more serious, business tone is necessary for transactional and billing-related messages.

Images : In addition to the logo and color palette established previously, we’d like some professional photography to splash through the core onsite pages (about us, contact us, etc), but with a refreshing twist: Each photo should contain a small green lemon strategically placed and tucked somewhere in the graphic, to bring a branded element into the design for brand awareness and maximum impact.

Portfolio : A list of clients we’ve assisted in the past with small testimonials from business partners from each when relevant.

About Us : Details about how Green Lemon came to be, including headshots of all employees with short, fun bios from each. Employees must provide a quote (think high school graduation yearbook quote, or ask a curious question to get your team showing their true colors.) In my experience looking at analytics for a lot of sites, people visit these pages more than you might initially think. It make sense, because we want to know about the people in your business. Tell us more, give us the inside scoop, tell your story.

Contact Us/Get a Quote : Standard form with name, email, and (optional) telephone fields for potential clients to get in touch. Should we include our company promise to establish return correspondence within 4 hours?

FAQ : Answer basic questions, primarily focused at potential customers. What is our typical turnaround time? What post-design support can we offer? Include a handful of fun and humorous questions at the end as well.

Services : Describe all services we offer, broken into categories (consultation, marketing, technology, industries, etc).

Errors & Alerts : 404 error should be squeezed green lemon with one final drop of juice falling out. Logged in clients with unread messages or invoices should see amusing flash message on each screen until dismissed. Little alerts and responses to contact form inquiries can be an opportunity to show a bit of the companies friendly, human character as well as display being adept with technology and attention to detail.

Blog Posts: That’s the Good Stuff

While strong onsite content is of course critical to the success of any strategy, very often the real meat and potatoes of your online presence is contained within the blog. The blog offers an avenue for expressing ideas and sharing content that is timely, relevant, and inspirational for the audience.

A blog is also a more appropriate channel to take risks — even slight ones — with the content your brand produces. Blog content can be anything from industry news and competitor-vs.-self comparisons to tutorials and how-to guides.

A successful blog is a channel for content that relates to the brand or company, but then extends well beyond the purview of the brand to provide relevant and interesting content for the audience to consume.

Don’t get caught in the old-school idea of a blog, where one or a handful of curators post personal stories and anecdotes. While that type of content is certainly acceptable and sometimes appropriate to a modern blog, try to expand the content well outside the bounds of that traditionally small umbrella.

For example, Green Lemon might highlight some potential blog ideas for their new web designer content strategy :

Leveraging Influencers

A post discussing highly influential creatives in the design space and how they have inspired Green Lemon and other designers. We should emphasize the great projects these creatives have worked on over the years to entice our readers by illustrating how Green Lemon understands the industry and that our team (or freelancer) strives to meet the same standards of excellence.

Discuss the importance of social media contact, even amongst these influences, by tagging them on Twitter with a link to the blog post. An ideal tactic is not to directly ask a question of the power user in question, but to ask a question of our general Twitter audience (e.g. “Designers: How has @Influencer inspired you in your own projects? #GreenLemonDreaming”).

Content Hub Posts

Posts that emphasize a highly-curated and relevant series of links and posts found elsewhere that relate to a particular topic, such as web design. Since a popular group of articles gathered in this singular “content hub”-style post will drive a lot of SEO traffic and referral linkbacks to our site, we can be confident that the effort in putting together these posts is worthwhile and will generate a great deal of buzz and traffic for Green Lemon.

Emphasizing Keywords

As a relatively new company, we cannot be afraid to try emphasizing localized keywords to drive interest and traffic to Green Lemon and bring in potential clients.

A great technique is to create a series of blog posts that highlight particular keywords and heavily focus the relevant aspects of the content on those keywords.

To drive localized traffic we can start with “Web Design in Minneapolis” and “Web Design in Minnesota,” which should feature some location-specific content mixed into the standard information. This can be as simple as pictures or mentions of local attractions in the city or state that residents of these areas who read the article will relate to.

Conversely, we’ll need more broad language and images to accompany our post about “WordPress Web Design,” which should shy away from localized content but instead contain information solely about the techniques and technologies (CMS organization, colors/typefaces, content release schedule, etc).

Inactivity is a Death Sentence

While the initial questions and answers when getting started in the content strategy process as seen above might seem at first to provide only a very rudimentary insight the steps to implement a strategy, there is one key lesson to learn when it comes to anything related to content: Don’t get bogged down by the minutiae and thus never take action .

The biggest mistake anyone can make when it comes to content strategy is to be too passive, to over-assess and over-plan to the point of inaction. Particularly in the online space — where content moves at the speed of light (both figuratively and literally) — failing to act at all on a new content strategy is far worse than taking action and modifying or adjusting the content strategy plan as you learn and grow along the way.

That’s not to say planning and strategy are not important, but in many situations for both companies and clients alike, it is far more important to just “get out there” with the content so the audience can begin to interact with the content or brand than it is to delay far too long with nothing to show for it from a public perspective.

Maintaining Your Flexibility

Content strategies come in all shapes and sizes and should not be solely thought of as a brand-wide, all-inclusive methodology for every piece of content the brand creates.

Instead, content strategies can and should be developed in a modular fashion. Similar to a well-crafted website, an interchangeable content strategy allows for flexibility throughout the process over time, as variables change and the success (or failure) of a particular strategy evolves over time.

This technique should most commonly be used to distinguish between the various channels in which your content resides. A strategy module that suits email campaigns is likely not as well suited for handling social media interactions on Twitter, just as the static onsite content used throughout the site will differ significantly from the content posted on a blog.

Embrace these differences and freely develop multiple modules of your content strategy to fit each appropriate channel. You can and should still maintain an overall parent strategy that infuses elements into every child strategy below that (fonts, colors, common logos/images, etc), but much of the content beyond that will shift as the medium changes.

The Necessity of Taking Risks

A very useful tool when first developing a content strategy is to evaluate the various levels of “risk” involved in any given style or example of content. That is, when a reader or user engages with that content, how likely are they to expect it versus how likely are they to be pleasantly surprised? Additionally as the content creator, how likely is a piece of content to feel standard and safe versus something risky that could fail or be taken poorly, but provide benefit if successful?

There are numerous risk strategies out there, but a solid standard for content strategy used by Portent, Inc. is the 70-20-10 rule .

This rule effectively states that 70% of your content should be safe and expected, 20% should be moderately risky and challenges the standard 70% of your content, and the last 10% should be very risky , such that it is entirely unexpected content or may horribly fail in some way (but will offer large benefits if successful).

For the fictitious Green Lemon Web Design, they have elected to disperse their content using the 70-20-10 rule in roughly this manner:

70%: Most onsite stuff, such as About Us, FAQ, Services, Contact Us/Get a Quote, etc.

20%: Most blog posts that relate to the industry; those that provide assistance to clients, potential customers, or casual readers.

10%: A handful of blog posts that go against the normal, such as emphasizing the great work our competitors have been doing in the past few months or a post about a seemingly unrelated topic to drive traffic and user interest (books, gaming, fishing, etc). We’d also like to add a comparison chart of services and pricing between Green Lemon and popular competitors, which may include features we are weaker at than others but may ingratiate readers to us for our honesty.

Whatever the exact risk assessment is that your own brand settles on, it is vital to not be too afraid of taking risks from time to time. Being a little out there or edgy with your content will make a lasting, memorable impression instead of the countless other examples that are boring and forgotten after a short glance.

A Handful of Content Examples

Below you’ll find a list of example content titles that a new web design firm like Green Lemon — or even you — might find useful to pursue, roughly categorized by intended audience and/or creators.

For Web Designers

Web-for-All: Accessibility for Modern Web Design

Why Improved Design Cannot Solve Content Issues

Content Optimization for Mobile Platforms

Why Email Requires a Responsive Design

And Dash of That..: How A/B Testing Dramatically Improves User Experience

A Bridge Too Far: When Additional Feature Requests Should Be Ignored

This Ain’t Your Granddad’s Pixel: How Modern Displays Are Changing Web Design

Creating Beautiful Graphics and Logos in Pure CSS

The Homepage: When Automation Must Take a Back Seat to Human Control

For Web Marketers

Identifying Your Audience and Content to Meet User Demands

Community is Everything: Why Building a Community is Critical to Content Strategy

Risk vs. Reward: Why Safe is Often the Least Safe

Cultivating Client Relationships

I Like You: Spreading Your Content via Third Party Services

Localization, Love, and Liberation: Why i18n is Critical to Content Strategy

For Clients

Miniature Adults: How Children Utilize the Web and Interact with Your Site

Stay Awhile and Listen: How to Genuinely Engage with Readers

Establishing a Content Strategy for Personal Websites

Online Trapdom: Why Free Services Rarely Are

Just You Being You: How Social Media Encourages a False Sense of Self

Look At All My Resources!

While this article should provide a great starting point to establishing your own web marketer content strategy , there are multitudes of resources online with great information to boost your knowledge and get you down the right path toward content nirvana.

Below are a handful of prime resources to chew through at your leisure, so please enjoy!

Creating a Content Compass : Explores the diverging content strategy of a particular web project across the entirety of a brand’s content universe.

The Magic Content Marketing Ratio: Email Conversion Rate

4 Keys to Capturing a New Audience for Your Content Marketing

Being Real Builds Trust : Discusses why trust with users and clients is among the most vital components of strong marketing content strategy .

Help Your Content Go Anywhere With a Mobile Content Strategy

Future-Ready Content : Developing a web design content strategy that is as future-proof as possible, not just technically but in the manner in which content is created.

Contently Comic: Sponsored Insanity : Explores the pitfalls and trouble that can come from unnecessary sponsored content.

The Most Important Audience for Your Content Marketing : Your Own Employees : How brand and businesses should ensure employees fully understand and adhere to the marketing content strategy .

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How to start a web design business: Step-by-step guide

Want to start a web design business? Read this informative guide for eight essential steps to consider when building a web design company.

Build completely custom, production-ready websites — or ultra-high-fidelity prototypes — without writing a line of code. Only with Webflow.

Here’s what you need to think about before you quit your day job and start your own web design business.

It can be challenging to work a full-time job while also taking on freelance clients, especially if your passion lies with your freelance work. Starting your own web design business is exciting, but it’s important to think about all the factors that could affect this long-term commitment.

Are you sure of your future clients and their demands? How certain are you about their payment credibility? How will you move forward, pay your employees, bear infrastructure costs, and run the daily operations of your web design company?

Before you quit your day job and start your own web design business, you’ll need to consider these questions. Here’s an eight-step process to get you started.

How to start a web design business in 9 steps

Step 1: plan.

Start by asking yourself questions such as:

• What is your company’s niche or focus going to be?
• Are you starting out solo, or will you hire staff or freelancers?
• How many web designers are you going to recruit?
• Will you hire administrative staff, or will designers and developers need to multitask in the beginning stages?
• Where will the location of the new company be, and how much space will it require?
• What’s your budget for equipment such as computers, furniture, software, etc.?
• How much will you initially invest in advertising, marketing, and branding to attract clients?

You’ll need to dedicate a lot of time and resources to get your web design business up and running, so map out clear schedules, budgets, and plans. Be sure to research current web design trends so you can get a feel for what your future clients might request.

If you have a mentor, reach out to them. Talking with someone who has experience starting their own business is a great way to gain valuable insights into the entrepreneurial journey.

Step 2: Determine your services and specialties

• Are you an ecommerce specialist?
• Are you an expert in setting up learning portals?
• Do your services include blogging (providing content regularly), or will your web design deliverables be simple static pages?
• Will you also be hosting your clients’ websites?
• Will you provide SEO (search engine optimization) services?
• Will you offer website maintenance services?

You don’t have to be everything for everyone. Instead, focus on the skills and services you excel at.

Consider offering services that bring in automatic recurring revenue, such as website maintenance and hosting. These services aren’t as hands-on as creating a new website, but they pay off well. For instance, hardware manufacturers make recurring income by offering annual maintenance contracts. Most annual maintenance contracts are billed with no work done as the hardware components are good to run for years.

Step 3: Set up your portfolio

Once you know what aspects of web design you’d like to focus on, build your web design portfolio around them. Your website will be the face of your company, so make sure it shows off your skills and includes your services, prices, and contact information.

If you have happy customers from your freelance days, reach out to them and ask for testimonials that you can add to your site. Those recommendations are crucial for a new business.

Get in touch with your previous clients and ask their permission to showcase their projects on your website. If you are unable to share business names due to confidentiality, consider anonymizing the designs or requiring a password to view them.

Step 4: Establish your business operations

Next up is staffing. When you first launch your business, you might be working solo. But if and when you have the budget, you’ll want to reach out to your network and bring trusted designers and developers to your team. As you grow, you might consider adding administrative and marketing professionals to your team, too.

You may also consider outsourcing mundane tasks you don’t want to pay attention to, such as taxes and finances. And if you have employees, you’ll need to hire a person or service to handle things like benefits and time off for employees.

You and your team will need computers with large high-definition screens and additional monitors (minimum 21 inches) for design work. Verify your camera specifications as well — you’ll need good quality cameras and microphones to communicate with your clients. Consider getting dedicated business internet services so you’ll have fast, reliable connectivity.

Next, build your tech stack with tools for:

• Website mockups and prototypes
• Graphic design
• Web development
• Document management
• Project management

Set up a system to track your ongoing projects. Try to automate most of the day-to-day tasks.

• Use autoresponders to reply to clients who contact you via the contact form, particularly about doing business with you. You can also use email autoresponders when you’re going on vacation or taking leave.
• Find a system that keeps track of hours contributed to a client’s work and then uses that information to create invoices.
• Use apps such as Todoist and Asana for tracking to-do lists and schedules and assigning work.

As you gain more clients, be ready to accommodate your company’s growth and provide resources and changes in infrastructure.

From the fundamentals to advanced topics — learn how to build sites in Webflow and become the designer you always wanted to be.

Step 5: Determine legal requirements

Once you’ve decided on a name for your business, it’s time to make it official.

Determine whether your company will be a private limited, LLC, corporation, etc. according to your country and/or state regulations. For example, if you live in India, you need to get a GST number to pay sales tax on goods delivered to your clients. Plus, you need to register your online domain name as well.

Ensure that your budget accounts for business insurance so you can protect both your physical assets and business.

Business taxes can be complicated, so it’s a good idea to contract a tax professional who can provide guidance and services. Work with them to set up accounting software such as FreshBooks or QuickBooks so that you can easily track business expenses and export the necessary information when tax time rolls around.

Make sure you set up a business bank account for your company revenue and expenses. And don’t forget about accepting payments from your clients! Services such as PayPal or Stripe are great for processing digital payments.

Step 6: Establish deliverables and pricing

Establish a process for keeping your clients updated about deliverables. While your clients probably won’t want a daily update, you should determine specific milestones when you’ll check in with them. Working with your clients throughout the project keeps them engaged and gives them a chance to provide feedback earlier in the process.

Stick to schedules as diligently as possible and don’t forget to account for revisions. Your contract should define what types of revisions are included in the project price (if any) and outline costs for additional changes. If you need to make adjustments, work with the client on a new delivery date so they know when to expect the revised project.

If you’ve been using freelance sites like Upwork or Freelancer, you probably have a good idea of what deliverables to offer, but be careful about setting your prices. When you have your own business, there is more overhead, so you’ll probably need to raise your rates.

There are online calculators and price charts to reference when you are unsure about prices, such as this freelance rate calculator or the Omni finance calculator .

If your budget permits, you can compare your prices to your competitors’ with tools like Luminate Market Price, PROSPros, Zilliant, and Pricefy.

Step 7: Create work contracts and agreements

A vital part of your business is a work contract. Contracts clearly establish expectations and requirements for both parties — you and your client.

The contract should include details related to deliverables, timelines, and prices and account for what-if scenarios. Aim for contracts that are simple and to the point. You don’t want to intimidate clients with massive contracts full of unnecessary legal jargon.

Define the payment terms in the contract. Clearly state how and when you will invoice for work and include instructions on how and when your clients should make payments. Don’t forget to include stipulations for late payments.

Save yourself some time by working with a legal professional to create template contracts based on the different services and packages you offer. This way, you can simply fill in a few details for each new project. You can also use template services like LegalZoom or America’s SBDC .

Step 8: Business

Even if you’re bringing your previous freelance clients into your new web design business, you’ll need a way to attract new customers as well.

Share your website on your personal social media channels to start building brand awareness. You may even want to set up separate business accounts like a LinkedIn company page or Facebook business account.

If you are providing expertise in a particular niche, mention that. That way, you stand out from the crowd. Do you create unique sites for specific industries like gaming, B2B, or software as a service companies? Do you work in a particular industry, or have you worked for government agencies? Showcase some work samples — highlighting your specialties will draw relevant clients to you from among the many looking for web designers.

Don’t ignore the importance of video marketing. Whether it is a YouTube channel or Vimeo, make your presence known with videos.

Email marketing is a good way to promote your business, too. Services such as Mailchimp make it easy to maintain an email list of clients and share promotions, new services, and company updates with them. You could even use a newsletter to share tips or promote an affiliate program that encourages existing customers to spread the word about your business.

You might also want to use customer relationship management software, which works as an autoresponder and an email marketing tool and tracks overall business development, customers, and growth.

Step 9: Continue your education

Remain competitive by keeping an eye on web design trends and setting aside time for improving your web design skills. Sign up for web design courses or watch free lessons online through platforms like Webflow University .

Watching your competition is another way of staying ahead of them. Keep track of your competitors’ websites and growth, and it will inspire and motivate you to do better.

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How to start a website business

This step-by-step guide helps you understand what's involved in starting up and running a website business.

Do you have the skills to build websites and want to make it into a small business? Read on to understand what's involved, from writing a business plan to working on a project.

Why start a website business?

If you've got the skills to develop a professional website, it can give you the freedom to work from anywhere in the world since it’s an online business . You can choose what projects you take on, depending on your preferences and availability. Upfront costs aren’t significant, and most businesses need a website, so there is demand. However, there are many web design and build businesses in the market.

You'll need to invest in suitable software and hardware. And it's essential you have the right skills. These include expertise in HTML coding, graphic design, copywriting, and search engine optimization (SEO).

Some people find running a business stressful. However, reports found that owners of online businesses experienced less stress than owners of brick-and-mortar businesses.

Types of website businesses

As business websites have become more common, tailoring your offering is important. There are plenty of out-of-the-box websites offered by brands like Wix, WordPress, and Squarespace. These tools allow small businesses to build websites without technical knowledge.

Yet there’s still a need for high-quality sites created by experts. Start by thinking about the type of website you'd like to specialize in. These might include any of the following:

• E-commerce websites: This type of website can help small businesses sell products in the digital space. They may need to be able to manage inventory and could integrate with an online shopping app like Shopify or Vend for online transactions.
• Websites for restaurants: Restaurant websites need to keep menus up to date and provide seamless food ordering online. Integration partners may be worth exploring too. One example is DoorDash for easy delivery options.
• Websites for small businesses: A business may not want to sell online; they may only want to promote their brand and communicate what they offer to their target audience.
• Content and information-based websites: These can include anything from blogs and message boards to news and sports sites. At the center is an engaged community, which is managed through the website.
• Portfolio websites: Portfolio sites help people to promote their portfolios of work. Your client might include writers and designers who are often asked to provide examples of their creations.

Step-by-step guide to starting a successful website business

How can you make your website business a success? Follow these steps to write a plan, start a project, and market your business.

1. Research and determine business viability

First, determine the viability of your proposed business and if there is a target market . Does it solve a challenge consumers have? Is it something people are willing to spend money on? And how competitive is the industry?

Depending on the type of websites you want to build, you'll need to find the right software. For content-rich sites, WordPress could be a good match. It includes integrated blogging options for editorial content. Ecommerce sites often use Shopify for their transactions.

Will you need to code anything yourself? It's essential to understand your expertise and if you have all the skills necessary. Outsourcing can be an option, although it does come at a cost.

2. Write a simple business plan

You may not have all the necessary information to create a lengthy business plan . So start simple with a one-pager, and you build on it as you learn more.

Begin by summarizing your business. What is your unique selling proposition (USP), and business goals? It's helpful to understand your market, so include an analysis of any industry trends. Who are your main competitors? And who are your potential customers? All this information is helpful to have in your business plan.

Additional items you may want to include are as follows:

• Marketing plan: how you plan to market your business
• Operations plan: details about your suppliers and business systems
• Management team: who’s in your team
• Financial plan: how you intend to finance your startup and the first year of business, how you plan to grow your business financially, and your pricing strategy

Try this easy-to-use business plan template to get started.

3. Choose a business name

This is the starting point for creating an identity around your brand. If you’re stuck for a good name, try a name generator on Shopify or Wix for inspiration.

4. Determine and create your business structure

You must decide on a business structure, as each has advantages and disadvantages.

Small businesses tend to choose from the following business structures :

• Sole proprietor: One of the most straightforward setup options run by a single owner
• Limited liability company (LLC): This is a popular structure providing limited liability
• S-Corp: This is an LLC with a specific tax designation to help avoid double taxation
• C-Corp: This is like an LLC with limited liability but requires more complex maintenance

Find out more in this guide to business structures . There are legal and tax implications with each one, so seek advice if you need help deciding which to choose.

5. Figure out the basics of your business

It's helpful to set up a business bank account to keep track of your company expenses and income. You may need an employer identification number (EIN) when opening an account. You can apply for an EIN at the IRS. Sole proprietors can use their social security number instead.

Some states may require specific permits or licenses, so research which ones you need . They will depend on where you are choosing to operate as a business.

Do you need help with the operational side of your business? Sourcing product suppliers or technical support? You'll also need a website for your business, which you can create yourself or with the help of your team.

Things to consider on your first website project

You've been given your first project by a client; now what? Here are a few tips to help you make your first project a success.

Main purpose of your client's website

When you start a project, ask your client a few key questions:

• What is the purpose of their website? For example, is it an e-commerce site , or do they only want to communicate their brand?
• Who are their users?
• What is the end goal of the user?
• Do they have any brand guidelines?

They may not have all the answers, but any knowledge they can share will be helpful. You can then decide on the project's main goals together before you start.

Architecture design is critical when building their website. Consider the UX (user experience) of the intended users. What journey do you want them to take through the site? And how can you help them get there?

It may be helpful to have example websites to show potential clients. They can be honest about what they like and don't like and what will work for them. Brand guidelines also help make sure the design and copy are consistent in the way they portray the business.

Choose your client's domain name

You will need to do this for yourself, of course, when starting your own business. But knowing how to do it for clients is an essential part to a website business. It needs to be memorable and easy to say. Your client may already have a URL. If not, you should consult with them on what they want to name their website.

Some things to consider:

• Avoid numbers or abbreviations.
• Ideally, include the name of the business.
• Decide what kind of TLD (top-level domain) you want – this is the suffix of your web address, for example, .com, .net, or .org
• Check with a domain registrar that the chosen domain name is available. You'll also need to make sure the client's website name doesn’t break any trademarks or copyrights.

Possible domain registrars include:

Decide on a web host

A hosting service stores all the data of a website for the public to access at any time. The right web hosting provider depends on the type of business you are working with. Research what they offer to help you choose the right one. Some things to consider when choosing a web host for your customer:

• Do they provide customer support and service so you can get answers to questions?
• Do they offer an SSL security certificate?
• What limitations are there?
• How easy is it to add your domain?
• How reliable is it?
• Are there options for ecommerce and domain email?

There are three main types of web hosts:

• Dedicated hosting: On a private server, so it's often more expensive.
• Cloud hosting: Data is stored on virtual servers.
• Shared hosting: Shared hosting allows multiple websites to utilize a single server. It’s the most common option and the one that most small business owners choose.

Popular website hosting companies include:

Each option varies depending on functionality and budget. Research your options to make the right choice.

Client website design and build

You need to choose a content management system (CMS) that meets the needs of the business. Think about how to build your client's website. You may want to work with a developer to assist with coding and a UX designer to help with the design. Or choose one that doesn’t require any web development, such as:

• Shopify : Most suited for e-commerce
• Wix : Suitable for small to medium businesses and a variety of business types
• WordPress : The most popular business CMS; it's versatile and can be used for online stores, blogs, and portfolios

It is also helpful to know HTML yourself for hand coding. You can then make adjustments and fix things that go wrong with website builders.

As part of the website design , you must decide on the theme, color scheme, fonts, and images. If the client has brand guidelines, you can incorporate any styling into your designs.

Basic pages to include:

• Contact page with a contact form

Other pages will depend on your client's type of web business. It could include services, product descriptions, or frequently asked questions.

A few things to consider:

• Keep messaging clear about how your client's business solves pain points and what it does.
• Include call-to-action buttons on each page that match the information on the page. They shouldn’t all be the same. Instead, use things like "Buy now" or "Contact us."
• Try to use your client's photos rather than stock photos. Photos of people, such as your client's team or products, work well.

Make a case study

Depending on the business, creating a case study can tell a brand's story to attract new customers. CMS platforms like WordPress make creating a portfolio easy. For artists or business professionals, it can be a great way to showcase their work. Make it stand out with compelling copy and engaging visuals.

Ask for recommendations

A referral from another company can build trust in your new business. Once the project is complete, ask your client to recommend you to others in their network or to provide a testimonial that you can use on your website. It doesn't have to be lengthy – just a summary of why someone should use their services or try their products.

Other considerations

Depending on the business needs, there are a few other things you may want to consider:

• Plugins are important for WordPress websites. There are many options for security, SEO, and image compression.
• Establish a payment system for your client if they need one.
• Link your client's business bank account to their online payment system.
• Test the site before publishing it. Make sure it works and displays correctly on all major browsers and devices.

Optimize content for search engines

Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for a website to be found via search engines. Implementing an SEO strategy can help drive traffic to the site and help it rank higher in search engine results. Some things to consider are:

• Use unique keywords on each page.
• Use headers and subheaders with the keywords on each page.
• Add alt tags for all images.
• Maximize the speed of your site.
• Optimize your website for mobile devices.
• Add title tags and title descriptions for your website, including keywords.
• Use a plugin, such as Yoast, to help with SEO
• Keep the content relevant and up-to-date.
• Keep the website architecture and design clean and simple.

Market the business

Now your client’s website is set up and optimized for SEO, it's time to market it to the target audience. There are many different ways to market a business . Research the options and put a marketing plan in place.

As with referrals, ratings and reviews can be fantastic for SEO and building trust in a brand. Does the company already have an online presence on social media? If not, consider which platforms to use and which content to communicate the brand. You could also establish a LinkedIn business page and a Google business profile .

Digital marketing can be a great way to market a new business site. If there's a budget available, consider digital advertising. Paid social media content or working with influencers may work for your business. Email marketing is another avenue to try for new and loyal customers. You may want to advertise in local papers or publications for local businesses.

Xero does not provide accounting, tax, business or legal advice. This guide has been provided for information purposes only. You should consult your own professional advisors for advice directly relating to your business or before taking action in relation to any of the content provided.

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How to Write a Web Design Business Plan

If you’re ready to take your web design business to the next level, creating a business plan is a great place to start. Whether you’re a freelancer who wants to go full time or a professional designer who wants to grow your web design business, a business plan can help you set ambitious goals and determine how to achieve them.

When done right, your business plan should read like a how-to guide, spelling out exactly how you’ll start, build, and grow your web design business. You’ll pitch your business, analyze competitors, identify risks, and set key milestones. You’ll also make financial projections, and share the operational plans, marketing strategies, and sales tactics you’ll use to get there. 

Your business plan should address several audiences at once. It’s a powerful tool for you as you analyze opportunities and devise strategies for meeting your goals. It’s also a great resource to use when pitching clients , partners, and investors on the services you offer.

This versatility speaks to the ultimate value of creating a business plan. While it requires research and foresight up front, it will help you build a web design business that’s both successful and sustainable.

Key components of a web design business plan

Executive summary.

Your business plan should start with an executive summary. Think of this as a TL;DR for anyone reading the document: business plans are often long, and a user-friendly summary can make the read less intimidating.

Introduce the reader to your web design business, and summarize what they’ll find in your business plan. Provide a concise overview of the business’s mission, vision, and key objectives. Highlight the services you’ll offer, emphasizing standout features and competitive advantages that may pique the reader’s interest.

This executive summary should be short. If your business plan is 25 pages long, give it one to two pages. If it’s 10 pages long, write just a few paragraphs.

Though the executive summary is the first thing people will read, it should probably be the last thing you write. After all, it's tough to sum up the rest of your business plan when you haven’t written it yet.

Company description

Help clients, partners, and investors get to know your web design business by telling your business's story . Walk them through your background as a web designer, and share the company’s raison d’être: when, how, and why did you realize this business needed to exist?

This is a great place to build credibility. If past experiences or accomplishments set you apart from other web designers, highlight them. Similarly, if you’re working with a team, share who they are, what roles they’ll fill, and why they’ll make great collaborators .

You’ll also want to cover some nitty-gritty details, like the company’s legal structure (think: LLC, DBA, etc.) and ownership information. 

This section should be concise, but comprehensive—about one to two pages long. You want to fully introduce your web design business without wasting the reader’s time.

Market analysis

To build a successful business, you need a clear understanding of your target customer, your competitors, and the web design industry at large. This information will live in the market analysis section of your business plan, which should be about two to four pages long.

Start by defining your target customer : who is your business trying to reach? Instead of aiming for all web design clients, identify a target market segment—a smaller group of web design customers with shared needs, interests, behaviors, or demographic characteristics. 

Research this group in detail, and use client personas to bring them to life. Client personas are specific but fictitious representations of your target customers. They can help you illustrate the challenges your target customers face and the impact your business will have on them.

With your target clients defined, you can analyze your competitors: which website design businesses occupy a similar niche ? Identify at least five competitors, and honestly evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. Then, clarify how you plan to compete. 

Use your client research to pinpoint where your competitors are falling short. By delivering something they don’t (i.e., lower prices, specific services, etc.), you can stand out . Wherever possible, back up your assumptions with research. Cite trend data, keyword research , or testimonials that show your target customers want something no one else offers.

Round out your analysis with a critical look at your business model: what are its strengths and weaknesses? For example, a smaller target market may be easier to penetrate, but it caps the number of clients you can reach.

Then, assess the web design industry at large. Highlight trends you’re capitalizing on, new technologies you’re taking advantage of, or market weaknesses you’re circumventing.

Services and portfolio

Now that you’ve illustrated the need for your business, give your reader a glimpse of it. List the services you’ll offer , complete with sample prices . Establish your brand identity with a logo, mission statement , and style guide . And include examples of the work you’ll create. These can be relevant portfolio samples , case studies , or freshly made mock-ups.

Spend one to two pages fleshing out your business. Instead of scattering visuals throughout your text, store them in an appendix at the end of your business plan. This will keep your reader from losing momentum and allow them to skip ahead as they see fit. 

Marketing and sales strategies

Once you have a great product, you need a strategy for landing customers and generating revenue. Dedicate one to two pages to the marketing and sales tactics you’ll use, and be specific. If you do the heavy lifting now, you’ll know exactly how to grow your business once you launch it.

List the marketing channels you plan to leverage, and establish a strategy for each one. Create a content calendar for social media posts , newsletters , and content marketing campaigns. Specify what you’ll do for SEO , post on your blog , and spend on paid advertising. You can also detail which networking events you’ll attend or host, how many cold calls you’ll make, and how you’ll generate referrals. Focus on the marketing channels that deliver real value for your business: where is your target audience, and how can you reach them.

Your efforts shouldn’t stop at landing clients. You also need to impress the ones you have. Zero in on your competitive advantage , whether that’s writing standout proposals , offering subscription services , or promising the best value around. Create a plan for regularly checking in with past clients , and consider how you can use discounts , packages, and promotions to keep them coming back for more.

Operational plan

Dedicate one to two pages to business logistics: what will your day-to-day operations look like? 

Think about who you need to hire , what roles they’ll fill, and what responsibilities they’ll have. Compare office spaces, list essential equipment, and consider what web design tools you’ll need to do your best work. Factor in sneaky necessities, like WiFi and office supplies. You’ll also want to think about nice-to-haves, like snacks and coffee for your team.

Your plan doesn’t need to be exhaustive, but it should be practical. These expenses will affect your financial projections, so you want to be as realistic as possible.

This is also a great place to map out internal policies. If you have project management protocols , client communication best practices , or other in-house guidelines, detail them here.

Financial plan

Show that you’ve done your due diligence with a thorough financial plan.* Map out what your balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement will look like every month until you break even. Then, keep going until you reach profitability.

These financial projections should be pragmatic and thorough. Clarify where you’ll get the funding to start your business. If you’re working with investors, list your investment terms. And include every cost you can think of: taxes, depreciation and amortization, operational expenses, and more.

Keep your growth estimates conservative, and explain your math. Don’t expect to gain new clients without increased marketing and sales efforts, and don’t assume you can raise your rates without investing in new tools or team members. 

While any charts, graphs, or spreadsheets you create will live in your appendix, you should still spend one to two pages contextualizing them. Back up your numbers by explaining the calculations you’ve done and the assumptions you’ve made in your forecasts.

Milestones and timelines

While your financial projections offer a timeline for profitability, there may be other major milestones you’re keen to meet. Ask yourself what success looks like at different stages, and create a one-page timeline detailing when you expect to reach each landmark. 

This timeline will help you track your progress as you scale your business . If you miss a milestone, you can analyze why—and adjust the rest of your expectations accordingly.

Risk assessment

While it may seem counterintuitive to end on a low note, thoughtfully addressing risks is a great way to build trust. Dedicate one page to the challenges your business may face, and explain how you’ll handle each one.

By thinking through and planning for the worst case scenario, you can show partners and investors that your business is in good hands. You can also confidently take the next steps in your business journey, knowing that starting a website business isn’t as intimidating as it seems.

As a reminder, your appendix should hold any visuals referenced in your business plan. That includes examples of work, style guide resources, financial projections, and more.

This appendix can be as long as needed. Between your portfolio, style guide, and financial projections, you’ll easily clear two pages. Just be cognizant of your reader’s time and attention. Only feature resources that are illustrative or impactful, and ensure your appendix is easy to read. 

Creating a business plan will show you how to start a web design business, ensuring you’ve accounted for every cost and contingency. Over time—as the industry changes and your goals evolve—you can adapt your business plan to reflect your current ambitions. 

Your web design business plan should include:

Executive summary (one to two pages)

Company description (one to two pages)

Market analysis (two to four pages)

Services and portfolio (one to two pages)

Marketing and sales strategies (one to two pages)

Operational plan (one to two pages)

Financial plan (one to two pages)

Milestones and timelines (one page)

Risk assessment (one page)

Appendix (two or more pages)

Check out Squarespace Circle , Squarespace’s program for professional designers. Along with exclusive content, discounts, and other perks, Circle brings professionals together from all across the globe to exchange advice while connecting with new clients and collaborators.

Lindsey Lanquist is an experienced writer, editor, and content strategist. As a contributing writer for Squarespace (and an amateur web developer), Lindsey enjoys making website building more approachable. She also has a soft spot for all things business and entrepreneurship, and she loves helping people find new ways to grow their businesses.

Web Design Nightmares: Spine-Tingling Situations and How to Fix Them

How to transform your client's website for the holidays.

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Category: Web Development

Date: January 24, 2024

How To Make Business Plan For Your Web Design Agency & Web Development Startup?

I have started ColorWhistle in 2014 as a web development company , so called startup web development company 🙂

Are you planning to start a web design and development company? Whether you’re starting or growing your business, you definitely need a business plan.

Only a business plan can give you answers to a wide-ranging list of questions. It sure is tedious, but it definitely pays off.

The good news is you don’t have to spend days to write a business plan. We will walk you through on how to make a business set up for your  web design agency or web development company . In case you already created one, you can use our guide as a reference to see what you missed.

Web Development Company & Web Design Business Plan

If you want to stand out and be noticed and if you want to succeed, you need to have the right business strategy. Let’s take a look.

1. Who Is Your Audience (ICP)?

Investing in an ICP is an investment in your future. It’s the foundation for growth, efficiency, and a thriving customer base. So, don’t leave your dream customers to chance. Build your ICP today and watch your business soar.

Imagine your dream customer. Someone who not only needs your web design and development services but actively seeks it out, embraces its value, and becomes a loyal advocate. That’s the essence of an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). It’s a detailed portrait of your perfect buyer, built on shared traits, motivations, and challenges.

Targeting specific customers does not mean that you’re excluding others. You are simply targeting a particular set of audience who are more likely to buy from you. Answer these below questions to figure out your target audience.

• Figure out who will seek your web design and development services based on age, location, gender, income level, education level, occupation, ethnic background and relationship status
• Which medium does your audience turn for information?
• How and when will they use your services?
• Is your target audience easily accessible?
• Will they really benefit from your services?
• Can your target audience afford your web design and development services?

2. Understand Your Competitors

Knowing your competitors and what they are offering can help your web design agency and web development company stand out. You can set pricing accordingly and better prepare for rival marketing campaigns. Try to find out answers for these questions.

• What is their market position and what are people purchasing from them
• What is their pricing structure?
• How good is their social media review?

Also, figure out their weakness and find out how it can be addressed by your services.

In today’s economy, there is really no shortage for candidates for any position. It will appear as though employers can find the best candidate for any job. However, it is not that simple. There is always a possibility of hiring the wrong person which can have a negative impact.

Impressive work qualification and work experience are certainly required but, you also have to figure out if they blend with the culture of your organization.

Some of the ways you can improve recruitment process are by looking for a career-oriented person, accessing practical experience, determining strengths needed for the position, asking the right job interview questions, checking candidate background reference, and using phone interviews to pre-screen.

4. Finding Work For Your Start-Up

The next step is finding the work and here is where it can be a challenge to get noticed. One option is to try advertising on  webmaster forums  and business forums. Here you will find people who are looking for web design and other online services and you can connect with those people.

Alternatively, you can try using sites like ‘ UpWork ‘, ‘ Toptal ‘ and ‘ People Per Hour  ‘ which are aimed at connecting online workers with the businesses who need them. You can even try going around your local area and asking businesses if they already have a website!

5. Cash Flow Management

When it comes to financial management of a company, cash is king. Whether you’re a startup or growing business,  cash flow management  is essential for business survival. Failing to manage cash flow puts your business with too much stock, long payment terms, overspending and overtrading. So be prepared, an accurate cash flow projection can give you heads up before trouble strikes.

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Seize and experience the transformative impact of Web Development Services & Solutions with ColorWhistle.

Few Takeaways

In order to compete, you are probably going to have to offer very low rates at least to start with and this is where things can get tough. But a great solution is to use a white label company like ours.

Many businesses hire ColorWhistle to provide work that they will then resell to their own customers.

As we’re based in India we can work for comparatively low rates, that means you can charge more for our work and still make a profit – and your clients don’t need to know we were involved!

You can then use our services either to outsource all your customers – making an almost entirely passive income, or you can use our services to lighten the load or to handle the bits that you don’t want to do.

Either way, you optimize your workflow meaning you can take more projects on and offer the most competitive rates around while doing what you love! Why not give us a call or send us an email to find out more?

In conclusion, running a  web design services company  is a great way to make money but you need to ensure you take time to research the market and that you do everything you can to increase your output while cutting overheads.

In quest of the Perfect Web Development Services & Solutions Buddy?

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About the Author - Sankarnarayan. R

The founder and mastermind behind ColorWhistle is Sankarnarayan, a professional with over fourteen years of experience and a passion for website design services and digital marketing services. At ColorWhistle, our team has a wide range of skills and expertise and we always put our clients’ satisfaction first. This is what sets us apart from the competition – an eye for detail and the best website development services from the start to the completion of your project.

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Web Design Agency Business Plan [Sample Template]

By: Author Tony Martins Ajaero

Home » Business Plans » Online Startups

Are you about starting a web design company? If YES, here is a complete sample web design company business plan template & feasibility study you can use for FREE .

If you are a web designer, there is no limit to the amount you can make as a professional especially if you know how to generate market for your services. The truth is that starting a web design business is one of the businesses you can successfully launch without a start – up capital.

The fact that you are a web designer does not in any way restrict you to a certain way of doing business. First and foremost, you must have mastered the skill, and then you should look outside the box. Looking outside the box could mean that you should also acquire complimentary skills like graphic designing, video editing and video coverage skills et al.

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The bottom line is that if you want to make more money as a web designer, then you should be ready to go out of your way to develop innovative business ideas that is in sync with your skills; ideas that won’t take you too far from your core area of business.

Here below is a sample Web Design Business Plan;

A Sample Web Design Company Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

The web design industry is an industry that basically involves designing websites and hosting same on the World Wide Web (the internet space) for individuals and corporate organization.

In recent time, there is hardly any serious minded business / organization or individual who wants to make impact that does not have a website. A website is one of the most potent platforms to communicate your message or market your services and products.

As internet access becomes affordable, the number of those who visit the internet on a per second basis has tremendously increase hence the increase in the demand for the services of website designers. The fact that there are no entry barrier in the web design industry gives room for any serious minded person to learn the trade and start making money from the industry.

Despite the fact the web design industry is still growing, it is becoming over-saturated, as there are many aspiring entrepreneurs who are becoming web designers due to the massive opportunities available in the industry.

The major factors and incentives which endear people to this industry is the fact that it is in vogue in the world today, and its usefulness cannot be over- emphasized, therefore anybody who wishes to become professional in all aspects of it, and become relevant in any field in the world today will be prompted to go into the web design industry.

The Web Design Services industry is an open industry, hence a low level of market share concentration. Even though large multiservice agencies operate in the industry, revenue is also spread among thousands of small firms and freelancers.

As a matter of fact, no single web design company can account for more than 5.0 percent of the total revenue generated in the industry. This is the reason why freelance web designers accounts for a large percent of the players in the web design services industry.

Everyone will quite agree that the web design industry has come to stay and of course it is one industry that plays key roles not only in the business world, but also in almost all the aspect of what goes around in our world today. The web design industry is indeed a very large industry and pretty much active in all the parts of the world.

Statistics has it that in the united states of America alone, there are about 150,898 registered graphic design companies, employing about 215,562 and the industry rakes in about $24bn annually. Going forward, the industry is projected to grow at the rate of 4.9 percent annually.

Over and above, the web design service industry is very open to any aspiring entrepreneur who have the required skills to start his or her own web design business and of course make good money from the industry. As a matter of fact, it was projected that over the next five years, new technology will continue to emerge that will make it easier for more players to come into the industry hence increasing the competition in the industry.

2. Executive Summary

Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC is a U.S based and world class web design company. We have been able to secure a standard and well – positioned office facility in a central business district in Baltimore, the largest city in Maryland. We are a web design company that is set to compete in the highly competitive web design services industry not only in the United States market, but also in the global market.

Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC will offer all aspects of web design services and graphic design services such as Web Design, Print Media Design, Advertising and Corporate Branding, Graphic and Commercial art services, Corporate Identification design services (logos), Cartoons and Animations.

Our business goal is to become one of the leading web design company in the United States and we will make sure that every website we design conforms to international best practices. Our workers are going to be selected from a pool of talented and highly creative web designers and graphic artists in and around Baltimore and also from any part of the world as the business grows.

We will make sure that we take all the members of our workforce through the required trainings that will position them to meet the expectation of the company and to compete with leading web design companies in the United States and throughout the globe.

We have put plans in place to build a state of the art web design cum graphics studio in Baltimore – Maryland. Our studio will be well equipped and we will ensure that we follow the trend in the industry. At Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC, our client’s best interest will always come first, and everything we do will be guided by our values and professional ethics.

We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our client’s needs precisely and completely. We will cultivate a working environment that provides a human, sustainable approach to earning a living, and living in our world, for our partners, employees and for our clients.

Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC is founded by David Foreman and his friend and business partner for many years Jonathan Cosby. They have a combine experience in web designing, graphic designing, corporate branding and advertising and business management et al.

3. Our Products and Services

Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC was established with the aim of maximizing profits in the web design cum graphic design industry. We want to compete favorably with the leading web design companies in the United States which is why we have but in place a competent quality assurance team that will ensure that any website we design or related services rendered meet and even surpass our customers’ expectations.

We will work hard to ensure that Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC is not just accepted nationally in the United States of America, but also in other parts of the world. Our products and services are listed below;

• Designing Websites for both corporate clients and individual clients
• Developing Websites and Custom Platform Web Development
• Word Press Web Development
• Optimizing Website Functionality for owners of existing websites
• Search Engine Optimization Services and Code Writing Services
• Web Graphic Design and Commercial art services
• Corporate Identification design service
• Other web design related services

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

• Our vision is to establish a standard and world class web cum graphic design company whose services and brand will not only be accepted in the United States of America, but also in other parts of the world.
• Our mission is to provide professional and highly creative web design services and other related services that will assist businesses, individuals and non-profit organizations in promoting their brands and reaching out to a wide range of potential customers all over the globe.
• We want to build a web design company that can favorably compete with other leading brands in the wed design services industry.

Our Business Structure

Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC, is a web design cum graphic design company that intend starting small in Baltimore, but hope to grow big in order to compete favorably with leading graphic web design companies in the industry both in the United States and on a global stage.

We are aware of the importance of building a solid business structure that can support the picture of the kind of world class business we want to own. This is why we are committed to only hire the best hands within our area of operations.

At Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC, we will ensure that we hire people that are qualified, hardworking, creative, customer centric and are ready to work to help us build a prosperous business that will benefit all the stake holders (the owners, workforce, and customers).

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our senior management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of five years or more as agreed by the board of trustees of the company. In view of the above, we have decided to hire qualified and competent hands to occupy the following positions;

• Chief Executive Officer
• Creative Director

Human Resources and Admin Manager

• Sales and Marketing Executive
• Web Designer cum Graphic Artist (5)

Content Creator

Client Service Executive

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive Officer – CEO:

• Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results; developing incentives; developing a climate for offering information and opinions; providing educational opportunities.
• Responsible for providing direction for the business
• Creates, communicates, and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
• Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
• Evaluates the success of the organization

Creative Director:

• Serve as project manager of the organization; works directly with employees
• Responsible for designing concepts for website to be developed for client (s)
• In charge of copy writing and laying out chronological advertisement plans
• Develops strategic plan by studying technological and financial opportunities; presenting assumptions; recommending objectives.
• Accomplishes subsidiary objectives by establishing plans, budgets, and results measurements; allocating resources; reviewing progress; making mid-course corrections.
• Coordinates efforts by establishing procurement, production, marketing, field, and technical services policies and practices; coordinating actions with corporate staff.
• Builds company image by collaborating with customers, government, community organizations, and employees; enforcing ethical business practices.
• Maintains quality service by establishing and enforcing organization standards.
• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; benchmarking state-of-the-art practices; participating in professional societies.
• Make certain that production and development department perform efficiently, coordinate employee efforts, and facilitate communications between management and graphic designer
• Ensures that the organization work in line with international best practices.
• Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
• Defining job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
• Carrying out staff induction for new team members
• Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
• Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
• Oversees the smooth running of the daily office and factory activities.

Sales and Marketing Manager

• Manage external research and coordinate all the internal sources of information to retain the organizations’ best customers and attract new ones
• Model demographic information and analyze the volumes of transactional data generated by customer
• Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts; participates in the structuring and financing of projects; assures the completion of development projects.
• Writes winning proposal documents, negotiate fees and rates in line with organizations’ policy
• Responsible for handling business research, market surveys and feasibility studies for clients
• Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients
• Develops, executes and evaluates new plans for expanding increase sales
• Creates new markets cum businesses for the organization
• Empowers and motivates the sales team to meet and surpass agreed targets

Accountant / Cashier:

• Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
• Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports; analyzes financial feasibility for the most complex proposed projects; conducts market research to forecast trends and business conditions.
• Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
• Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting for one or more properties.
• Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
• Responsible for administering payrolls
• Ensures compliance with taxation legislation
• Handles all financial transactions for Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC
• Serves as internal auditor for Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC

Web Designer cum Graphic Designers (5)

• Liaises with clients to determine their requirement and budget
• Responsible for Optimizing Website Functionality for owners of existing websites
• Responsible for Search Engine Optimization Services and Code Writing Services
• Responsible for developing concepts, graphics and layouts for product illustrations, company logos, and websites
• Responsible for managing client proposals from typesetting through to design, print and production
• Responsible for reviewing final layout and suggesting improvement if necessary
• Responsible for working with clients, briefing and advising them with regards to design style, format, print production and timescales et al
• Determine size and arrangement of illustrative material and copy, and font style and size
• Responsible for liaising with external printers on a regular basis to ensure deadlines are met and material is printed to the highest quality
• Responsible for preparing drafts or material based on an agreement brief.
• Researches and advice the organization on style, genre and other trendy info as it relates to website design and graphic design.
• Responsible for creating content based on clients demand
• Serves as editor for the organization
• Presents contents to customers for evaluation
• Liaises and works effectively with web designer and graphic artists
• Welcomes clients and potential clients by greeting them in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries.
• Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
• Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services
• Manages administrative duties assigned by the creative director in an effective and timely manner
• Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the organizations’ products, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to clients when they make enquiries

6. SWOT Analysis

Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC engaged the services of a core professional in the area of business consulting and structuring to assist our organization in building a well – structured web cum graphic design business that can favorably compete in the highly competitive web design service industry in the United States and the world at large.

Part of what the team of business consultant did was to work with the management of our organization in conducting a SWOT analysis for Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC. Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC;

Our core strength lies in the power of our team; our workforce. We have a team of creative and highly proficient web cum graphic designers, a team with excellent qualifications and experience various niche areas in the web design service industry. Aside from the synergy that exist in our carefully selected web designer, our designs and services will be guided by best practices in the industry.

As a new web design company in Baltimore – Maryland, it might take some time for our organization to break into the market and gain acceptance especially from top profile clients in the already saturated and highly competitive web design services industry; that is perhaps our major weakness. Another weakness is that we may not have the required cash to pump into promoting our business the way we would want to.

• Opportunities:

No doubt, the opportunities in the web design cum graphic design services industry is massive considering the number of individuals and corporate organizations whose businesses depends on the services of web designers and graphic artist. As a web design cum graphic design Services Company, we are ready to take advantage of any opportunity that is available in the industry.

Just like any other business, one of the major threats that we are likely going to face is economic downturn. It is a fact that economic downturn affects purchasing / spending power. Another threat that may likely confront us is the arrival of a new web design cum graphic design company in same location where our target market exist and who may want to adopt same Business model like us.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

• Market Trends

The trend in the web cum graphic design services industry is that the target market keep expanding, people and organizations are now seeing the need for them to have an official website and also to engage the services of graphic designers either in branding or packaging their products and services or in helping them create animations that will help them communicate their brand to a wide range of clients.

For example, politicians no longer rely on graphic artists to design and produce colorful campaign handbills, posters, billboards and other print related campaign materials but also to help them produce animations and cartoons that will help them effectively communicate their message.

Another common trend in the web design services industry is that, most web design firms no longer settle for clients within the location where their physical office is located but also from any part of the world. The truth is that with the advent of the internet, it is now easier for a web design company or a web designer to work for clients in any part of the world.

A web design company can be located in the United States of America and have their biggest client in United Arab Emirates. Many thanks to the power of the internet which has brought the world closer to us. Lastly, the web design industry will continue to evolve due to the advancement of computer technology and software applications designs et al.

8. Our Target Market

Before starting our web design business, we are certain that there is a wide range of both corporate and individual clients who cannot successfully run their businesses without the services of web cum graphic designers. In view of that, we have created strategies that should enable us reach out to various corporate organizations and individual who we know can’t afford to do without our services.

We have conducted our market research and survey and we will ensure that all our web design cum graphic design services is well accepted in the market place. Below is a list of the people and organizations that we have specifically market our products and services to;

• Banks, Insurance Companies and other related Financial Institutions
• Blue Chips Companies
• Corporate Organizations
• Manufacturers and Distributors
• Real Estate Owners, Developers, and Contractors
• Research and Development Companies
• The Government (Public Sector)
• Schools (High Schools, Colleges and Universities)
• Celebrities, Politicians, Public Figures and Public Speakers
• Sport Organizations
• Religious Organizations
• Political Parties
• Television Stations
• Printing Press (Publishing Houses) and Authors
• Branding and Advertising agencies
• Entrepreneurs and Start – Ups

Our Competitive Advantage

Surviving in the business world as a web design industry requires more than, your expertise, knowing how to deliver standard web designs but also how to network with key people that matters; decision makers that can decide who will get a web design contract.

Without a shadow of doubt, there are loads of big time investors, that have a stake in the web design industry; but one thing is certain, there is room big enough to accommodate both the big web design companies and the small web design companies.

What smaller web design companies need to do to survive in the industry is to concentrate on providing web design services to households, event planners, estates, communities, schools, hospitals and hotels et al before bidding for big web design contracts from corporations and government agencies.

We are quite aware that to be highly competitive in the web design services industry means that you are not only expected to be able to deliver consistent and highly creative and users’ friendly websites, but you must be able to meet set targets.

No one would want to continue to hire your services if don’t always meet up with the target date of completion of projects. Our competitive advantage lies in the power of our team; our workforce.

We have a team of creative and highly proficient web designers and graphic designers, a team with excellent qualifications and experience various niche areas in the web design services industry. Aside from the synergy that exist in our carefully selected web cum graphic designers our designs and services will be guided by best practices in the industry.

Lastly, all our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category (startups web design businesses in the United States) in the industry. It will enable them to be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our business aims and objectives.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

• Sources of Income

Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the web design services industry and we are going to go all the way to ensure that we do all it takes to meet and surpass the expectations of all our clients.

Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC will generate income by offering the following web design and graphic design related services;

10. Sales Forecast

One thing is certain; there would always be corporate organization and individual who would need the services of web cum graphic design firms.

We are well positioned to take on the available market in web design services industry and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income / profits from the first six month of operations and grow our web cum graphic design company to enviable heights.

We have been able to critically examine the web design market and we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. The sales projection are based on information gathered on the field and some assumptions that are peculiar to similar startups in Baltimore – Maryland.

Below is the sales projection for Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC, it is based on the location of our business and of course the wide range of our services and target market;

• First Year-: $100,000
• Second Year-: $300,000
• Third Year-: $750,000

N.B -: This projection is done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and there won’t be any major competitor offering same web design services as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.

• Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

We are mindful of the fact that there are stiffer competition in the web design services industry; hence we have been able to hire some of the best marketing experts to handle our sales and marketing.

Our sales and marketing team will be recruited based on their vast experience in the web design cum graphic design industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to be well equipped to meet their targets and the overall business goal of Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC.

Our corporate goal is to grow Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC to become one of the top 10 web design brands in the United States of America which is why we have mapped out strategy that will help us take advantage of the available market and grow to become a major force to reckon with not only in the United States of America but also in other parts of the world.

Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC is set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies to attract clients;

• Introduce our web cum graphic design company by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to individuals, corporate organizations, religious organizations and key stake holders.
• Promptness in bidding for web design and graphic design contracts from the government and other cooperate organizations
• Advertise our business in relevant business magazines, newspapers, TV stations, and radio station.
• List our business on yellow pages ads (local directories)
• Attend relevant international and local expos, seminars, and business fairs et al
• Create different packages for different category of clients in order to work with their budgets and still deliver excellent design and services
• Leverage on the internet to promote our business
• Engage direct marketing approach
• Encourage word of mouth marketing from loyal and satisfied clients

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

We have been able to work with our in house brand and publicity consultants to help us map out publicity and advertising strategies that will help us walk our way into the heart of our target market.

We are set to become the number one choice for both corporate clients and individual clients in the whole of the United States and beyond which is why we have made provisions for effective publicity and advertisement of our web cum graphic design company.

Below are the platforms we intend to leverage on to promote and advertise Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC;

• Place adverts on both print (newspapers and magazines) and electronic media platforms
• Sponsor relevant community based events / programs
• Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook , twitter, YouTube, Google + et al to promote our services
• Install our Bill Boards on strategic locations all around Baltimore – Maryland.
• Engage in road show from time to time in targeted neighborhoods
• Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas
• Contact corporate organizations by calling them up and informing them of Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC and the services we offer
• List our web cum graphic design company in local directories / yellow pages
• Advertise our web cum graphic design company in our official website and employ strategies that will help us pull traffic to the site.
• Ensure that all our staff members wear our branded shirts and all our vehicles are well branded with our company logo et al.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

At Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC we will keep the prices of our services below the average market rate for all of our customers by keeping our overhead low and by collecting payment in advance from corporate organizations who would hire our services.

In addition, we will also offer special discounted rates to all our customers at regular intervals. We are aware that there are some one – off jobs or government contracts which are always lucrative, we will ensure that we abide by the pricing model that is expected from contractors or organizations that bid for such contracts.

• Payment Options

At Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC, our payment policy will be all inclusive because we are quite aware that different people prefer different payment options as it suits them. Here are the payment options that we will make available to our clients;

• Payment by via bank transfer
• Payment via online bank transfer
• Payment via check
• Payment via bank draft
• Payment via mobile money
• Payment with cash

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will help us achieve our plans with little or no itches.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

In setting up any business, the amount or cost will depend on the approach and scale you want to undertake. If you intend to go big by renting a place, then you would need a good amount of capital as you would need to ensure that your employees are well taken care of, and that your facility is conducive enough for workers to be creative and productive.

This means that the start-up can either be low or high depending on your goals, vision and aspirations for your business. The materials and equipment that will be used are nearly the same cost everywhere, and any difference in prices would be minimal and can be overlooked.

As for the detailed cost analysis for starting a web design company; it might differ in other countries due to the value of their money. However, this is what it would cost us to setup Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC in the United of America;

• Business incorporating fees in the United States of America will cost – $750.
• The budget for Liability insurance, permits and license will cost – $3,500
• Acquiring an office space or warehouse that will accommodate the number of employees for at least 6 months (Re – Construction of the facility inclusive) will cost – $100,000.
• Equipping the office (computers, printers, projectors, markers, servers / internet facility, furniture, telephones, filing cabinets, and electronics) will cost – $30,000
• Amount required to purchase the needed software applications – $ 3,500
• Launching an official Website will cost – $500
• Amount need to pay bills and staff members for at least 2 to 3 months – $70,000
• Additional Expenditure such as Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions will cost – $5,000

Going by the report from the market research and feasibility studies conducted, we will need about two hundred and fifty thousand (250,000) U.S. dollars to successfully set – up a medium scale but standard web cum graphic design company firm in the United States of America.

Generating Funding / Startup Capital for Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC

Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC is a business that will be owned and managed by David Foreman and his friend and business partner for many years Jonathan Cosby. They are the sole financial of the business which is why they decided to restrict the sourcing of the start – up capital for the business to just three major sources.

These are the areas we intend generating our start – up capital;

• Generate part of the start – up capital from personal savings and sale of his stocks
• Generate part of the start – up capital from friends and other extended family members
• Generate a larger chunk of the startup capital from the bank (loan facility).

N.B: We have been able to generate about $100,000 (Personal savings $85,000 and soft loan from family members $15,000) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $150,000 from our bank. All the papers and document has been duly signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

The future of a business lies in the numbers of loyal customers that they have the capacity and competence of the employees, their investment strategy and the business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business (company), then it won’t be too long before the business close shop.

One of our major goals of starting Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without the need for injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running.

We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to offer our web design and graphic services a little bit cheaper than what is obtainable in the market and we are well prepared to survive on lower profit margin for a while.

Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and re – training of our workforce is at the top burner.

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of three years or more. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.

Check List / Milestone

• Business Name Availability Check:>Completed
• Business Incorporation: Completed
• Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts various banks in the United States: Completed
• Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
• Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
• Securing a standard office facility for our studio: Completed
• Application for business license and permit: Completed
• Purchase of All form of Insurance for the Business: Completed
• Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
• Generating part of the start – up capital from the founders: Completed
• Writing of Business Plan: Completed
• Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
• Drafting of Contract Documents: In Progress
• Design of Logo for the business: Completed
• Secure trademark for our products: In Progress
• Graphic Designs and Printing of Packaging Marketing / Promotional Materials: Completed
• Recruitment of employees: In Progress
• Purchase of the Needed furniture, office equipment, software applications, electronic appliances and facility facelift: In progress
• Creating Official Website for the business: In Progress
• Creating Awareness for the business: In Progress
• Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
• Establishing business relationship with vendors and key players in various industries: In Progress

How to Write a Business Plan: Step-by-Step Guide + Examples

Noah Parsons

24 min. read

Updated May 7, 2024

Writing a business plan doesn’t have to be complicated. 

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to write a business plan that’s detailed enough to impress bankers and potential investors, while giving you the tools to start, run, and grow a successful business.

• The basics of business planning

If you’re reading this guide, then you already know why you need a business plan . 

You understand that planning helps you: 

• Raise money
• Grow strategically
• Keep your business on the right track 

As you start to write your plan, it’s useful to zoom out and remember what a business plan is .

At its core, a business plan is an overview of the products and services you sell, and the customers that you sell to. It explains your business strategy: how you’re going to build and grow your business, what your marketing strategy is, and who your competitors are.

Most business plans also include financial forecasts for the future. These set sales goals, budget for expenses, and predict profits and cash flow. 

A good business plan is much more than just a document that you write once and forget about. It’s also a guide that helps you outline and achieve your goals. 

After completing your plan, you can use it as a management tool to track your progress toward your goals. Updating and adjusting your forecasts and budgets as you go is one of the most important steps you can take to run a healthier, smarter business. 

We’ll dive into how to use your plan later in this article.

There are many different types of plans , but we’ll go over the most common type here, which includes everything you need for an investor-ready plan. However, if you’re just starting out and are looking for something simpler—I recommend starting with a one-page business plan . It’s faster and easier to create. 

It’s also the perfect place to start if you’re just figuring out your idea, or need a simple strategic plan to use inside your business.

Dig deeper : How to write a one-page business plan

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• What to include in your business plan

Executive summary

The executive summary is an overview of your business and your plans. It comes first in your plan and is ideally just one to two pages. Most people write it last because it’s a summary of the complete business plan.

Ideally, the executive summary can act as a stand-alone document that covers the highlights of your detailed plan. 

In fact, it’s common for investors to ask only for the executive summary when evaluating your business. If they like what they see in the executive summary, they’ll often follow up with a request for a complete plan, a pitch presentation , or more in-depth financial forecasts .

Your executive summary should include:

• A summary of the problem you are solving
• A description of your product or service
• An overview of your target market
• A brief description of your team
• A summary of your financials
• Your funding requirements (if you are raising money)

Dig Deeper: How to write an effective executive summary

Products and services description

This is where you describe exactly what you’re selling, and how it solves a problem for your target market. The best way to organize this part of your plan is to start by describing the problem that exists for your customers. After that, you can describe how you plan to solve that problem with your product or service. 

This is usually called a problem and solution statement .

To truly showcase the value of your products and services, you need to craft a compelling narrative around your offerings. How will your product or service transform your customers’ lives or jobs? A strong narrative will draw in your readers.

This is also the part of the business plan to discuss any competitive advantages you may have, like specific intellectual property or patents that protect your product. If you have any initial sales, contracts, or other evidence that your product or service is likely to sell, include that information as well. It will show that your idea has traction , which can help convince readers that your plan has a high chance of success.

Market analysis

Your target market is a description of the type of people that you plan to sell to. You might even have multiple target markets, depending on your business. 

A market analysis is the part of your plan where you bring together all of the information you know about your target market. Basically, it’s a thorough description of who your customers are and why they need what you’re selling. You’ll also include information about the growth of your market and your industry .

Try to be as specific as possible when you describe your market. 

Include information such as age, income level, and location—these are what’s called “demographics.” If you can, also describe your market’s interests and habits as they relate to your business—these are “psychographics.” 

Related: Target market examples

Essentially, you want to include any knowledge you have about your customers that is relevant to how your product or service is right for them. With a solid target market, it will be easier to create a sales and marketing plan that will reach your customers. That’s because you know who they are, what they like to do, and the best ways to reach them.

Next, provide any additional information you have about your market. 

What is the size of your market ? Is the market growing or shrinking? Ideally, you’ll want to demonstrate that your market is growing over time, and also explain how your business is positioned to take advantage of any expected changes in your industry.

Dig Deeper: Learn how to write a market analysis

Competitive analysis

Part of defining your business opportunity is determining what your competitive advantage is. To do this effectively, you need to know as much about your competitors as your target customers. 

Every business has some form of competition. If you don’t think you have competitors, then explore what alternatives there are in the market for your product or service. 

For example: In the early years of cars, their main competition was horses. For social media, the early competition was reading books, watching TV, and talking on the phone.

A good competitive analysis fully lays out the competitive landscape and then explains how your business is different. Maybe your products are better made, or cheaper, or your customer service is superior. Maybe your competitive advantage is your location – a wide variety of factors can ultimately give you an advantage.

Dig Deeper: How to write a competitive analysis for your business plan

Marketing and sales plan

The marketing and sales plan covers how you will position your product or service in the market, the marketing channels and messaging you will use, and your sales tactics. 

The best place to start with a marketing plan is with a positioning statement . 

This explains how your business fits into the overall market, and how you will explain the advantages of your product or service to customers. You’ll use the information from your competitive analysis to help you with your positioning. 

For example: You might position your company as the premium, most expensive but the highest quality option in the market. Or your positioning might focus on being locally owned and that shoppers support the local economy by buying your products.

Once you understand your positioning, you’ll bring this together with the information about your target market to create your marketing strategy . 

This is how you plan to communicate your message to potential customers. Depending on who your customers are and how they purchase products like yours, you might use many different strategies, from social media advertising to creating a podcast. Your marketing plan is all about how your customers discover who you are and why they should consider your products and services. 

While your marketing plan is about reaching your customers—your sales plan will describe the actual sales process once a customer has decided that they’re interested in what you have to offer. 

If your business requires salespeople and a long sales process, describe that in this section. If your customers can “self-serve” and just make purchases quickly on your website, describe that process. 

A good sales plan picks up where your marketing plan leaves off. The marketing plan brings customers in the door and the sales plan is how you close the deal.

Together, these specific plans paint a picture of how you will connect with your target audience, and how you will turn them into paying customers.

Dig deeper: What to include in your sales and marketing plan

Business operations

The operations section describes the necessary requirements for your business to run smoothly. It’s where you talk about how your business works and what day-to-day operations look like. 

Depending on how your business is structured, your operations plan may include elements of the business like:

• Supply chain management
• Manufacturing processes
• Equipment and technology
• Distribution

Some businesses distribute their products and reach their customers through large retailers like Amazon.com, Walmart, Target, and grocery store chains. 

These businesses should review how this part of their business works. The plan should discuss the logistics and costs of getting products onto store shelves and any potential hurdles the business may have to overcome.

If your business is much simpler than this, that’s OK. This section of your business plan can be either extremely short or more detailed, depending on the type of business you are building.

For businesses selling services, such as physical therapy or online software, you can use this section to describe the technology you’ll leverage, what goes into your service, and who you will partner with to deliver your services.

Dig Deeper: Learn how to write the operations chapter of your plan

Key milestones and metrics

Although it’s not required to complete your business plan, mapping out key business milestones and the metrics can be incredibly useful for measuring your success.

Good milestones clearly lay out the parameters of the task and set expectations for their execution. You’ll want to include:

• A description of each task
• The proposed due date
• Who is responsible for each task

If you have a budget, you can include projected costs to hit each milestone. You don’t need extensive project planning in this section—just list key milestones you want to hit and when you plan to hit them. This is your overall business roadmap. 

Possible milestones might be:

• Website launch date
• Store or office opening date
• First significant sales
• Break even date
• Business licenses and approvals

You should also discuss the key numbers you will track to determine your success. Some common metrics worth tracking include:

• Conversion rates
• Customer acquisition costs
• Profit per customer
• Repeat purchases

It’s perfectly fine to start with just a few metrics and grow the number you are tracking over time. You also may find that some metrics simply aren’t relevant to your business and can narrow down what you’re tracking.

Dig Deeper: How to use milestones in your business plan

Organization and management team

Investors don’t just look for great ideas—they want to find great teams. Use this chapter to describe your current team and who you need to hire . You should also provide a quick overview of your location and history if you’re already up and running.

Briefly highlight the relevant experiences of each key team member in the company. It’s important to make the case for why yours is the right team to turn an idea into a reality. 

Do they have the right industry experience and background? Have members of the team had entrepreneurial successes before? 

If you still need to hire key team members, that’s OK. Just note those gaps in this section.

Your company overview should also include a summary of your company’s current business structure . The most common business structures include:

• Sole proprietor
• Partnership

Be sure to provide an overview of how the business is owned as well. Does each business partner own an equal portion of the business? How is ownership divided? 

Potential lenders and investors will want to know the structure of the business before they will consider a loan or investment.

Dig Deeper: How to write about your company structure and team

Financial plan

Last, but certainly not least, is your financial plan chapter. 

Entrepreneurs often find this section the most daunting. But, business financials for most startups are less complicated than you think, and a business degree is certainly not required to build a solid financial forecast. 

A typical financial forecast in a business plan includes the following:

• Sales forecast : An estimate of the sales expected over a given period. You’ll break down your forecast into the key revenue streams that you expect to have.
• Expense budget : Your planned spending such as personnel costs , marketing expenses, and taxes.
• Profit & Loss : Brings together your sales and expenses and helps you calculate planned profits.
• Cash Flow : Shows how cash moves into and out of your business. It can predict how much cash you’ll have on hand at any given point in the future.
• Balance Sheet : A list of the assets, liabilities, and equity in your company. In short, it provides an overview of the financial health of your business. 

A strong business plan will include a description of assumptions about the future, and potential risks that could impact the financial plan. Including those will be especially important if you’re writing a business plan to pursue a loan or other investment.

Dig Deeper: How to create financial forecasts and budgets

This is the place for additional data, charts, or other information that supports your plan.

Including an appendix can significantly enhance the credibility of your plan by showing readers that you’ve thoroughly considered the details of your business idea, and are backing your ideas up with solid data.

Just remember that the information in the appendix is meant to be supplementary. Your business plan should stand on its own, even if the reader skips this section.

Dig Deeper : What to include in your business plan appendix

Optional: Business plan cover page

Adding a business plan cover page can make your plan, and by extension your business, seem more professional in the eyes of potential investors, lenders, and partners. It serves as the introduction to your document and provides necessary contact information for stakeholders to reference.

Your cover page should be simple and include:

• Company logo
• Business name
• Value proposition (optional)
• Business plan title
• Completion and/or update date
• Address and contact information
• Confidentiality statement

Just remember, the cover page is optional. If you decide to include it, keep it very simple and only spend a short amount of time putting it together.

Dig Deeper: How to create a business plan cover page

How to use AI to help write your business plan

Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT can speed up the business plan writing process and help you think through concepts like market segmentation and competition. These tools are especially useful for taking ideas that you provide and converting them into polished text for your business plan.

The best way to use AI for your business plan is to leverage it as a collaborator , not a replacement for human creative thinking and ingenuity. 

AI can come up with lots of ideas and act as a brainstorming partner. It’s up to you to filter through those ideas and figure out which ones are realistic enough to resonate with your customers. 

There are pros and cons of using AI to help with your business plan . So, spend some time understanding how it can be most helpful before just outsourcing the job to AI.

Learn more: 10 AI prompts you need to write a business plan

• Writing tips and strategies

To help streamline the business plan writing process, here are a few tips and key questions to answer to make sure you get the most out of your plan and avoid common mistakes .  

Determine why you are writing a business plan

Knowing why you are writing a business plan will determine your approach to your planning project. 

For example: If you are writing a business plan for yourself, or just to use inside your own business , you can probably skip the section about your team and organizational structure. 

If you’re raising money, you’ll want to spend more time explaining why you’re looking to raise the funds and exactly how you will use them.

Regardless of how you intend to use your business plan , think about why you are writing and what you’re trying to get out of the process before you begin.

Keep things concise

Probably the most important tip is to keep your business plan short and simple. There are no prizes for long business plans . The longer your plan is, the less likely people are to read it. 

So focus on trimming things down to the essentials your readers need to know. Skip the extended, wordy descriptions and instead focus on creating a plan that is easy to read —using bullets and short sentences whenever possible.

Have someone review your business plan

Writing a business plan in a vacuum is never a good idea. Sometimes it’s helpful to zoom out and check if your plan makes sense to someone else. You also want to make sure that it’s easy to read and understand.

Don’t wait until your plan is “done” to get a second look. Start sharing your plan early, and find out from readers what questions your plan leaves unanswered. This early review cycle will help you spot shortcomings in your plan and address them quickly, rather than finding out about them right before you present your plan to a lender or investor.

If you need a more detailed review, you may want to explore hiring a professional plan writer to thoroughly examine it.

Use a free business plan template and business plan examples to get started

Knowing what information to include in a business plan is sometimes not quite enough. If you’re struggling to get started or need additional guidance, it may be worth using a business plan template. 

There are plenty of great options available (we’ve rounded up our 8 favorites to streamline your search).

But, if you’re looking for a free downloadable business plan template , you can get one right now; download the template used by more than 1 million businesses. 

Or, if you just want to see what a completed business plan looks like, check out our library of over 550 free business plan examples . 

We even have a growing list of industry business planning guides with tips for what to focus on depending on your business type.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

It’s easy to make mistakes when you’re writing your business plan. Some entrepreneurs get sucked into the writing and research process, and don’t focus enough on actually getting their business started. 

Here are a few common mistakes and how to avoid them:

Not talking to your customers : This is one of the most common mistakes. It’s easy to assume that your product or service is something that people want. Before you invest too much in your business and too much in the planning process, make sure you talk to your prospective customers and have a good understanding of their needs.

• Overly optimistic sales and profit forecasts: By nature, entrepreneurs are optimistic about the future. But it’s good to temper that optimism a little when you’re planning, and make sure your forecasts are grounded in reality. 
• Spending too much time planning: Yes, planning is crucial. But you also need to get out and talk to customers, build prototypes of your product and figure out if there’s a market for your idea. Make sure to balance planning with building.
• Not revising the plan: Planning is useful, but nothing ever goes exactly as planned. As you learn more about what’s working and what’s not—revise your plan, your budgets, and your revenue forecast. Doing so will provide a more realistic picture of where your business is going, and what your financial needs will be moving forward.
• Not using the plan to manage your business: A good business plan is a management tool. Don’t just write it and put it on the shelf to collect dust – use it to track your progress and help you reach your goals.
• Presenting your business plan

The planning process forces you to think through every aspect of your business and answer questions that you may not have thought of. That’s the real benefit of writing a business plan – the knowledge you gain about your business that you may not have been able to discover otherwise.

With all of this knowledge, you’re well prepared to convert your business plan into a pitch presentation to present your ideas. 

A pitch presentation is a summary of your plan, just hitting the highlights and key points. It’s the best way to present your business plan to investors and team members.

Dig Deeper: Learn what key slides should be included in your pitch deck

Use your business plan to manage your business

One of the biggest benefits of planning is that it gives you a tool to manage your business better. With a revenue forecast, expense budget, and projected cash flow, you know your targets and where you are headed.

And yet, nothing ever goes exactly as planned – it’s the nature of business.

That’s where using your plan as a management tool comes in. The key to leveraging it for your business is to review it periodically and compare your forecasts and projections to your actual results.

Start by setting up a regular time to review the plan – a monthly review is a good starting point. During this review, answer questions like:

• Did you meet your sales goals?
• Is spending following your budget?
• Has anything gone differently than what you expected?

Now that you see whether you’re meeting your goals or are off track, you can make adjustments and set new targets. 

Maybe you’re exceeding your sales goals and should set new, more aggressive goals. In that case, maybe you should also explore more spending or hiring more employees. 

Or maybe expenses are rising faster than you projected. If that’s the case, you would need to look at where you can cut costs.

A plan, and a method for comparing your plan to your actual results , is the tool you need to steer your business toward success.

Learn More: How to run a regular plan review

Free business plan templates and examples

Kickstart your business plan writing with one of our free business plan templates or recommended tools.

Free business plan template

Download a free SBA-approved business plan template built for small businesses and startups.

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One-page plan template

Download a free one-page plan template to write a useful business plan in as little as 30-minutes.

Sample business plan library

Explore over 500 real-world business plan examples from a wide variety of industries.

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How to write a business plan FAQ

What is a business plan?

A document that describes your business , the products and services you sell, and the customers that you sell to. It explains your business strategy, how you’re going to build and grow your business, what your marketing strategy is, and who your competitors are.

What are the benefits of a business plan?

A business plan helps you understand where you want to go with your business and what it will take to get there. It reduces your overall risk, helps you uncover your business’s potential, attracts investors, and identifies areas for growth.

Having a business plan ultimately makes you more confident as a business owner and more likely to succeed for a longer period of time.

What are the 7 steps of a business plan?

The seven steps to writing a business plan include:

• Write a brief executive summary
• Describe your products and services.
• Conduct market research and compile data into a cohesive market analysis.
• Describe your marketing and sales strategy.
• Outline your organizational structure and management team.
• Develop financial projections for sales, revenue, and cash flow.
• Add any additional documents to your appendix.

What are the 5 most common business plan mistakes?

There are plenty of mistakes that can be made when writing a business plan. However, these are the 5 most common that you should do your best to avoid:

• 1. Not taking the planning process seriously.
• Having unrealistic financial projections or incomplete financial information.
• Inconsistent information or simple mistakes.
• Failing to establish a sound business model.
• Not having a defined purpose for your business plan.

What questions should be answered in a business plan?

Writing a business plan is all about asking yourself questions about your business and being able to answer them through the planning process. You’ll likely be asking dozens and dozens of questions for each section of your plan.

However, these are the key questions you should ask and answer with your business plan:

• How will your business make money?
• Is there a need for your product or service?
• Who are your customers?
• How are you different from the competition?
• How will you reach your customers?
• How will you measure success?

How long should a business plan be?

The length of your business plan fully depends on what you intend to do with it. From the SBA and traditional lender point of view, a business plan needs to be whatever length necessary to fully explain your business. This means that you prove the viability of your business, show that you understand the market, and have a detailed strategy in place.

If you intend to use your business plan for internal management purposes, you don’t necessarily need a full 25-50 page business plan. Instead, you can start with a one-page plan to get all of the necessary information in place.

What are the different types of business plans?

While all business plans cover similar categories, the style and function fully depend on how you intend to use your plan. Here are a few common business plan types worth considering.

Traditional business plan: The tried-and-true traditional business plan is a formal document meant to be used when applying for funding or pitching to investors. This type of business plan follows the outline above and can be anywhere from 10-50 pages depending on the amount of detail included, the complexity of your business, and what you include in your appendix.

Business model canvas: The business model canvas is a one-page template designed to demystify the business planning process. It removes the need for a traditional, copy-heavy business plan, in favor of a single-page outline that can help you and outside parties better explore your business idea.

One-page business plan: This format is a simplified version of the traditional plan that focuses on the core aspects of your business. You’ll typically stick with bullet points and single sentences. It’s most useful for those exploring ideas, needing to validate their business model, or who need an internal plan to help them run and manage their business.

Lean Plan: The Lean Plan is less of a specific document type and more of a methodology. It takes the simplicity and styling of the one-page business plan and turns it into a process for you to continuously plan, test, review, refine, and take action based on performance. It’s faster, keeps your plan concise, and ensures that your plan is always up-to-date.

What’s the difference between a business plan and a strategic plan?

A business plan covers the “who” and “what” of your business. It explains what your business is doing right now and how it functions. The strategic plan explores long-term goals and explains “how” the business will get there. It encourages you to look more intently toward the future and how you will achieve your vision.

However, when approached correctly, your business plan can actually function as a strategic plan as well. If kept lean, you can define your business, outline strategic steps, and track ongoing operations all with a single plan.

Noah is the COO at Palo Alto Software, makers of the online business plan app LivePlan. He started his career at Yahoo! and then helped start the user review site Epinions.com. From there he started a software distribution business in the UK before coming to Palo Alto Software to run the marketing and product teams.

Table of Contents

• Use AI to help write your plan
• Common planning mistakes
• Manage with your business plan
• Templates and examples

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How To Write A Business Plan (2024 Guide)

Updated: Apr 17, 2024, 11:59am

Table of Contents

Brainstorm an executive summary, create a company description, brainstorm your business goals, describe your services or products, conduct market research, create financial plans, bottom line, frequently asked questions.

Every business starts with a vision, which is distilled and communicated through a business plan. In addition to your high-level hopes and dreams, a strong business plan outlines short-term and long-term goals, budget and whatever else you might need to get started. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to write a business plan that you can stick to and help guide your operations as you get started.

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Drafting the Summary

An executive summary is an extremely important first step in your business. You have to be able to put the basic facts of your business in an elevator pitch-style sentence to grab investors’ attention and keep their interest. This should communicate your business’s name, what the products or services you’re selling are and what marketplace you’re entering.

Ask for Help

When drafting the executive summary, you should have a few different options. Enlist a few thought partners to review your executive summary possibilities to determine which one is best.

After you have the executive summary in place, you can work on the company description, which contains more specific information. In the description, you’ll need to include your business’s registered name , your business address and any key employees involved in the business. 

The business description should also include the structure of your business, such as sole proprietorship , limited liability company (LLC) , partnership or corporation. This is the time to specify how much of an ownership stake everyone has in the company. Finally, include a section that outlines the history of the company and how it has evolved over time.

Wherever you are on the business journey, you return to your goals and assess where you are in meeting your in-progress targets and setting new goals to work toward.

Numbers-based Goals

Goals can cover a variety of sections of your business. Financial and profit goals are a given for when you’re establishing your business, but there are other goals to take into account as well with regard to brand awareness and growth. For example, you might want to hit a certain number of followers across social channels or raise your engagement rates.

Another goal could be to attract new investors or find grants if you’re a nonprofit business. If you’re looking to grow, you’ll want to set revenue targets to make that happen as well.

Intangible Goals

Goals unrelated to traceable numbers are important as well. These can include seeing your business’s advertisement reach the general public or receiving a terrific client review. These goals are important for the direction you take your business and the direction you want it to go in the future.

The business plan should have a section that explains the services or products that you’re offering. This is the part where you can also describe how they fit in the current market or are providing something necessary or entirely new. If you have any patents or trademarks, this is where you can include those too.

If you have any visual aids, they should be included here as well. This would also be a good place to include pricing strategy and explain your materials.

This is the part of the business plan where you can explain your expertise and different approach in greater depth. Show how what you’re offering is vital to the market and fills an important gap.

You can also situate your business in your industry and compare it to other ones and how you have a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Other than financial goals, you want to have a budget and set your planned weekly, monthly and annual spending. There are several different costs to consider, such as operational costs.

Business Operations Costs

Rent for your business is the first big cost to factor into your budget. If your business is remote, the cost that replaces rent will be the software that maintains your virtual operations.

Marketing and sales costs should be next on your list. Devoting money to making sure people know about your business is as important as making sure it functions.

Other Costs

Although you can’t anticipate disasters, there are likely to be unanticipated costs that come up at some point in your business’s existence. It’s important to factor these possible costs into your financial plans so you’re not caught totally unaware.

Business plans are important for businesses of all sizes so that you can define where your business is and where you want it to go. Growing your business requires a vision, and giving yourself a roadmap in the form of a business plan will set you up for success.

How do I write a simple business plan?

When you’re working on a business plan, make sure you have as much information as possible so that you can simplify it to the most relevant information. A simple business plan still needs all of the parts included in this article, but you can be very clear and direct.

What are some common mistakes in a business plan?

The most common mistakes in a business plan are common writing issues like grammar errors or misspellings. It’s important to be clear in your sentence structure and proofread your business plan before sending it to any investors or partners.

What basic items should be included in a business plan?

When writing out a business plan, you want to make sure that you cover everything related to your concept for the business,  an analysis of the industry―including potential customers and an overview of the market for your goods or services―how you plan to execute your vision for the business, how you plan to grow the business if it becomes successful and all financial data around the business, including current cash on hand, potential investors and budget plans for the next few years.

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BUSINESS STRATEGIES

How to make a business website, with expert insight

• Amanda Bellucco Chatham
• 11 min read

Get started by: Creating a website →  | Getting a domain →

Every great business idea deserves—and requires—a great business website. And while there was a time when building a website was a complex, time consuming and expensive process, those days are long behind us. Now, website creation is accessible to everyone, no matter how tech savvy (or tech averse) you might be.

With an intuitive, user-friendly website building platform like Wix , anyone can learn how to make a business website complete with fully customizable features, enterprise-grade security and built-in tools for managing and growing your business. All it takes is 10 simple steps; let’s get started.

Build your business website today with Wix.

How to make a business website

Pick a business website template

Choose a web host and domain name

Optimize for SEO

Focus on the user experience

Build relevant pages

Fill your site with rich content

Implement a strong CRM

Include a privacy policy

Promote your site

Track web performance

01. Pick a business website template

Start by taking a look through our top picks for some of the best business websites and best business website examples . This will give you some inspiration ahead of creating your own.

If you’re just starting a business , Wix offers hundreds of professionally designed, fully customizable business website templates based on industry research, from finance to farming and everything in between. (There’s a reason it’s lauded as one of the best website builders for small businesses .)

As you set out to choose a template, thoroughly search the different categories to find the best match for your business goals and persona. Whether it's a tech startup site, a construction company website or anything in between, you should consider the look and feel (modern, simplistic, retro, etc.) that you want your specific business website to express. You should also consider the most important pages and features that would benefit your business. Dafna Rabin, template design team lead with Wix, suggests doing this as step one.

Next, Dafna suggests considering the content you intend to create on your website, and to base the template around that. Do you intend to write a blog? Do you want a large image or video on your homepage? What story is your content telling about your business? These are all decisions that impact which template you choose.

“Think about the flow of the content and the story that you want to tell your users,” Dafna recommends. “What is the first thing they see? What is the second? What is the main call to action (CTA) that you need on your website? What is the most important information that you want your users to see?”

Finally, your template should accurately reflect your brand. “Make sure you fit the website to your brand colors and that your logo is well positioned,” Rabin advises.

Learn more: Website vs CMS

Create your site from start to finish with Wix's website builder .

02. Choose a web host and domain name

To get online, you need a web hosting provider for others to discover your website.

If you’re looking for the best website hosting for small businesses , Wix offers free web hosting that’s protected and reliable, with 24/7 security monitoring and integrated SSL certificates to keep customers safe. It also boosts an impressive 99.9% uptime, meaning your site will stay up and running on secure and stable networks.

Next, you’ll need to get a domain name , also known as your website address, and connect it to your hosting provider. Selecting a strong domain name will add credibility to your business site and provide visibility for your brand. Ideally, it should match your business name for consistency. If you’re stuck on the naming front, try Wix’s free Business Name Generator and domain name search tool to see what’s available.

Additionally, you should follow these best practices when picking a domain name:

Make it easy to pronounce and spell : Your domain name should be easily shareable and understandable.

Keep it brief : Shorter names are user-friendly and easier to remember. Typing a lengthy name into the address bar is more susceptible to typos than a short name.

Be unique and consistent : You want to stand out against the crowd. It’s also a good idea to keep your domain name in line with your brand, paving the way for a cohesive online presence.

Avoid numbers and hyphens : These are often too confusing (is it 5 or five?) or difficult to remember. Hyphens, in particular, are easy to misplace when typing.

Need help finding a catchy title for your domain name? Use a domain name generator for inspiration and ideas that will help your business site stand out.

You'll also need to consider what domain extension you want to use:

.xyz domain

.store domain

.info domain

.company domain

.digital domain

Wix user spotlight : New York-based product designer Sohpie Brittain has a simple yet striking website design with the easy-to-remember URL of sophiebritt.com. Choosing a domain name based on your actual name can be an effective and memorable strategy for service-based businesses such as creative work, consulting, coaching, etc.

03. Optimize for SEO

SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process ensuring websites can rank well on search engines through organic queries. Why is this so important? Rebecca Tomasis, SEO expert for Wix Blogs, explains: "The higher you rank in search, and the more keywords you rank for—the greater your visibility, traffic and potential for conversions or sales."

Though there is a lot to learn about how to get your business found on Google, you can begin by implementing some of these essential SEO strategies on your site:

Find relevant keywords : You’ll need to do keyword research to better understand what your potential customers search for—the exact phrases or words they use to find specific products, services and solutions. Implementing these keywords naturally on your website, from the page heading and content to the image alt text, will help improve your rank in relevant search results. "Make sure your content is helpful and answers the intent behind the search term as directly and as clearly as possible," advises Rebecca.

Improve your website performance : Website performance impacts your site’s position on search engine results. Your web pages should fully load or display in both desktop and mobile browsers in one to two seconds. Some ways to improve your website performance include uploading correct image sizes, for example, using JPEG files over PNG, and avoiding overloading your web pages with content.

Add a meta description : This is the short summary of your website that appears below your URL in search results or social shares. Having strong, keyword-optimized meta description copy can enhance your website’s click-through rate, boosting your chances of ranking higher in search engine results.

There are a number of robust Wix SEO tools you can use to start optimizing your website right out of the box, including customized structured data markup, a flexible URL redirect manager and integration with Google Search Console and Semrush.

04. Focus on the user experience

An effective website design will influence how your customers perceive you and your brand. Moreover, creating a good user experience can help your visitors feel satisfied with your business and can positively affect your website’s traffic, conversion and bounce rates.

When you're done editing your website, check how it feels live. “You need to check it in the browser; check how it looks and scrolls,” says Dafna. “Check it on mobile (which a lot of times people forget to do). Check it in other screen resolutions and make sure everything is visible, everything is accessible and people can read it.”

Mobile devices account for more than half of web traffic worldwide , so it you’ll definitely want to consider how visitors view this version of your site. Wix’s mobile editor will show you how your site design looks on mobile view so you can optimize your pages accordingly.

Additionally, you’ll want to pay attention to the following:

Navigation menu : Website navigation can make or break a user’s experience. To optimize navigation and satisfy visitors, choose the right menu for your audience and site. For example, the classic menu is placed at the top of every web page (the site’s header). Or the hamburger menu, a widely recognizable yet simple three-line icon, that’s more commonly used on mobile websites.

Calls to action (CTA) : A CTA button is an element with the goal of getting people to take a certain action, such as “contact,” “buy,” “subscribe” or “submit.” An effective CTA depends on the text, color, size, shape and even placement on your site, all of which entice a user to click and move towards making a purchase or filling a contact form.

Social media links : The social media icons or links displayed on your site can affect the user experience. You can add X (formerly Twitter), Facebook or Instagram icons in your copy to help visitors further engage with your business. Place them prominently in headers and footers as reminders to visitors, or integrate live social media feeds. Additionally, you can implement a social bar to your site, linking visitors directly to any of your social channels.

If you need additional features and functionality, Wix Market apps offer hundreds of solutions for third-party integrations for your business. And, if you need different—or more—visual assets, you don’t have to turn farther than your Wix site editor. “We have this huge content library that you can go to and find thousands of assets: images, videos, stickers, icons, everything you need for many different types of businesses and industries,” Dafna notes. And, all assets are available in resolutions that work across multiple screens.

Wix user spotlight : Serving people throughout North and South Carolina, The Law Office of David McWilliam specializes in family law, estate planning and mediation. The firm’s website features a clean, user-friendly design with clear navigation and call-to-action buttons that are easy to read and find.

05. Build relevant pages

In learning how to create a website , you’ll discover that having multiple pages is a must for your business. This allows you to cover a broad range of content, products or services and nearly every nut and bolt of your venture.

Consider these essential pages when deciding what to include on a business website:

Homepage : Often compared to being the storefront of your business, an attractive homepage will hook your potential customers if it’s inviting and easy to navigate. Ensure this by using eye-catching images or videos, as well as readable fonts. Also place strategic calls to action throughout your site to guide visitors to take further steps.

About : Prospective clients want to know who you are and what distinguishes you from competitors. An “About Us” page effectively communicates this vital information, as well as your business’s story, goals, values and mission statement. If you have a particularly small business, you can also consider adding a professional bio to this page. Not sure where to begin? Wix's AI text generator can create an "About" page for you in seconds. Our guide to how to write a bio can also help.

Contact : A contact page is the best way for potential customers to get in touch with you. This page should include all your contact information, such as location, business phone number , social media links, business email address and a short contact form.

Online store : With online sales on the rise , it has become essential for many businesses to adapt to an eCommerce model. Setting up an online store comes with several benefits, as advanced web tools can help you manage and scale your small business. These include everything from managing order fulfillment and creating a customized checkout experience for customers to accepting payments . Once you’ve decided how to make your eCommerce site , you’ll be able to streamline all your operations from a single powerful dashboard—on desktop and mobile.

Bookings page : If you’re a service provider, you know that extending convenience and efficiency to potential clients is a crucial part of your business. Adding an online scheduling software to your site will allow you to seamlessly accept bookings and payments. An all-in-one booking solution lets you manage your calendars for clients and staff, plus sell membership plans, subscriptions and open trial sessions. It also allows you to host sessions via Zoom, enabling you to reach larger audiences and build your clientele.

Wix user spotlight : Next Door Alliance offers comprehensive customer support and administrative services for businesses, including reputation management, human resources, quality control and more. NDA’s business website features a top navigation with key pages of interest: "Home," "About NDA," "Our Services," "Our Vision," "Contact" and "Career Opportunities." From this navigation, potential clients can learn valuable information about the company’s history, experience and offerings.

06. Fill your site with rich content

Having quality, fresh content on your website not only encourages visitors to return to you, but also signals to search engines that your site includes up-to-date information.

As you start thinking about incorporating or writing website content that drives traffic and engages your target market, consider these forms of content on your website:

Blog : Many businesses create business blogs, providing insights into their field of expertise and sharing content with their clients. Bloggers write and post articles—dedicated to specific subject matter—that often serve as a platform for active online discussions. You’ll want to prioritize and choose relevant blog post topics that resonate with your audience and can establish you as a voice in your industry. Compelling blog content can also draw new audiences to your brand. For example, if you make and sell wine, a blog post about “How to store wine at home” can capture new audiences and introduce your brand in the process. Wondering how to start a blog ? Wix has got you covered with hundreds of blog templates , built-in SEO features and marketing tools that will allow you to scale your content, your brand and your business. Give the Wix blog maker a spin to see for yourself.

Testimonials : Testimonials usually come from customers, peers or anyone who has benefited from your offerings or work. Incorporating testimonials into your website helps boost your business’s credibility and build trust among clients. This is crucial, since potential clients can assess if you will meet their needs based upon others’ experiences. With different testimonials out there, most businesses use customer quotes as they’re easy to obtain. Just ask a customer directly for one. You can place testimonials in just about any section of your website, including the home page, product or service page, or even a dedicated testimonial page.

Wix user spotlight : Registered dietician Nathalie Rhone owns and operates Nutrition by Nathalie throughout the Greenwich, Connecticut and New York City areas, offering everything from refrigerator makeovers to functional lab testing. Nathalie’s blog adds engaging content to her website by sharing healthy recipes and photos, while her “Success Stories” page features client testimonials praising her services.

07. Implement a strong CRM

Once you realize that your business needs a website , you’ll also discover that you need solid customer relationship management (CRM) to build long-term rapport and capture more leads. Once connected to your website, a CRM provides you with marketing and sales force automation, as well as customer contact and project management.

Wix offers a complete, powerful and free CRM software that can be easily integrated with your website. The tool includes a wide range of advanced features, such as forms to collect key contact details like emails, leads and testimonials.

08. Include a privacy policy

Many countries around the world require businesses to disclose how they collect, handle and process visitor data. In turn, users have become more protective of their personal data and concerned about how companies use it.

As a result, it’s crucial that you write a privacy policy for your website explaining how and why you gather visitor information. This transparent, upfront communication will establish trust with your users. You can also install a permission banner for cookies.

09. Promote your site

After you build a business website, you’ll notice that you’ve also created a hub of all your digital marketing efforts. You can use your site to increase your business’s exposure to prospective clients by applying a couple of these low-investment and effective marketing strategies:

Email marketing : This targeted communication generates conversions and develops relationships with customers. Additional benefits include building engagement with your brand, driving traffic to your site and promoting your business. A robust email marketing service, like the one from Wix, allows you to create and send various types of email campaigns and customize them for your target audience.

Social media marketing : Today, many businesses leverage the power of social media and reach out to mass audiences from across the world through platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest and X. With social media marketing, you can regularly promote and share content around your business in the form of live streaming, user generated content, stories or posting in specific groups. What’s more, you can create and manage both Facebook and Instagram Ads from your Wix eCommerce dashboard.

10. Track web performance

To fully understand your site’s performance, turn to web analytics tools and dive deeper into your site’s traffic trends. Visitor behavior can clue you into where your users come from, how they got to your site and which pages they stay on for longer periods of time. Wix Analytics is a useful tool for gleaning these insights, providing an in-depth look into your site’s traffic trends, content performance and visitor behavior.

Once you have a better understanding of your visitors—first time or returning—you can make data-driven decisions on what your site needs in order to improve overall performance.

How to build a business website FAQ

How long does it take to create a business website.

A simple website can be created in a few hours, while a more complex website may take several weeks or even months to complete.

If you're building the website yourself, you can expect to spend at least a few hours on the design and layout. You also need to create content for your website, which can take some time, especially if you are writing all of the content yourself. Learn more: Small business website statistics

How do I choose the right business website template?

What should you include on your business website, how much does a business website cost, do businesses really need a website, how do i create a free website for my small business, how easy is making a website for my business, how to create a website for my business, related posts.

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How to Start an Online Business: A Step-By-Step Guide

Whether you're looking to turn a dream into profit or capitalize on market trends, starting an online business comes with unique advantages and challenges. Yet, the internet makes it easier for anyone with passion and a plan to succeed. You don't need a ton of money upfront or have to worry about your location to get started.

Use our guide on how to start an online business as your roadmap—from the spark of an initial idea to the exhilarating launch of your online venture. We'll explore the reasons to embrace the online business model, and offer all the tips you need to identify your niche market, attract customers, and grow.

​​ Build your dream business with the help of a high-paying job—browse open jobs on The Muse »

Why starting an online business might be for you

Online businesses have lower startup costs and overhead expenses compared to their physical counterparts. There's no need for a physical storefront or extensive infrastructure, so you can allocate resources more efficiently towards product development and marketing.

Running an online business also gives you more flexibility. You can manage operations remotely and serve customers globally, around the clock. Unlike traditional businesses that rely on local foot traffic, online businesses can attract customers from anywhere in the world.

By leveraging digital marketing strategies like SEO, social media, and targeted advertising, you can precisely target your audience and expand your market niche exponentially.

How to start an online business from home in 10 steps

Once you've decided to follow this route, it's time to master how to open an internet business (and thrive!). Here's our step-by-step guide:

1. Find your niche

Begin by exploring your passions and skills —what interests you most, and where do you excel? Can you turn what you love into a business? Whether it's photography, exotic vegetarian cuisine, or antique furniture restoration, there's a market for your unique talents. (Here's a thorough list of online business ideas for you .)

Next, research market demand. Use free tools like Google Trends and social media insights to identify trending topics, unmet needs, and gaps in the market. What problems can you solve with your skills and expertise? Observe your surroundings and talk to people to uncover hidden opportunities.

2. Conduct market research

Dive into competitor analysis, a key strategy to uncover opportunities and ways to stand out. This helps identify gaps in the market, understand consumer preferences, and refine your unique selling points.

Connect directly with your target audience through customer surveys and interviews. Engaging with potential customers lets you validate assumptions, discover pain points, and fine-tune your products to meet their needs effectively.

Use market research reports, industry publications, and market trends to gain a deeper understanding of your niche. You may find insights into consumer behavior, emerging trends, and competitive dynamics. This helps anticipate changes, spot growth opportunities, and mitigate potential challenges in your market segment.

3. Write a business plan

A well-crafted business plan gives you clarity, direction, and a strategic framework to open your own business online. It guides every aspect of your venture, from initial launch to long-term growth and sustainability. (Want to learn more? Here's how to write a business plan from scratch.)

Your business plan for an online business should emphasize digital strategies and online channels. This includes leveraging e-commerce platforms, digital marketing tactics like Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and social media, and analytics tools to track performance and optimize operations.

4. Pick the right products or services

Explore different sourcing strategies like dropshipping, partnering with wholesale suppliers, or developing your own products. Each approach has its perks in terms of cost, control, and scalability, so you can make your choices based on your business goals and market demands.

Here's what you should consider:

Cost analysis : Conduct thorough market research and cost analysis to identify consumer demand trends, competitive pricing, and profit margins to ensure your offerings can generate sustainable revenue and profitability over time.

High-quality : Maintain high standards of product quality to build customer trust and satisfaction.

Fulfillment logistics : Implement effective fulfillment logistics to streamline order processing, shipping, and customer service, ensuring a seamless shopping experience that encourages repeat business and positive reviews.

Scalability : Evaluate the potential of your products or services for long-term growth and adaptability to market changes. By selecting scalable offerings, you position your online business for expansion and diversification, laying the foundation for sustained success in the competitive online marketplace.

5. Define your brand identity and image

Your online business needs more than great products; it needs a personality. That's where your brand identity comes in—it's the essence of who you are and what you stand for.

Develop a compelling brand story and a unique selling proposition that sets you apart. What makes your business special? What problem do you solve better than anyone else? Communicate this unique value clearly and consistently.

A standout logo and cohesive color scheme are vital components of your brand’s visual identity. They should be distinctive and reflect your business essence. Choose brand colors that evoke the right emotions and align with your message.

Developing a consistent brand voice that matches your brand’s personality is also key—whether it’s professional, friendly, or innovative. This voice should be evident across all communication channels, from your website to social media and customer interactions.

6. Set up your online presence

Select a memorable domain name that reflects your brand and is easy to remember. This is your online address, so make it count. Next, choose a reliable web hosting service that ensures your website is always accessible and performs well. Look for hosting providers with excellent uptime, security features, and 24/7 customer support.

Your website is the online storefront for your business, and it needs to offer a smooth user experience. Whether you use a DIY website builder or hire a professional web designer, prioritize a clean design with clear navigation, high-quality images, and engaging content. Optimize your content for search engines (Google) to improve visibility in search results and drive organic traffic.

For e-commerce platforms, integrating secure payment gateways is essential. Implement robust security measures to protect customer data and build trust. Additionally, use analytics tools to track visitor behavior, measure performance, and gain insights to optimize your site.

7. Implement marketing strategies

Marketing is the lifeblood of any online business, driving traffic, engagement, and sales. The tricky part is there's no one-size-fits-all approach. You have to choose the marketing strategies that best resonate with your target audience and budget.

Consider leveraging SEO to rank higher in search results, and explore the power of social media marketing (even with influencer partnerships) to connect with your audience on a more personal level. Email marketing allows for targeted communication and promotions, while pay-per-click (PPC) advertising can drive immediate traffic to your website.

Define clear marketing goals, whether it’s increasing website traffic, boosting sales, or enhancing brand awareness . Allocate your budget across different channels based on their effectiveness and your business goals. A well-rounded marketing strategy ensures you’re reaching your audience through multiple touchpoints, increasing your impact and return on investment.

8. Manage your finances effectively

Familiarize yourself with the different types of business expenses. Fixed costs, such as rent and salaries, remain constant regardless of sales volume, while variable costs, like shipping fees and raw materials, fluctuate based on your business activity. Overhead costs, including utilities and insurance, are necessary for daily operations.

Setting the right price is also important. You want your products or services to be profitable while remaining attractive to your target audience. Use pricing strategies like cost-plus pricing, which adds a markup to the production cost, or value-based pricing, which sets prices based on the value perceived by customers. Adjust your pricing as needed to remain competitive and profitable.

Maintaining accurate financial records is essential for monitoring your business's health. Use accounting software or tools to track income, expenses, and profits, identify trends, manage cash flow, and make informed financial decisions. If necessary, don’t hesitate to seek guidance from financial advisors or accountants.

9. Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements

It's crucial to understand the licenses and permits required for your online business and get familiar with your tax obligations. Ensuring compliance with these requirements helps you avoid legal issues and penalties.

Selecting the right business structure is a key decision that affects your legal and financial responsibilities. Common structures include sole proprietorships, limited liability companies (LLCs), and corporations—the first being simpler, and the last being more complex.

Online businesses must comply with various laws related to e-commerce. This includes understanding data privacy regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Ensure you have a clear privacy policy that informs customers about how their data is collected, used, and protected.

10. Keep focusing on ongoing growth and development

Launching your online business is just the beginning. To sustain success and drive ongoing growth, focus on these key areas:

• Customer service excellence: Respond to inquiries promptly, address concerns effectively, and go above and beyond to meet customer needs.
• Adapting to evolving trends: Keep an eye on emerging technologies, shifts in customer preferences, and new marketing strategies.
• Continuous learning and development: Invest in your professional development by taking courses, attending workshops, and reading industry publications.
• Celebrating milestones and successes: Whether it’s reaching a sales target, launching a new product, or hitting a business anniversary, celebrating milestones keeps you motivated and fuels continued growth.

Now that you have the ultimate step-by-step guide on how to open a business online, it's time to put your plans into action. With dedication, creativity, and the right strategies, you can build a successful online business.

Need more encouragement? Read this next: 6 Signs You Have What It Takes to Start Your Own Business

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How to Create a Website for My Business

Learn the steps for creating your own business website, from choosing a domain name to optimizing it for mobile devices.

Would you hand someone a business card that didn’t include your name? Probably not. By the same token, you wouldn’t direct a prospective customer to a business website that doesn’t explain what you do. The best business websites contain valuable information about who you are, what you provide, and why you’re different from the rest.

To accomplish this, you need well-written and well-designed website content, a reliable web hosting provider, speedy load times, and visibility to Google and other search engines. To a small business owner building their own website for the first time, this can all seem daunting, but it doesn’t need to. Here’s a step-by-step guide for how to build a great website for your business, with no coding experience required.

Table of contents

Why should you create a business website?

How to build a business website, how to create a website for my business faq.

Business websites are among the most important links between your company and your customers. They tell potential customers what kind of business you operate, and they can help you establish credibility in your chosen industry.

Brooks Bostic is the founder and strategic lead of on/Sight , a design and development agency that focuses on high-growth ecommerce businesses. He proposes that the value of any small business website starts with branding. “Brand is huge for any business,” Brooks says. “And brand is not all logo, color, and font. It’s all about who you are and how you present yourself. It comes across with imagery. It comes across with how you integrate social feeds and UGC [ user-generated content ].”

Small businesses that use Shopify can take advantage of the platform’s many business website templates . “Anybody within the Shopify space can go and find a template and start selling from their online store within an hour,” Brooks says. The key is finding a business website template that fits your brand personality. “What’s great about personality is that it’s, for all intents and purposes, free.”

• Define your target market and goals
• Choose a domain name
• Select a website builder
• Begin building your website
• Populate your website with content
• Integrate marketing tools
• Optimize for mobile devices
• Create internal and external links
• Optimize for search engines
• Launch, monitor, and improve your site

You don’t need to be tech-savvy to create a top-notch website for your business. However, you do need a plan and a clear sense of your brand identity. Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating a business website:

1. Define your target market and goals

Start by asking a few simple questions: Who are you trying to reach? What do you want visitors to do on your site? Contact you? Buy something? Having answers to these questions will help you structure your site, from the overall look and feel to individual website pages.

2. Choose a domain name

Your domain name (e.g. thisismybusiness.com) is your web address. A domain registrar will help you find and register an available name. Websites need a hosting service provider to store files and make them accessible online. Research hosting companies to find one that fits your needs; most will include website-building software.

While some website builders offer free domain names for the first year, remember to factor in renewal costs when making your choice. Consider a top-level domain (e.g., .com, .net) for better brand recognition.

🌐 TOOL: Find and register the perfect domain name

3. Select a website builder

Many website builder platforms offer beautifully designed templates and user-friendly interfaces. These often come with free hosting for basic sites, but important ecommerce functions, like accepting online payments , typically require paid plans.

4. Begin building your website

Many website builders offer a drag-and-drop interface for easy customization. Simple site builders are great for basic blogs, but to fully control the technical aspects of your site, choose a more advanced builder like Shopify that comes with ecommerce capabilities.

Shopify customers can start with a premade template, which you can fill out with important web pages like an About Us page highlighting your business profile, a Services page detailing your offerings, and a prominent Contact page with clear contact information.

5. Populate your website with content

Craft engaging content for your web pages. Keyword research helps identify terms potential customers might use to find your business in search engine results. Use these relevant keywords naturally throughout your content to improve search engine optimization (SEO). Including a blog on your website is a great way to accomplish this.

6. Integrate marketing tools

Many website builders integrate with popular email marketing services , and these can help you capture leads and nurture relationships. Adding social media links to your website can drive traffic back and forth from your social media accounts.

“Social media is almost always the funnel into the selling,” Brooks says. “When you look at mature brands these days, what they post on social media is a continuation of what they post on the website, and vice versa.”

7. Optimize for mobile devices

Ensure your website displays well on mobile devices as a significant portion of web traffic comes from smartphones and tablets. Most website builders, including Shopify, offer mobile-responsive templates.

8. Create internal and external links

Internal links connect your website pages, helping visitors navigate and explore your content. External links to credible sources add value to your content.

9. Optimize for search engines

Go beyond keyword use. Optimize page titles , meta descriptions, and image alt tags. Utilize SEO tools like Google Analytics to track your website’s performance on SERPs and make adjustments as needed.

10. Launch, monitor, and improve your site

Test your website thoroughly before launch. Regularly monitor website traffic and user behavior using analytics tools. Use this data to identify areas for improvement and keep your content fresh and relevant. Reach out to your hosting service provider’s tech support for help on maximizing their software.

How do I create my own business website?

To create your own business website , choose a domain name and hosting service, select from website builders like WordPress or Shopify , customize a template to suit your brand, and publish the site with essential content and contact information.

How much does it cost to make a website for a business?

There is a wide range of website building costs , explains on/Sight founder Brooks Bostic: “You could use a free website builder, spend a thousand bucks on product photography and logos, plus your own time, and get a decent brand. The upper extreme could get into the low six figures.”

Why should you make a website for your business?

You should make a business website to let potential clients learn about you, the products and services you offer, and your overall brand identity. You can also use your site to convey basic information, such as your business name and operating hours or to directly sell products on your online store.

Are websites helpful only for ecommerce businesses?

Websites are an essential asset for all types of businesses, whether or not you sell products via an online store. Websites help you win new customers, particularly when your site appears on search engine results pages. Users may type keywords into search engines, or they may specifically look up your business if they’ve heard about you from another source.

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How to Make a Business Website: Your Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide for 2024 and Beyond

• Itamar Haim

Have you ever felt that pang of frustration when realizing your small business is missing out on the massive online marketplace ? Maybe you've dabbled in website builders before, only to be met with confusing interfaces or cookie-cutter templates that don't scream "YOU." Or perhaps you've been bombarded with technical jargon about domains, hosting, and SEO, leaving you feeling more lost than found.

Let’s face it: building a website can feel like navigating a maze blindfolded. But what if I told you that creating a professional, high-converting website for your business doesn’t have to be a nightmare?

In this definitive guide , we’ll walk you through each step, holding your hand through the technical bits, sprinkling in creative inspiration, and ultimately empowering you to build a website that not only looks stunning but also drives real results . Whether you’re a tech newbie or have some experience, get ready to transform your online presence and watch your business thrive in the digital world.

Pre-Website Essentials

Before you dive headfirst into the technicalities of building a website, there are a few crucial pre-website tasks that will set you up for success. Think of this stage as laying the groundwork for a solid foundation – it might not be the most glamorous part, but it’s absolutely essential.

Defining Your Website’s Purpose and Goals

First and foremost, you need to clarify why you’re creating this website. Is it to…

• Sell products or services online? (E-commerce)
• Showcase your portfolio or work. (Portfolio website)
• Provide information about your company or organization. (Informational website)
• Generate leads or inquiries? (Lead generation website)
• Build brand awareness and credibility? (Branding website)

Knowing your website’s purpose will help you make informed decisions about its design, content, and functionality. It’s like having a roadmap for your online journey.

Once you’ve defined your purpose, it’s time to set SMART goals. SMART stands for:

• Specific: Clearly define what you want to achieve (e.g., increase website traffic by 20%).
• Measurable: Use metrics to track your progress (e.g., website traffic, conversion rates).
• Achievable: Set realistic goals that you can actually accomplish.
• Relevant: Align your goals with your overall business objectives.
• Time-Bound: Set deadlines for achieving your goals.

Having SMART goals will keep you focused and motivated throughout the website creation process. It will also help you measure your success and make necessary adjustments along the way.

Finally, remember to define your target audience. Who are you trying to reach with your website? What are their interests, needs, and pain points? Understanding your audience will help you tailor your website’s content, design, and messaging to resonate with them.

Market Research and Competitor Analysis

Before you start building your website, research your market and analyze your competitors. This will give you valuable insights into what works and what doesn’t in your industry.

Start by identifying your main competitors. Who are the other businesses or organizations in your niche that are doing well online? Visit their websites and take note of their design, content, and overall user experience.

What do you like about their websites? What could be improved? How can you differentiate yourself from the competition?

Tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs can be incredibly helpful for competitor analysis. They can provide you with data on your competitors’ website traffic, keywords, backlinks, and more. This information can help you identify opportunities to outrank them in search engine results and attract more visitors to your own website.

Content Planning and Strategy

Now that you have a clear understanding of your website’s purpose, goals, and target audience, it’s time to start planning your content.

What kind of content will you need to create to achieve your goals? Will you need product pages, blog posts, about us pages, FAQs , or something else entirely?

Think about the different types of content that will resonate with your target audience and help you achieve your business objectives. For example , if you’re a consultant, you should create blog posts that showcase your expertise and attract potential clients. If you’re an e-commerce business, you’ll need to create product pages that are informative, engaging, and optimized for conversions.

Once you’ve identified the types of content you need, it’s time to create a content calendar. This will help you plan and schedule your content creation efforts. A content calendar can be as simple as a spreadsheet or as complex as a project management tool. The important thing is to have a system in place to keep you organized and on track.

Your content calendar should include the following information for each piece of content:

• Type of content (blog post, product page, etc.)
• Target audience
• Publish date
• Status (draft, in progress, published)

By planning your content in advance, you can ensure that you’re creating high-quality content that is relevant to your target audience and aligned with your business goals.

The Technical Foundation

Now that you’ve laid the groundwork for your website, let’s explore its technical aspects. Don’t worry if this part seems daunting; we’ll break it down into manageable steps.

Choosing a Domain Name

Your domain name is your website’s address on the Internet. It’s what people type into their browsers to find you, so it’s important to choose one that is memorable, relevant to your business, and easy to spell.

Here are some tips for choosing a great domain name:

• Keep it short and simple: Shorter domain names are easier to remember and type.
• Make it relevant: Your domain name should reflect your business name or industry.
• Avoid hyphens and numbers: These can be confusing and difficult to remember.
• Choose the right extension: The most common extension is .com, but there are many others available, such as .org, .net, and .co.

Once you’ve chosen a domain name, you’ll need to check its availability and register it with a domain registrar. 

Selecting the Right Hosting Provider

Think of your website as a house and your hosting provider as the land on which it’s built. The right hosting provider ensures that your website is accessible, secure, and runs smoothly.

There are several types of web hosting:

• Shared Hosting: This is the most affordable option, but your website shares resources with other websites on the same server. This can affect performance if another site on the server experiences a traffic spike.
• VPS (Virtual Private Server) Hosting: This option offers more resources and control than shared hosting, as your website gets its own virtual server environment.
• Dedicated Hosting: With dedicated hosting, you get an entire server to yourself, providing the most resources and control. However, it’s also the most expensive option.
• Cloud Hosting: This type of hosting uses a network of servers to host your website, offering scalability and reliability.

When choosing a hosting provider, consider these key factors:

• Speed: How fast will your website load? Slow-loading websites can frustrate visitors and lead to lost business.
• Uptime: How often will your website be available? Look for a provider that guarantees at least 99.9% uptime.
• Security: What security measures are in place to protect your website from hackers and malware?
• Scalability: Can the hosting plan grow with your business? Choose a provider that offers flexible plans so you can easily upgrade as your website traffic increases.
• Support: How responsive is the provider’s customer support team? You’ll want to choose a provider that offers 24/7 support in case you run into any issues.

Elementor’s WordPress Hosting

Elementor WordPress Hosting goes above and beyond to address your website’s critical needs. With its infrastructure built on Google Cloud’s high-performance servers, it ensures blazing-fast loading times , even during traffic spikes. This means your visitors will be on time, leading to a better user experience and potentially higher conversions.

Security is crucial, and Elementor WordPress Hosting takes it seriously with robust measures like free SSL certificates, proactive threat monitoring, and regular software updates. This safeguards your website and your visitors’ data from malicious attacks.

As your business grows, so does your website traffic. Elementor WordPress Hosting offers seamless scalability , allowing you to upgrade your plan easily to accommodate increased demands. This means you won’t have to worry about your website slowing down or crashing due to unexpected traffic surges.

Should you encounter any issues, Elementor’s expert support team is available 24/7 to assist you. Their deep understanding of WordPress and Elementor ensures fast and effective solutions, minimizing any downtime and keeping your website running smoothly.

Understanding Content Management Systems (CMS)

Now that we’ve covered the essentials of domain names and hosting let’s talk about the backbone of your website: the Content Management System (CMS). Think of a CMS as the engine that powers your website, allowing you to create, manage, and publish content without needing to know how to code.

There are many different CMS options available, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Some of the most popular choices include:

• WordPress: The world’s most popular CMS, powering over 43% of all websites. It’s known for its flexibility, vast library of plugins and themes, and a large community of users and developers.
• Wix: A user-friendly website builder that’s great for beginners. It offers a drag-and-drop interface and a wide variety of templates, but WordPress is more flexible.
• Squarespace: A popular choice for creatives and businesses that prioritize design. It offers beautiful templates and easy-to-use tools, but it can be more expensive than other options.

Which CMS is right for you? The answer depends on your specific needs and goals. However, WordPress is a powerful choice for businesses for several reasons:

• Flexibility: WordPress can be customized to fit virtually any type of website, from simple blogs to complex e-commerce stores.
• Scalability: As your business grows, WordPress can easily scale to accommodate your needs.
• Community: WordPress has a massive community of users and developers, which means there’s a wealth of resources and support available.
• Plugins and themes: With thousands of plugins and themes available, you can easily add new features and customize the look of your website.

Elementor: If you choose WordPress as your CMS, consider using a website builder like Elementor . Elementor is a drag-and-drop website builder that makes it easy to create beautiful, responsive websites without any coding knowledge.

Setting Up WordPress with Elementor

If you’ve decided to go with WordPress and Elementor, you’re in for a treat! Elementor is a powerful and intuitive website builder that simplifies the process of creating professional-looking websites. Let’s walk through the steps of setting up WordPress with Elementor:

• Install WordPress: If you haven’t already, you’ll need to install WordPress on your web hosting account. Most hosting providers offer one-click WordPress installation, making this step a breeze.
• Install Elementor: Once WordPress is installed, head over to the Plugins section in your WordPress dashboard and search for “Elementor.” Click on “Install Now” and then “Activate.”
• Familiarize Yourself with the Interface: Take some time to explore Elementor’s interface. You’ll notice the main editing area, where you’ll design your pages, and the widget panel, where you’ll find all the elements you can add to your pages.
• Choose a Theme: Elementor works with any WordPress theme, but some themes are better optimized for Elementor than others. Elementor offers its own Hello Theme, which is a lightweight and minimalist theme designed to work seamlessly with the builder.
• Start Building: Now it’s time for the fun part! Start creating your website by adding sections, columns, and widgets to your pages. You can use Elementor’s drag-and-drop interface to move elements around and customize their appearance easily.

Elementor Pro:  

While the free version of Elementor is powerful, upgrading to Elementor Pro unlocks a wealth of additional features, such as:

• Theme Builder: Create custom headers, footers, and other theme elements.
• WooCommerce Builder: Design custom product pages, checkout pages, and more for your online store.
• Popup Builder: Create popups to capture leads, promote offers, and more.
• Form Builder: Build custom forms for contacts, subscriptions, and more.
• Marketing Integrations: Connect Elementor with your favorite marketing tools, such as Mailchimp and HubSpot.

Designing Your Dream Website

Now that we have the technical foundation laid out, it’s time for the fun part: designing your dream website! This is where your brand’s personality shines through, and you create a visually stunning online experience for your visitors.

Choosing a Theme or Template

The first step in designing your website is to choose a theme or template. This will give your website a basic structure and layout that you can then customize to your liking.

Think of a theme as the skeleton of your website. It provides the basic framework, including the layout, fonts, colors, and overall style. A template, on the other hand, is like a pre-designed house – it comes with specific pages, layouts, and content that you can easily modify.

There are thousands of free and premium WordPress themes and templates available online. When choosing one, consider the following factors:

• Your industry: Choose a theme that aligns with your industry’s aesthetics and conventions. For example, a law firm might prefer a more formal and traditional design, while a creative agency might opt for something more modern and edgy.
• Your brand identity: Select a theme that reflects your brand’s personality and values. The colors, fonts, and overall style should be consistent with your brand guidelines.
• Functionality: Make sure the theme has the features and functionality you need. For example, if you plan to sell products online, you’ll need a theme that supports e-commerce.
• Responsiveness: Your website must look great on all devices, from desktops to tablets to smartphones. Choose a responsive theme that automatically adjusts to different screen sizes.

Elementor’s Theme Builder: If you’re using Elementor, you have a powerful tool at your disposal: the Theme Builder . This feature allows you to create custom headers, footers, single post/page templates, archive templates, and more. This gives you complete control over the look and feel of your entire website.

Elementor’s template library: Elementor also offers an extensive library of pre-designed templates. These templates are professionally designed and can be easily customized to fit your needs. Whether you’re looking for a landing page, a blog post template, or an entire website kit, Elementor’s library has you covered.

Essential Pages and Their Structure

Now that you have a foundation for your website’s design let’s explore the essential pages every business website needs and how to structure them to have maximum impact. Think of these pages as the rooms in your online house, each serving a specific purpose.

Your website’s homepage is its virtual front door. It’s often the first impression visitors have of your brand, so it needs to be welcoming, informative, and visually appealing. A well-designed homepage should quickly communicate what your business is about, what you offer, and why visitors should choose you.

Key elements of a great homepage:

• Above-the-fold content: The content that’s immediately visible without scrolling should capture attention and entice visitors to explore further. This could include a captivating headline, a high-quality image or video, and a brief overview of your products or services.
• Clear navigation: Provide a clear and intuitive navigation menu to make it easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for.
• Strong call to action (CTA): Guide visitors towards a specific action, such as signing up for your newsletter, requesting a quote, or purchasing a product. Use clear and compelling CTAs that stand out visually.
• Social proof: Build trust and credibility by showcasing testimonials, client logos, awards, or certifications.
• Recent blog posts or news: Highlight your latest blog posts or news updates to keep your homepage fresh and engaging.

Elementor’s Homepage Design Tips:

• Pre-designed sections: Elementor offers a variety of pre-designed sections that you can easily add to your homepage, such as hero sections, about us sections, service sections, and testimonial sections.
• Customizable templates: You can also choose from a wide range of homepage templates and customize them to fit your brand.
• Drag-and-drop interface: Elementor’s drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to arrange and customize elements on your homepage.

About Us Page

The About Us page is your chance to tell your brand’s story and connect with your audience on a personal level. It’s an opportunity to showcase your company’s values, mission, and unique personality.

Key elements of an effective About Us page:

• Compelling story: Share the story of how your business was founded, your journey so far, and your vision for the future.
• Team introduction: Introduce your team members and highlight their expertise and experience.
• Company values: Clearly articulate your company’s values and what sets you apart from the competition.
• Customer focus: Emphasize how your products or services benefit your customers and solve their problems.

Elementor’s About Us Page Design Tips:

• Use visuals: To make your page more engaging, incorporate high-quality images of your team, office, or products.
• Use testimonials: Showcase testimonials from satisfied customers to build credibility and trust.
• Keep it concise: Avoid overwhelming visitors with too much text. Get to the point and highlight the most important information.

Services or Products Page

This is the heart of your business website – the place where you showcase what you have to offer. Your services or products page needs to be informative, persuasive, and easy to navigate.

Key elements of a high-converting services/products page:

• Clear descriptions: Each service or product should have a clear and concise description that highlights its benefits and unique selling points. Use persuasive language to convince visitors that your offerings are the best solution for their needs.
• High-quality visuals: Use professional photos or videos to showcase your products or services in the best light. Visuals can help visitors visualize themselves using your products or services, increasing the likelihood of a purchase.
• Pricing: Be transparent about your pricing. If you offer different packages or pricing tiers, clearly outline the features and benefits of each.
• Call to action: Encourage visitors to take the next step, whether it’s making a purchase, requesting a quote, or contacting you for more information.

Elementor’s Services/Products Page Design Tips:

• Product/Service Galleries: Use Elementor’s gallery widget to create visually appealing displays of your offerings.
• Pricing Tables: Use Elementor’s pricing table widget to present your different pricing options clearly.
• WooCommerce Integration: If you’re selling products online, Elementor seamlessly integrates with WooCommerce, the leading e-commerce platform for WordPress.

Blog (if applicable)

A blog isn’t mandatory for every business website, but it can be a powerful tool for attracting organic traffic , establishing authority in your industry , and nurturing relationships with potential customers.

If you decide to include a blog on your website, here are some key elements to consider:

• High-quality content: Your blog posts should be informative, engaging, and relevant to your target audience. They should provide value to your readers and position you as an expert in your field.
• Consistent publishing schedule: Regularly publishing new blog posts will keep your website fresh and attract returning visitors.
• SEO optimization: Optimize your blog posts for search engines by using relevant keywords, internal links, and meta descriptions.
• Call to action: Encourage readers to take the next step, such as signing up for your newsletter, commenting on your post, or sharing it on social media.

Elementor’s Blog Design Tips:

• Blog post templates: Elementor offers a variety of blog post templates that you can customize to match your brand.
• Post widgets: Use Elementor’s post widgets to display your latest blog posts on your website’s homepage or other pages.
• Comment integration:

Visual Hierarchy

Creating a clear visual hierarchy on your website helps guide visitors’ eyes to the most important information. It ensures that your content is easy to scan and digest, leading to a more positive user experience.

To establish a strong visual hierarchy, consider the following:

• Size: Use larger fonts and images for the most important elements, such as headlines and calls to action.
• Color: Use contrasting colors to draw attention to key elements and create visual interest.
• Placement: Place the most important content above the fold (the area of the page that is visible without scrolling).
• Whitespace: Use whitespace (empty space) to separate different sections and elements, making your website easier to read and navigate.

Elementor’s Visual Hierarchy Tools:

Elementor’s drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to experiment with different layouts and create a visual hierarchy that works for your website. You can also use Elementor’s Global Settings to define default font sizes, colors, and spacing, ensuring a consistent look and feel throughout your site.

Elementor AI and Copilot

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing many industries, and web design is no exception. Elementor, being at the forefront of innovation, offers AI-powered tools that can significantly enhance your website creation process.

Elementor AI, a groundbreaking suite of tools, includes a powerful AI Copilot. Imagine having a virtual design assistant that can:

• Generate Layouts and Content: You can simply describe what you envision for a section or page, and Elementor AI will generate layout suggestions and even draft text content for you. This is a game-changer for those who struggle with writer’s block or need a quick starting point for their designs.
• Write and Optimize Text: Need help crafting the perfect headline or writing engaging product descriptions? Elementor AI’s writing assistant can refine your existing text, adjust its tone, translate it into multiple languages, and even correct grammar and spelling errors.
• Generate Code: For those with some technical knowledge, Elementor AI can generate HTML, CSS, and JavaScript snippets based on your instructions, saving you valuable time and effort.
• Create Stunning Images: Describe the image you want, and Elementor AI will generate it for you. You can customize the style and colors and even ask for variations to find the perfect fit.
• Enhance Existing Images: Elementor AI can upscale, remove backgrounds, and even extend images using generative fill. This is perfect for when you need to resize an image or want to add a creative touch.

The possibilities with Elementor AI are virtually endless. It’s a versatile tool that can streamline your workflow, spark creativity, and help you build a website that truly stands out.

Compelling Copywriting

While visuals are important, your website’s written content is equally crucial. Compelling copywriting can captivate your audience, communicate your brand’s message, and drive them to take action.

Here are some tips for writing effective website copy:

• Know your audience: Understand their pain points, desires, and motivations. Tailor your language and tone to resonate with them.
• Keep it concise: Get to the point quickly. People have short attention spans online, so make sure your copy is easy to scan and digest.
• Use strong headlines: Headlines are your first chance to grab attention. Use powerful words that will entice readers to learn more.
• Highlight benefits: Don’t just list features; explain how your products or services will benefit your customers.
• Use a clear call to action: Tell visitors what you want them to do next, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or contacting you for more information.

Elementor’s Text Editing Tools:

Elementor’s text editor makes it easy to create beautiful and engaging content. You can easily format your text, add headings, create lists, and insert media elements like images and videos. Elementor also offers a variety of typography options , so you can choose fonts and styles that match your brand.

Elementor AI Writing Assistant:

If you’re struggling with writer’s block or need help polishing your copy, Elementor’s AI Writing Assistant can help. This powerful tool can suggest headlines, generate text, and even optimize your existing copy for SEO.

Optimizing for Success

Creating a beautiful website is just the beginning. To truly succeed online, you need to optimize your website for both search engines and user experience. This section will delve into the strategies and tools you can use to attract more visitors, keep them engaged, and ultimately convert them into customers.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO is the practice of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant keywords. This is crucial because the higher your website ranks, the more visible it is to potential customers.

Why SEO matters:

• Increased visibility: Higher rankings in search results lead to more organic traffic.
• Credibility: Websites that rank high are often perceived as more trustworthy and authoritative.
• Cost-effective: SEO is a long-term investment that can generate sustainable traffic without ongoing advertising costs.

Keyword Research and Implementation

Keyword research is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy. It involves identifying the words and phrases your target audience is searching for when looking for products or services like yours.

How to do keyword research:

• Brainstorm: Start by brainstorming a list of relevant keywords and phrases.
• Use keyword research tools: Tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, and Ahrefs can help you identify high-volume, low-competition keywords.
• Analyze competitor keywords: See what keywords your competitors are ranking for and try to target similar ones.
• Long-tail keywords: Remember to include long-tail keywords (phrases with three or more words), as they are often less competitive and can attract more qualified traffic.

Once you’ve identified your target keywords, you need to implement them strategically throughout your website. This includes:

• Title tags: Include your target keyword in the title tag of each page.
• Meta descriptions: Write compelling meta descriptions that incorporate your keyword and entice users to click on your link.
• Headers: Use headers (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to structure your content and include your keyword in some of them.
• Content: Naturally incorporate your keyword throughout your website’s content, but avoid keyword stuffing.

On-Page SEO

On-page SEO focuses on optimizing the elements within your web pages to make them more search engine-friendly. It’s like giving your website a makeover that search engines will love.

Here are some key on-page SEO elements to focus on:

• Title Tags: Each page of your website should have a unique title tag that accurately describes the page’s content and includes your target keyword. This is the blue link that appears in search results, so make it compelling!
• Meta Descriptions: These are the short snippets of text that appear under your title tag in search results. Write informative and engaging meta descriptions that incorporate your target keyword naturally.
• Headers: Use headers (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to structure your content and make it easier for both readers and search engines to understand. Include your target keyword in some of your headers, but do just what is necessary.
• Image Optimization: Optimize your images by compressing them to reduce file size and adding descriptive alt text that includes your target keyword. This helps search engines understand what your images are about and can improve your website’s accessibility.
• Internal Linking: Link to other relevant pages on your website. This helps search engines crawl and index your site more effectively and improves the user experience by making it easier for visitors to find related content.

Elementor’s SEO Features:

Elementor has several built-in SEO features that can help you optimize your website for search engines. For example, you can easily edit your title tags and meta descriptions directly within the Elementor editor. You can also add alt text to your images and create internal links with just a few clicks.

Technical SEO

While on-page SEO focuses on individual pages, technical SEO deals with the overall structure and foundation of your website. Think of it as the behind-the-scenes work that ensures your website is easily crawled and indexed by search engines.

Here are some key technical SEO factors to consider:

• Site Speed: How fast your website loads is a crucial ranking factor. Slow-loading websites can frustrate users and lead to higher bounce rates.
• Mobile Optimization: With most web traffic now coming from mobile devices, your website must be optimized for mobile. This includes having a responsive design, fast loading times, and easy-to-use navigation on smaller screens.
• Site Architecture: A well-organized site structure makes it easier for search engines to crawl and index your content. Use a clear hierarchy of pages and categories, and create a sitemap to help search engines discover all your content.
• Structured Data: This is a standardized format for providing information about a page and classifying the page content. Adding structured data to your website can help search engines understand your content better and may result in rich snippets in search results.
• Security: A secure website is crucial for both users and search engines. Make sure your website has an SSL certificate (https://) to encrypt data and protect user information.

Elementor’s Technical SEO Features:

Elementor is built with performance in mind, offering features like asset optimization and lazy loading to help improve your website’s speed. It also generates clean code that is easy for search engines to understand.

User Experience (UX) Optimization

Creating a visually appealing website is important, but it’s equally crucial to ensure that your visitors have a positive experience while navigating your site. This is where User Experience (UX) optimization comes in.

Think of UX as the overall feeling a visitor gets when they interact with your website. Is it easy to use? Is it intuitive? Does it load quickly? A good UX can lead to increased engagement, lower bounce rates, and higher conversions.

Website Speed and Performance Optimization

website speed is a critical factor in user experience. Studies have shown that users are more likely to abandon a website if it takes too long to load. In fact, a delay of just one second can result in a 7% reduction in conversions.

Why website speed matters:

• User satisfaction: Fast-loading websites provide a smoother and more enjoyable user experience.
• Search engine ranking: Google and other search engines consider site speed as a ranking factor. Faster websites tend to rank higher in search results.
• Conversion rates: Studies have shown that faster websites have higher conversion rates.

How to improve website speed:

• Optimize images: Compress images to reduce file size without sacrificing quality with image optimizer by elementor.

• Minify code: Remove unnecessary characters from your website’s code (HTML, CSS, JavaScript).
• Use a content delivery network (CDN): A CDN distributes your website’s content across multiple servers around the world, reducing the distance data has to travel and improving loading times for users in different locations.
• Choose a fast hosting provider: A good hosting provider will have optimized servers and infrastructure to ensure fast website loading times.

Elementor’s Performance Optimization Features:

Elementor is designed with performance in mind. It offers several features to help you optimize your website’s speed, including:

• Asset optimization: Elementor automatically minifies and combines CSS and JavaScript files to reduce the number of requests and improve loading times.
• Lazy loading: Images are only loaded as they come into view, which can significantly improve initial page load speed.
• Integrated with Cloudflare CDN: Elementor integrates with Cloudflare CDN to distribute your website’s content across multiple servers, improving loading times for users around the world.

Intuitive Navigation and Clear Calls to Action 

A well-designed website is like a well-organized store – it’s easy to find what you’re looking for, and there’s a clear path to purchase. Intuitive navigation and clear calls to action (CTAs) are essential for guiding visitors through your website and encouraging them to take the desired actions.

Intuitive Navigation:

Your website’s navigation menu should be clear, concise, and easy to understand. Label your menu items descriptively and organize them in a logical hierarchy. If you have a lot of content to organize, consider using a mega menu.

Clear Calls to Action:

CTAs are the buttons or links that tell visitors what you want them to do, such as “Shop Now,” “Learn More,” or “Contact Us.” Make sure your CTAs are visually prominent, use action-oriented language, and lead to relevant landing pages.

Elementor’s Navigation and CTA Widgets:

Elementor offers a variety of widgets for creating navigation menus and CTAs. You can easily customize the look and feel of your menus and buttons to match your brand. Elementor also allows you to create sticky headers and anchor links for easy navigation.

Accessibility for All Users

Website accessibility is about making your website usable for everyone, including people with disabilities. This means ensuring that your website can be navigated and understood by people who use assistive technologies like screen readers.

Why website accessibility matters:

• Inclusivity: Making your website accessible allows everyone to access your content and services, regardless of their abilities.
• Legal compliance: In many countries, some laws require websites to be accessible.
• SEO: Accessible websites are often more search engine-friendly.

Elementor’s Accessibility Features:

Elementor is committed to accessibility and offers several features, such as ARIA attributes and keyboard navigation support, to help you create accessible websites.

Designing Product Pages That Convert 

Product pages are the lifeblood of your online store. They need to be visually appealing, informative, and persuasive to entice customers to add items to their carts.

Here’s what makes a great product page:

• High-Quality Product Images: To showcase your products, use multiple high-resolution images from different angles. If possible, include lifestyle images that show your products in use.
• Detailed Product Descriptions: Clearly describe your product’s features, benefits, and specifications. Use persuasive language to highlight how your product solves your customer’s problems.
• Customer Reviews: Display customer reviews to build trust and credibility. Encourage customers to leave reviews by sending follow-up emails after a purchase.
• Clear Call to Action: Make it easy for customers to add your product to their cart and proceed to checkout. Use a prominent, well-designed button with a clear CTA like “Add to Cart” or “Buy Now.”
• Related Products: Suggest related or complementary products to encourage customers to purchase more items.

Elementor WooCommerce Builder Tips:

If you’re using Elementor Pro, the WooCommerce Builder offers a variety of tools and templates to help you create stunning product pages:

• Product Page Templates: Choose from a variety of pre-designed templates or create your own custom layout.
• Customizable Widgets: Add product galleries, reviews, pricing tables, and more with Elementor’s easy-to-use widgets.
• Upsells and Cross-sells: Easily add upsell and cross-sell suggestions to your product pages.

Payment Gateways, Shipping, and Inventory Management

Setting up your e-commerce store involves more than just designing product pages. You also need to set up payment gateways, shipping options, and inventory management.

Payment Gateways:

Choose a payment gateway that is secure, reliable, and supports the payment methods your customers prefer. Popular options include PayPal, Stripe, and Square.

Shipping Options:

Offer a variety of shipping options to cater to your customers’ needs. Consider offering free shipping, flat-rate shipping, or real-time shipping rates calculated by carriers.

Inventory Management:

Keep track of your inventory levels to avoid overselling or running out of stock. WooCommerce offers built-in inventory management features, or you can integrate with third-party inventory management tools.

Elementor and WooCommerce:

Elementor seamlessly integrates with WooCommerce, making it easy to manage your e-commerce store. You can create custom checkout pages, order confirmation emails, and more.

Launching and Beyond

Congratulations! You’ve made it to the final stage of building your business website. Now, it’s time to share your masterpiece with the world. But before you hit that “Publish” button, there are a few crucial steps to ensure a smooth launch and set your site up for continued success.

Pre-Launch Checklist

Remember to consider the importance of a thorough pre-launch checklist. It’s like a final inspection before opening a new store – you want to ensure everything is in perfect working order before customers walk through the door.

Here’s a comprehensive pre-launch checklist to guide you:

• Content Review: Double-check all your content for accuracy, grammar, and spelling errors. Make sure your images are high-quality and optimized for the web.
• Functionality Testing: Click through every page and link on your website to ensure everything is working correctly. Test your contact forms, checkout process (if applicable), and any other interactive features.
• Browser Compatibility: View your website on different browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) and operating systems (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android) to ensure it looks and functions as intended across platforms.
• Mobile Responsiveness: Test your website on various mobile devices (smartphones, tablets) to ensure it’s fully responsive and easy to navigate on smaller screens.
• Speed Test: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to analyze your website’s loading speed and identify any bottlenecks. Aim for a loading time of under 3 seconds.
• SEO Audit: Review your website’s SEO settings to ensure it’s optimized for search engines. Double-check your title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and image alt text.

Elementor’s Pre-Launch Tools:

Elementor offers several tools that can help you with your pre-launch checklist:

• Responsive Mode: Easily switch between desktop, tablet, and mobile views within the Elementor editor to see how your website will look on different devices.
• Preview Mode: Preview your website in a live environment before publishing it.
• Revision History: If you make mistakes or want to undo changes, you can revert to previous versions of your pages.

Marketing Your Website

Launching your website is a major milestone, but the work doesn’t stop there. You need to actively market it to attract visitors and convert them into customers.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization):

We’ve already covered the basics of SEO in Section 5.1. Now, it’s time to put those strategies into action. Continuously create high-quality, SEO-optimized content, build backlinks from reputable websites, and monitor your search engine rankings.

Social Media Marketing:

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn can be powerful tools for promoting your website. Share your content, engage with your audience, and run targeted ads to reach new potential customers.

Email Marketing:

Build an email list and send regular newsletters to your subscribers. This is a great way to stay top-of-mind with your audience and promote your latest products, services, or blog posts.

Paid Advertising:

Consider running paid ads on platforms like Google Ads or social media. Paid advertising can be a quick way to drive targeted traffic to your website, especially when you’re first starting.

Content Marketing:

Create valuable content that your target audience will find interesting and informative. This could include blog posts, articles, infographics, videos, or podcasts. Share your content on social media and other platforms to attract new visitors to your website.

Monitoring and Maintenance

Launching your website is not the end of your journey; it’s just the beginning. Websites require ongoing maintenance and monitoring to ensure they remain secure, up-to-date, and continue to perform well.

Monitoring Website Performance:

Monitor your website’s traffic, engagement, and conversions regularly using tools like Google Analytics. This will help you understand how users interact with your site and identify areas for improvement.

Key metrics to track:

• Website Traffic: Track the number of visitors to your site, where they’re coming from, and which pages they’re visiting.
• Bounce Rate: This is the percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate could indicate that your content isn’t relevant or engaging.
• Conversion Rate: This is the percentage of visitors who complete a desired action, such as making a purchase or filling out a contact form.

Website Maintenance:

Keep your website software (WordPress, Elementor, plugins, and themes) up to date to ensure optimal performance and security. Regularly back up your website to protect your data in case of a crash or security breach.

Implement security measures like strong passwords , two-factor authentication , and regular security scans to protect your website from hackers and malware. For an extra layer of protection, consider using a web application firewall (WAF) .

Elementor’s Maintenance Mode:

If you need to make significant changes to your website, Elementor’s maintenance mode feature allows you to temporarily restrict access while you work. This prevents visitors from seeing an unfinished or broken website.

Scaling Your Website

As your business grows, so will your website. It’s important to plan for scalability from the start to ensure your website can handle increased traffic, new products or services, and evolving business needs.

Here are some tips for scaling your website:

• Choose a Scalable Hosting Plan: If you anticipate significant growth, opt for a hosting plan that can easily accommodate increased traffic and resource demands. Cloud hosting is a great option for scalability, as it allows you to add or remove resources as needed quickly.
• Optimize for Performance: As your website grows, it’s important to optimize for performance to maintain fast loading times. This includes optimizing images, minimizing code, and using a CDN.
• Use a Flexible CMS: WordPress is a highly scalable platform, thanks to its vast library of plugins and themes. You can easily add new features and functionality as your business evolves.
• Plan for E-commerce Growth: If you’re running an e-commerce store, make sure your platform can handle increased traffic and transactions. Consider using a dedicated e-commerce hosting plan or a cloud-based solution.

Elementor’s Scalability:

Elementor is built for scalability. Its flexible design and powerful features make it easy to adapt your website as your business grows. Whether you need to add new pages, create complex layouts, or integrate with third-party tools, Elementor can handle it.

Congratulations on taking the first steps towards building your business website! It’s a journey that requires careful planning, technical know-how, and a dash of creativity. But with the right tools and resources, it’s an achievable goal that can significantly impact your business’s success.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ve covered everything you need to know to create a professional, high-performing website that attracts and converts visitors. We’ve explored the pre-website essentials, the technical foundation, design best practices, SEO strategies, UX optimization, e-commerce integration, and tips for launching and scaling your site.

Remember, building a website is an ongoing process. Continuously monitor your website’s performance, make necessary updates, and adapt your strategies as your business evolves.

We hope this guide has been helpful in your journey to creating a successful business website. If you’re looking for a powerful, user-friendly website builder, we highly recommend Elementor. Its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, vast template library, and extensive features make it the perfect tool for beginners and experienced users alike.

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THE 17 GOALS

Publications

End poverty in all its forms everywhere.

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.

Reduce inequality within and among countries.

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.

Do you know all 17 SDGs?

Implementation Progress

Sdgs icons. downloads and guidelines, the 17 goals.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,  adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

The SDGs build on decades of work by countries and the UN, including the  UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs

• In June 1992, at the  Earth Summit  in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, more than 178 countries adopted  Agenda 21 , a comprehensive plan of action to build a global partnership for sustainable development to improve human lives and protect the environment.
• Member States unanimously adopted the Millennium Declaration at the  Millennium Summit  in September 2000 at UN Headquarters in New York. The Summit led to the elaboration of eight  Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)  to reduce extreme poverty by 2015.
• The Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development and the Plan of Implementation, adopted at the  World Summit on Sustainable Development  in South Africa in 2002, reaffirmed the global community's commitments to poverty eradication and the environment, and built on Agenda 21 and the Millennium Declaration by including more emphasis on multilateral partnerships.
• At the  United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20)  in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 2012, Member States adopted the outcome document  "The Future We Want"  in which they decided, inter alia, to launch a process to develop a set of SDGs to build upon the MDGs and to establish the  UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development . The Rio +20 outcome also contained other measures for implementing sustainable development, including mandates for future programmes of work in development financing, small island developing states and more.
• In 2013, the General Assembly set up a 30-member  Open Working Group  to develop a proposal on the SDGs.
• In January 2015, the General Assembly began the negotiation process on the  post-2015 development agenda . The process culminated in the subsequent adoption of the  2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development , with  17 SDGs  at its core, at the  UN Sustainable Development Summit  in September 2015.
• Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction  (March 2015)
• Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development  (July 2015)
• Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development  with its 17 SDGs was adopted at the  UN Sustainable Development Summit  in New York in September 2015.
• Paris Agreement on Climate Change  (December 2015)
• Now, the annual  High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development  serves as the central UN platform for the follow-up and review of the SDGs.

Today, the  Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG)  in the United Nations  Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA)  provides substantive support and capacity-building for the SDGs and their related thematic issues, including  water ,  energy ,  climate ,  oceans ,  urbanization ,  transport ,  science and technology , the  Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) ,  partnerships  and  Small Island Developing States . DSDG plays a key role in the evaluation of UN systemwide implementation of the 2030 Agenda and on advocacy and outreach activities relating to the SDGs. In order to make the 2030 Agenda a reality, broad ownership of the SDGs must translate into a strong commitment by all stakeholders to implement the global goals. DSDG aims to help facilitate this engagement.

Follow DSDG on Facebook at  www.facebook.com/sustdev  and on Twitter at  @SustDev .

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Every year, the UN Secretary General presents an annual SDG Progress report, which is developed in cooperation with the UN System, and based on the global indicator framework and data produced by national statistical systems and information collected at the regional level.

Please, check below information about the SDG Progress Report:

• SDG Progress Report (2024)
• SDG Progress Report (2023)
• SDG Progress Report (2022)
• SDG Progress Report (2021)
• SDG Progress Report (2020)
• SDG Progress Report (2019)
• SDG Progress Report (2018)
• SDG Progress Report (2017)
• SDG Progress Report (2016)

Please, check here for information about SDG indicators and reports: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs#

Additionally, the Global Sustainable Development Report is produced once every four years to inform the quadrennial SDG review deliberations at the General Assembly. It is written by an Independent Group of Scientists appointed by the Secretary-General.

• Global Sustainable Development Report (2019)
• Global Sustainable Development Report (2023)

SDGs Icons. Downloads and guidelines.

• Download SDGs icons according to guidelines at this link .
• Please send inquiries to: United Nations Department of Global Communications

Location City:    Orlovo, Moskovskaya, Russian Federation (Russia) Near (Alt.): Rus' ICAO: Details Type: Heliport Latitude: 55�32'58"N (55.549444) Longitude: 37�51'52"E (37.864444) Variation: 12.04�E (WMM2020 magnetic declination) 0.14� annual change Related Locations Nearby: Farthest: Find:    beyond   but within    Copyright © 2004-2024 . All rights reserved. The Great Circle Mapper name and logo are trademarks of the . All other trademarks mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. Please see for attributions and further copyright information.       Èlektrostal' in Èlektrostal' (Moscow Oblast) Further information about the population structure: Gender (C 2021) Males 66,545 Females 79,858 Located in: Moskva Oblast Global / English News Release Business | Finance Sustainability Japanese Version Kao Continues to be Included in All of the ESG Indices Used by the Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) Kao Corporation was recently selected again for inclusion in all the global stock indices for ESG that apply to Japanese companies used by the Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF), one of the world’s largest pension funds that manages and invests the reserve funds of the National Pension and the Employees’ Pension Insurance, both of which are public pension plans in Japan. Global stock indices for ESG that apply to Japanese companies used by the GPIF MSCI Nihonkabu ESG Select Leaders MSCI Japan Empowering Women Index (WIN) FTSE Blossom Japan Index FTSE Blossom Japan Sector Relative Index S&P/JPX Carbon Efficient Index Morningstar Japan ex-REIT Gender Diversity Tilt Index The MSCI Nihonkabu ESG Select Leaders and the MSCI Japan Empowering Women Index (WIN) were developed by MSCI, a U.S. company providing institutional investors around the world with various support tools for their decision making. Both indices are composed of companies selected from the MSCI Japan IMI Top 700 Index and Top 500 Index with outstanding ESG performance. These indices are widely used as important criteria by global investors who focus on companies’ ESG efforts. The FTSE Blossom Japan Index and the FTSE Blossom Japan Sector Relative Index were developed by FTSE Russell, a member of London Stock Exchange Group. They were designed using FTSE4Good Index Inclusion Rules, based on existing international ESG standards including the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to select companies that demonstrate strong ESG efforts. The S&P/JPX Carbon Efficient Index is designed to measure the performance of companies in the underlying index, the Tokyo Stock Price Index, while over- or underweighting those companies that have lower or higher levels of carbon emissions per unit of revenue. The Morningstar Japan ex-REIT Gender Diversity Tilt Index was developed using the assessment method from the Morningstar Indexes, a US company that provides leading indexes, and the gender equality scorecard from Equileap, a company from the Netherlands that provides gender equality data, research and analysis for institutional investors. Since 2021, the Kao Group has been promoting the Kao Group Mid-term Plan with its vision of “protecting future lives” and “sustainability as the only path.” It will continue to integrate its ESG strategy into its management practices, develop its business, provide better products and services for consumers and society, and work toward its purpose, “to realize a Kirei world in which all life lives in harmony.” About the Kirei Lifestyle Plan Over the past 130 years, Kao has worked to improve people’s lives and help them realize more sustainable lifestyles—a Kirei Lifestyle. The Japanese word ‘kirei’ describes something that is clean, well-ordered and beautiful, all at the same time. The Kao Group established its ESG strategy, the Kirei Lifestyle Plan in April 2019, which is designed to deliver the vision of a gentler and more sustainable way of living. By 2030, Kao aims to empower at least 1 billion people, to enjoy more beautiful lives and have 100% of its products leave a full lifecycle environmental footprint that science says our natural world can safely absorb. Please visit the Kao sustainability website for more information. Kao creates high-value-added products and services that provide care and enrichment for the life of all people and the planet. Through its portfolio of over 20 leading brands such as Attack , Bioré , Goldwell , Jergens , John Frieda , Kanebo , Laurier , Merries, and Molton Brown , Kao is part of the everyday lives of people in Asia, Oceania, North America, and Europe. Combined with its chemical business, which contributes to a wide range of industries, Kao generates about 1,530 billion yen in annual sales. Kao employs about 34,300 people worldwide and has 137 years of history in innovation. Please visit the Kao Group website for updated information. Media inquiries should be directed to: Public Relations Kao Corporation [email protected] Related Information Kao launches new ESG Strategy “Kirei Lifestyle Plan” to support consumer lifestyle changes Kao’s New Challenges for the Future: Accelerating Purposeful Business Commitment with ESG Kao sustainability website MSCI Nihonkabu ESG Select Leaders Index (Japanese) FTSE Blossom Japan Index Series Download News Release PDF file Search News Release Information Business / Finance Products / Brands Lifestyle / Beauty Corporate Citizenship Activities Research & Development Survey Report Product Development Research Fundamental Research Advertisement Supported by What We Know About the Global Microsoft Outage Airlines to banks to retailers were affected in many countries. Businesses are struggling to recover. Share full article By Eshe Nelson and Danielle Kaye Eshe Nelson reported from London and Danielle Kaye from New York. Across the world, critical businesses and services including airlines, hospitals, train networks and TV stations, were disrupted on Friday by a global tech outage affecting Microsoft users. In many countries, flights were grounded, workers could not get access to their systems and, in some cases, customers could not make card payments in stores. While some of the problems were resolved within hours, many businesses, websites and airlines continued to struggle to recover. What happened? A series of outages rippled across the globe as information displays, login systems and broadcasting networks went dark. The problem affecting the majority of services was caused by a flawed update by CrowdStrike , an American cybersecurity firm, whose systems are intended to protect users from hackers. Microsoft said on Friday that it was aware of an issue affecting machines running “CrowdStrike Falcon.” But Microsoft had also said there was an earlier outage affecting U.S. users of Azure, its cloud service system. Some users may have been affected by both. Even as CrowdStrike sent out a fix, some systems were still affected by midday in the United States as businesses needed to make manual updates to their systems to resolve the issue. George Kurtz, the president and chief executive of CrowdStrike, said on Friday morning that it could take some time for some systems to recover. How a Software Update Crashed Computers Around the World Here’s a visual explanation for how a faulty software update crippled machines. How the airline cancellations rippled around the world (and across time zones) Share of canceled flights at 25 airports on Friday 50% of flights Ai r po r t Bengalu r u K empeg o wda Dhaka Shahjalal Minneapolis-Saint P aul Stuttga r t Melbou r ne Be r lin B r anden b urg London City Amsterdam Schiphol Chicago O'Hare Raleigh−Durham B r adl e y Cha r lotte Reagan National Philadelphia 1:20 a.m. ET We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber?  Log in . Want all of The Times?  Subscribe . Helping our customers through the CrowdStrike outage Jul 20, 2024 | David Weston - Vice President, Enterprise and OS Security Share on Facebook (opens new window) Share on Twitter (opens new window) Share on LinkedIn (opens new window) On July 18, CrowdStrike, an independent cybersecurity company, released a software update that began impacting IT systems globally. Although this was not a Microsoft incident, given it impacts our ecosystem, we want to provide an update on the steps we’ve taken with CrowdStrike and others to remediate and support our customers.   Since this event began, we’ve maintained ongoing communication with our customers, CrowdStrike and external developers to collect information and expedite solutions. We recognize the disruption this problem has caused for businesses and in the daily routines of many individuals. Our focus is providing customers with technical guidance and support to safely bring disrupted systems back online. Steps taken have included:   Engaging with CrowdStrike to automate their work on developing a solution.   CrowdStrike has recommended a workaround to address this issue and has also issued a public statement. Instructions to remedy the situation on Windows endpoints were posted on the Windows Message Center .    Deploying hundreds of Microsoft engineers and experts to work directly with customers to restore services.    Collaborating with other cloud providers and stakeholders, including Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Amazon Web Services (AWS), to share awareness on the state of impact we are each seeing across the industry and inform ongoing conversations with CrowdStrike and customers.   Quickly posting manual remediation documentation and scripts found here . Keeping customers informed of the latest status on the incident through the Azure Status Dashboard here .   We’re working around the clock and providing ongoing updates and support. Additionally, CrowdStrike has helped us develop a scalable solution that will help Microsoft’s Azure infrastructure accelerate a fix for CrowdStrike’s faulty update. We have also worked with both AWS and GCP to collaborate on the most effective approaches.     While software updates may occasionally cause disturbances, significant incidents like the CrowdStrike event are infrequent. We currently estimate that CrowdStrike’s update affected 8.5 million Windows devices, or less than one percent of all Windows machines. While the percentage was small, the broad economic and societal impacts reflect the use of CrowdStrike by enterprises that run many critical services.   This incident demonstrates the interconnected nature of our broad ecosystem — global cloud providers, software platforms, security vendors and other software vendors, and customers. It’s also a reminder of how important it is for all of us across the tech ecosystem to prioritize operating with safe deployment and disaster recovery using the mechanisms that exist. As we’ve seen over the last two days, we learn, recover and move forward most effectively when we collaborate and work together. We appreciate the cooperation and collaboration of our entire sector, and we will continue to update with learnings and next steps.   Check us out on RSS 418 IMAGES Website Design and Development Business Plan Template Sample Pages Website Design and Development Business Plan Template Sample Pages Web Design & Development Business Plan Template in Google Docs, Word Website Design and Development Business Plan Template Sample Pages Web Developer Business Plan Website Design and Development Business Plan Template Sample Pages VIDEO Website Design agreement contract Website Development Website Design for Car Modification Business SOFTLEARN BUSINESS PLAN(Website: www.softlearnct.com) 5 Steps to Start an Online Business in 2024 Using AI Tools GMC World Full Business Plan In English COMMENTS Website Design Business Plan Template [Updated 2024] Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P's: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. 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Meta Quest 2: Immersive All-In-One VR Headset Shop Meta Quest Refurbished Meta Quest 3 Refurbished Meta Quest 2 Meta Quest: Play now, pay later Rift Meta Warranty Plus VR for Good Forums Referrals Blog Creators Download SDKs Developers Made for Meta partner program Safety information for parents & pre-teens Meta Quest health & safety information Meta Quest safety center Meta for Work Meta Avatars THE 17 GOALS History. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. Urban and Rural Places in Èlektrostal' (Moscow Oblast, Russia The population development of the urban and rural places in Èlektrostal'. The icon links to further information about a selected place including its population structure (gender). Name Native Status District Population Census 2002-10-09 Population Census 2010-10-14 Population Census Èlektrostal' (Moscow Oblast, Russia) The population development of Èlektrostal' as well as related information and services (weather, Wikipedia, Google, images). Name Native Population Census 1989-01-12 Population Census 2002-10-09 Population Census 2010-10-14 Population Census 2021-10-01 ; Èlektrostal' [Elektrostal] UUDO Heliport information about UUDO - Orlovo, MOS, RU. Information on this site may not be accurate or current and is not valid for flight planning or navigation. Èlektrostal' (Èlektrostal', Moscow Oblast, Russia) The population development of Èlektrostal' as well as related information and services (weather, Wikipedia, Google, images). Name Native District Population Census 2002-10-09 Population Census 2010-10-14 Population Census 2021-10-01 ; Èlektrostal' [Elektrostal] Kao Kao Corporation was recently selected again for inclusion in all the global stock indices for ESG that apply to Japanese companies used by the Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF), one of the world's largest pension funds that manages and invests the reserve funds of the National Pension and the Employees' Pension Insurance, both of which are public pension plans in Japan. What We Know About the Global Microsoft Outage Across the world, critical businesses and services including airlines, hospitals, train networks and TV stations, were disrupted on Friday by a global tech outage affecting Microsoft users. Helping our customers through the CrowdStrike outage Collaborating with other cloud providers and stakeholders, including Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Amazon Web Services (AWS), to share awareness on the state of impact we are each seeing across the industry and inform ongoing conversations with CrowdStrike and customers. Quickly posting manual remediation documentation and scripts found here. assignment essay homework paper phd resume speech thesis