Before starting your website development, choose the right platform for your new website in 2024. Here are the top considerations for you.
As you work to set up your new website in 2024, deciding which platform to build it on is a crucial first step. That’s because the platform will dictate what tools and connections are available to you and how easy it is to update your website.
When evaluating website platforms, you should consider the following:
Review these factors that could impact your decision about the best website platform for your business.
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to website platforms. Each business has unique needs and serves a specific audience. By following these steps, you can ensure you future-proof your website platform decision so that it grows well with your business and serves your customers effectively.
Outline everything you need your website to do. You need it to showcase your products or services. But evaluate whether you need it to accomplish other goals as well.
Based on how you’ll be using your website, various types of websites will best serve you. Recognizing your unique needs is the first step in finding the right platform for you.
Review technical skills on your team. How comfortable are they with technology and how capable would they be to manage a more complex, technology-forward website? If your technology know-how is limited on your team, your best option is to look for a simple plug-and-play option or to hire a tech team that can assist with your website.
Launching the website is just one small aspect of keeping up with your online presence. While you’ll need some tech know-how to get started, you’ll also want to have resources in case of a security issue or the need to connect new technology to the site.
Leveraging a website to its full potential will help you see the greatest benefit from your investment, which means having the right technology to accomplish your goals based on the resources you have in place.
Depending on where you’re at with your business, your budget will vary. For example, small businesses that haven’t brought in any revenue just yet might not be able to invest much in their initial website. It might just be a task of getting something usable live to start taking orders or building awareness for what you have to offer.
When your budget is highly constrained, you likely aren’t ready to work with a developer to create a custom website and experience for your customers just yet. Look for affordable hosting and management from a trusted partner.
Just know that as your business grows, you’ll need to adapt and grow your online presence. This means getting a professional website design that matches your branding, integration with marketing automation tools to ensure better lead capture and nurture, as well as security updates to protect your business and your customers.
Some website platforms are rigid in what you can customize. That means that your website will always look somewhat generic, and you won’t have much control over crucial factors, such as the cart completion process. You want to know that you can create the ideal online experience based on what you know about your customers and their needs.
Some website platforms offer hundreds of free website templates to choose from, which you can then customize to meet your needs. While it isn’t a custom website design, it’s enough to help a company establish a website presence to earn enough business to justify a fully customized experience.
While those free templates will be tempting, you might consider paying a few hundred dollars for one of the better paid templates when just getting started. That way, you ensure your website receives regular updates from the original template designer and that the template will integrate well with modern plugins and extensions to create a good experience.
Once your website is live, you want to know that you can update it with ease as needed. It shouldn’t be a lengthy process to make a small photo or text change. As you add blogs and videos to the site, it should feel as simple as posting a social media update.
The ease of updating the website should match the technical resources you have in-house or have hired with a third party to help manage your site. That way, you know you won’t have outdated content and experiences on your site.
WordPress powers 43 percent of all websites on the internet and for good reason. The platform is incredibly easy to use and integrates with many additional tools through simple plugins that you can install and manage.
This platform is also incredibly scalable. That means that as your business grows, your WordPress website will grow with you to meet your ongoing needs. From a budgetary standpoint, it’s also beneficial because it is free and open source.
When kept up to date, WordPress websites also offer incredible security and privacy for you and your customers.
Many popular organizations choose to manage their website through WordPress, including:
New Light Digital helps bring brands to life through their websites while providing a strong foundation for SEO results with fast, user-focused websites.
And their team of experts can help you complete ongoing maintenance and management to ensure security and strong ongoing updates based on user experience requirements. Hiring New Light Digital gives you access to content marketing experts, SEO analysts, website experts and more to help you build an online presence that delivers new business results. Schedule your free consultation now to get your online presence on the right track toward dynamic customer interactions.
Further reading:
Prepare for a strategic website redesign with these steps. Go from assessing your website to strategizing how to increase your website ROI.
Ensure your site has these website essentials to create meaningful interactions with your customers and engage website visitors.
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