As the air gets chilly and the year draws to a close, people look to complete their holiday shopping.

How can you take advantage of the season and convince more people to purchase from your e-commerce site versus a competitor’s?

In this post, we’re going to cover 3 ways to make your site more cheerful and less bah-humbug so you can generate more sales this year.

3 ways to ready your site for the holiday season

Be a trusted resource for your site visitors.

How often have you heard someone say that the person they’re shopping for “already has everything they need” or is “impossible to shop for”?

Take the guesswork out of shopping for your customers by compiling a gift guide (or a few) for your site visitors. By doing this, you can direct them to the products that are the best fit for their needs or highlight the products that you most want to sell.

Your gift guides should be clearly titled. There should be no confusion as to whether your gift guide is best suited for someone’s grandmother or great-nephew. Make sure to use keywords and details in your product descriptions to give people enough information to make an informed decision.

And remember that appearances matter! It’s not 1997 anymore — so as much as you might want to throw together a list of goods in a Word doc then post it to your site, don’t do it. There are so many retailers clamoring for attention and sales that you need to stand out.

There are many free graphic design sites and tools that can help you craft a good-looking gift guide. Check out Canva or do a quick internet search to find the tool you like best.

Give your site a festive facelift.

When was the last time your website got a little TLC?

People don’t keep the same clothing or hairstyles forever, and there’s no time like the holidays for updating your site, too.

You don’t have to overhaul your website, but consider updating your main banner image to something better suited to the holiday season. Coca-Cola is a great example of a company that updates its look and feel for the holidays. Before the holidays last year, they updated their site to highlight a seasonal product, Coca-Cola Cinnamon, and their banner image had also been updated to support that.

If you’re thinking, “I can’t afford a photographer or new graphic designer just for this!” then we have good news. The days when you’d need to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for good photography and imagery to use on your site are long gone, so don’t let that be a concern of yours. When creating your new banner image, consider adding a highly-visible coupon code to attract holiday shoppers.

Check out this article for free image resources you can use to spruce up your site.

Be a little less Scrooge and a little more Santa

We’ve talked a lot about shopping this holiday season but that’s not entirely what it’s about. Your customers are looking to purchase gifts for the people they care for as an act of consideration and love.

Help them know that you’re on the same page by dedicating a certain percentage of your holiday sales to charity or a non-profit organization. Even a very small amount, like 1-2% of your profits this time of year, can add up to make a big difference in someone’s life.

Don’t be shy about letting your customers know that part of their purchase is going towards a good cause. It could be the differentiator you need to stand out from the crowd and convince someone to purchase from you instead of your competitor.  

Happy holidays to you and your site

The holiday season is a great time to update your site. Give your visitors what they’re looking for with gift guides, updated seasonal imagery, and another reason to feel good about themselves with a donation to charity.

Do you have other ideas for giving your website a holiday look and feel? Share them with the rest of us in the comments below. 

If you’re like most people, you’re no stranger to online shopping. Each year the number of online shoppers climbs higher and higher, and we don’t see that trend declining any time soon. According to Statista, “Retail e-commerce sales worldwide are forecast to more than double between 2018 and 2023, surpassing 6.5 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023.”

Those statistics make starting an e-commerce website pretty appealing, don’t they? And if you need any extra motivation, think about how nice it’ll be to be your own boss, make your own hours, and be able to work from anywhere in the world.

Starting an e-commerce website

How do you start planning for your online business and creating your e-commerce site?

Before we discuss the elements every e-commerce site should have, let’s talk about getting your other ducks in a row. In order to build the best e-commerce website you can, you’ll need to consider:

• Your ideal customer.
• Your products or services.
• Your differentiator, or what sets you apart from the competition and makes people choose you over them.
• Sourcing your products.
• Inventory.
• Shipping.
• What you’ll name your business and online store (hint: it should match your domain name for consistent branding.)

Once you’ve spent some time on those items, you can get down to business creating a website to sell your goods and services so you don’t miss your piece of the e-commerce sales pie.

First impressions matter

Have you ever landed on a website to browse and do some shopping only to scan it and think, “This doesn’t look legitimate,” and then exited the site? What gave you the impression that the website wasn’t genuine or could be a scam?

Typos and bad grammar, no product descriptions or photos, a lack of contact information, an unsecure website connection, and cluttered design are all reasons we’ve heard for people leaving a website without making a purchase.

Elements every e-commerce website needs

When someone lands on your website, they shouldn’t be driven away by any of the reasons we mentioned above. You want to inspire trust in your site visitors and help them through your marketing funnel so they’ll become customers.

What elements does your e-commerce website need to inspire confidence in your site visitors?

• Security
  • The threat of having your personal and financial information exposed or hacked is real. With SSL, a secure connection is established between your site visitor and your website. That means any information passed from their end to yours (like billing details) is encrypted and kept safe from prying eyes.
• Cluttered design
  • Websites are visual things and humans are visual creatures. You can try creating your own website with code, or make life a little easier on yourself by using a website builder.
  • Domain.com’s WebsiteBuilder offers specific themes already optimized for e-commerce and you can drag and drop elements within these themes to customize your site.
• Product photos and product information
  • Again, humans are visual creatures. You need clear photos that accurately represent your products. You also need a clear description of what you’re selling. If not, you risk people not purchasing or purchasing, being disappointed, and leaving bad reviews for your new online store.
  • Here are some tips on how to photograph the products for your e-commerce store.
• Typos and bad grammar
  • If your online site is full of typos and errant punctuation, you run the risk of someone thinking it’s a fake site that’s set up to phish for your personal or financial information.  
  • There are many free online tools, like Grammarly, that can help you perfect the spelling and grammar for the writing and copy on your e-commerce website.
• Contact Information
  • We know you’re doing your best. Even so, mistakes can happen. On the off chance that there’s an error in an order, your customers will want to know how to contact you. Make sure that information is apparent and available from the moment you launch your site.

From a consumer perspective, your e-commerce site needs these things. Without them, you’re doing yourself and your online business a disservice.

Are you ready to start building your online store?

Check out Domain.com’s Website Builder today!

With WebsiteBuilder, you don’t just get highly-customizable templates. With our business plan you’ll receive dedicated e-commerce features in your builder like:

• E-commerce shopping cart
  • Sell your products across web and mobile devices.
• Inventory management
  • Track your inventory and stock.
• Payment processing
  • Choose from Stripe or PayPal.
• Coupon codes
  • You’ll have the ability to offer coupon codes to your visitors and customers to drive more sales.

So what are you waiting for? Get your domain name and start your online store today!

Each has its benefits and drawbacks, and that’s what we’ll discuss in this post. So stick around and let’s explore your options for website creation together.

Website Creation: DIY or outsource?

That’s a great question and we’re glad you’re asking it. It shows you understand how valuable your website is and that you want to create it the best way possible, and rightfully so. Your website is the hub of your digital presence, it’s where customers go to find you, interact with you, and hopefully, convert. (That means they take whatever action you’d like for them to take on your site, like making a purchase or signing up for the email list on your blog)

If your website is slow, clunky, or hard to navigate then your website visitors won’t be making any purchases or signing up for any lists; instead, they’ll bounce. If you have a high bounce rate, search engines will take note, and your website won’t show up as high in search results moving forward. So it pays to create a good site with your visitors’ preferences and needs in mind and to maintain your website. If you don’t, your site can get buried in the depths of the Internet.

Let’s consider the following points to help determine whether you should DIY or outsource the creation of your website.

What’s the goal of your website?

Have you stopped to consider your website goals? Now is definitely the time. If you don’t consider your goals, how can you create a plan for success?

If you’re a blogger your goal might be to increase the number of visitors to your site and the number of subscribers to your email newsletter. Why? Because those two things can help influence your bottom line by attracting advertisers or companies who’d like to work with you.

If you aren’t sure what your goals are, or how to achieve them, you may want to consider outsourcing your website to someone with experience building similar sites so they can guide you.

Or do you have clear-cut goals and understand how the layout and build of a website can influence them? If so, it sounds like you’re ready to DIY your own site.

Have you created a website before?

Creating websites isn’t as difficult as it was 5, 10, or 15 years ago. You don’t need a 4-year degree and a thorough understanding of JavaScript or any other programming language.

If you’ve created a website before then we have faith that you can do it again! And if you haven’t, we have faith in you, too!

Nowadays, there exists these handy tools called website builders. Website builders, like ours, turn website creation into a quick and painless process. Once you have your domain name and hosting, you can choose a theme for your site. The themes are varied and highly customizable, so you don’t have to worry about your site looking exactly like every other Dick and Jane’s site. You can customize themes by dragging and dropping different elements (like call-to-action buttons or about pages) exactly where you want them. What you see as you build your site is what you’ll get for a finished product.

Are you nervous about creating a website? Don’t be. You can practice by using our free website builder that allows you to create a 6-page site (it’s free with every domain name purchase.)

If after some practice you decide that you’re a website-building rockstar then good for you! As your business grows you may find that you need a larger site, so you can always upgrade your builder and hosting package and continue rocking those site creation skills.

What if you decide that website creation isn’t for you? That’s ok, we can help with our full-service offerings. We understand you may not have the time to devote to a website, so we provide a service that encompasses the following.

Professional Website Services

• Custom 5-page website including content creation for up to 3 pages.
• Drag & drop site builder so you can make changes to the site if you’d like.
• Professional branding because you deserve to look like the pro you are.
• Full website functionality including blog setup, photo gallery, and contact form.

And if that’s not enough, we’ll even help with your marketing.

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Managed Local Lift — working with online listing publishers like Yahoo! to make sure local customers are finding you.
• Content marketing. We’ll write articles and create content to support your organic search rank on major search engines.
• Monthly consultations with an expert because we’re here to help you succeed.

Do you understand the time investment and maintenance a website requires?

As much as we wish websites were set-it-and-forget-it, they’re not. (Although it’d be great, wouldn’t it — having one less thing to worry about?)

Alas, we can’t change the way websites and the Internet work for you, but we do our best to make it easier by providing all the options you’ll need to secure and maintain not just your site, but your domain name, too.

There are some bad people and automated programs online and you need to guard your website against them. You can run manual scans and attack the threats one-by-one, but the fact is, there are a lot more automated bots and programs than there are of you. If you’re new to building websites, you might not realize how essential domain privacy and site security are.

Domain.com offers SiteLock Security products, domain privacy + protection, and more so that you can keep your site free from danger without needing expert advice. But if you’d rather not take any chances and have someone else worry about it, then outsourcing your website is a good option. A 3rd party can help you to build your site, maintain it as needed, and advise you as to the best security options and plans for your site.

If I choose to outsource or purchase a DIFM (do-it-for-me) website package, am I stuck with it forever?

It’s a valid question, and we don’t blame you for wondering.

No, you won’t be.

If you need help getting started with your website, don’t have the time to devote to a website right now, or would prefer someone else maintain your site, then outsourcing is the best solution for you right now. But that doesn’t mean things won’t change.

Maybe you’ll hire some new people soon and have more time available to focus on your website and marketing; in that case, you can take ownership over your site again. You can switch plans with us at Domain.com for a self-managed site or make sure to ask any 3^rd parties about future arrangements prior to outsourcing your site.

There are many ways to build a website

With so many options at your disposal, you really don’t have an excuse for not having a site in this day and age.

Your website is the heart of your digital presence and your domain name is what leads people there. So don’t delay, get started today! 

Congratulations!

It’s a big step, and we’re excited for you.

Create a website: From planning to execution

Is this the first website you’ve created? Or has it been a while since you’ve made one? Either way, we’ll help you understand exactly what to do. Follow along as we discuss how to plan and build your website.

Planning Your Site

Not all websites are created equal. Depending on your needs and goals your website may consist of only a few pages, or it could be a large e-commerce website.

Before investing too much time in your design, or jumping straight into website creation, ask yourself the following questions to help plan your site.

• What is my business all about?
  • This is question #1 for good reason. Your website exists to support your business needs. Your website will be a means to an end, it will be a means to support and further your business goals.
  • If your site will be a blog, or to support a passion project, you should still clearly define what your goals and needs are to support your vision. Then consider how your site will support those.
• What will success look like?
  • For bloggers looking to monetize their site, they might consider site visitors a key performance indicator, or KPI, of their site. The more visitors they receive, the greater the likelihood of getting better partners and adverts on your site.
  • For e-commerce sites, you’ll want to think more along the lines of conversions (when a site visitor becomes a customer, or takes the action you want them to take on your site.)
  • You need to have a clear idea of what success will look like for you and the KPIs you’ll use to measure it so that you can design your website properly. If you’re trying to drive on-site purchases, but have no call-to-action buttons on site for people to “Buy Now” or “Checkout Here” then you’re doing yourself a disservice. Identifying what your success will look like helps you build the website to get there.

• Who’s my target audience?
  • Websites need visitors to thrive. But if you attract all the wrong people to your site, and they don’t end up interacting with your site or purchasing anything, then what does it matter?
  • Your target audience consists of the people in your ideal market. They’re the ones who your service or goods are designed to help and benefit. Cater your website to these folks, and you’ll reap the rewards.
• Do I have the right domain name?
  • Your domain name is the address that leads people to your website. It should be easy to understand, easy to spell, and hopefully, memorable. Think of it this way: If someone were to hear your domain name without ever seeing it, could they spell it and get to your site?
  • If you don’t have the perfect domain name yet, you can find one here.

Now that you’ve asked yourself these questions, you should have a better idea of what type of site you’ll need to create.

Creating a quick, beautiful website

Ready to design and create your site?

You can quickly and easily create a website to suit your needs using something called a Website Builder.

What is a website builder?

A website builder is a lot like it sounds — it’s a tool to help you create a website easily. Website builders usually come with drag-and-drop functionality, offer pre-made templates, and leave less room for error when creating a site.

You don’t need to have a 4-year degree or advanced understanding of code to use a website builder, but that doesn’t mean they’re strictly the purview of website novices. Many advanced web designers use website builders, too.

Domain.com’s Website Builder and Full Service Design

We offer a website builder to help you get up and running in no time at all. You can put together a quick, simple site in under an hour, or create a larger e-commerce site to sell your goods.

No time to create a site? That’s no problem. If you would rather have some one-on-one dedicated assistance in creating a site we have options for you, too. We offer a full service design and marketing plan to help you get up and running, and you’ll receive a dedicated account manager who’ll reach out every month to make sure all is well and review your marketing campaigns.

What are you waiting for – create your site today!

Creating a website has never been easier or simpler. Take some time to plan your site — identify your target audience and set your goals. Once you know what purpose your site will serve it’s easier to design it.

Need a hand or have any questions? Let us know!

If you’re a bit confused, worry not. In this guide we’re going to:

• Break down the differences between web hosting vs. website builder
• Explain the benefits of each
• Show you how to get started

What is Web Hosting?

When you rent a home, you’re paying for a piece of real estate to live in. Usually you fill this home with your own furniture and memorabilia, making it feel like your own.

Web hosting follows the same principle, except you’re paying for a home in what is called a “server,” where the data, content, and the information of your website will live. In order for you to claim this piece of real estate on the internet, you must pay to have it hosted. The bigger the piece you want, or the bigger your website, the more you’re going to have to pay.

But, at the most fundamental level, web hosting offers  a plot for people to build websites on. When it comes to the debate of “web hosting vs website builder,” a website builder would be useless if not for hosting services — how can you build if you don’t have land, or a server, to build on?

What is a Website Builder?

If you’ve ever wondered, “What is a website builder?” you can think of it this way: it’s a tool that allows beginners and experts alike to build a website, without needing to know code. The pre-coded platforms work by providing a large variety of website templates and themes to choose from, which can then be customized and tailored to your needs. These tools are built to be user-friendly and often come with tutorials and technical support seeing as they’re designed to complement the DIY (do it yourself) method.

Since website builders exist on servers that users can access anywhere they have internet, they are in a certain sense also hosting your website. The sites are hosted on these servers regardless of whether or not a website is finished or launched. By returning to the real estate metaphor, think of website builder hosting like owning some acreage and slowly building atop the land. Once the home is complete and you’re done building, it’ll still be “hosted” on that land.

It all starts with the right domain. Get yours today at Domain.com.

Types of Web Hosting

Web hosting is an umbrella term and it refers to the act of renting space on a server; there are more specific types that fall beneath it. To understand the differences between web hosting and a website builder, it’s important that we break it down. Some common types of web hosting are:

• Shared Hosting
• Dedicated Hosting
• Website Builder Hosting

Shared Hosting

Shared hosting is like an apartment complex; multiple small businesses rent apartments and share the resources. It’s the most affordable and popular type of hosting available, and usually it’s the first type of hosting used by different companies and individuals as they launch their website. This type of hosting is perfect for people who have relatively small websites and have less custom or elaborate needs. There are often storage limitations and can be limited to one or a few websites that you own.

Dedicated Hosting

Dedicated hosting is more expensive, and rightfully so as it’s a personalized type of hosting. On a dedicated host, a company or individual has a server all to themselves. They don’t share any resources, nor do they allow for any third party to rent or squat on their space. This allows for a full customization of the server, a higher bandwidth for traffic, and better security. If you have a bigger business or a website that experiences high volumes of traffic, take a close look at dedicated hosting.

Website Builder Hosting

You can use a website builder with any of the hosting types discussed above. However, keep in mind that all Website Builders are in a sense hosts. Think of it this way: no matter if you’re a big business or a small business, you want a quick and easy way of creating a beautiful, functional website. That’s what Website Builder is for. But, if you are a  business or organization that needs to accommodate high customer traffic and secure their information, you’d want to invest in a more advanced hosting option (like a Dedicated Server.) If you’re an individual or small business whose website doesn’t get a lot of traffic (yet) then you can use Website Builder to create your site and keep it “hosted” there as you build and grow. Check out Domain.com’s WebsiteBuilder — an easy to use tool that helps you create your website in no time.

If you’re using Website Builder Hosting as your primary hosting then it’s a good idea to also look at options that provide more security and room for growth of your website.

A Comparison of Website Hosting and Website Builder

When comparing web hosting and a website builder, semantics play a major role in defining the two. Here are some points to use to compare these products:

• Web hosting allows an individual or company to rent a space on a server, which will host all the data and information of their given website. This space can take many different forms and is often chosen based specifically on the needs and budgetary requirements of an individual or enterprise
• A website builder cannot host more than one website or act as a server for anything other than the website you’re building with it. It’s not designed as a hosting platform, it’s both a storage locker and construction ground for your website. Remember, “website builder hosting” is a bit misleading, what’s being hosted is the Website Builder software, not the website being created by the Website Builder.
• Web hosting is rented space or digital real estate, it’s not a service that allows you to build a website. If you purchased hosting and want to build your website with it, you’re putting the cart before the horse. Think of it this way: you need a website in order to host it. Some hosting packages will offer tools to build a website, but that’s an added feature and not a standard feature of web hosting.
• A website builder allows the user to actually create the website they’re going to host on a server. Website builders provide pre-coded and templatized “sections of websites” that you get to put together and customize to create your own website. Domain.com’s Website Builder offers drag and drop functionality, making it a breeze to use.

At its core, the main difference is that web hosting is a piece of land, while a website builder is what allows the construction to happen atop that land.

A Website Builder Explained

As we mentioned, a website builder is a software platform used to build a website. Engineered for both experts and beginners alike, they are usually offered alongside a hosting platform to create an all-inclusive package. There are two types of website builders:

• An online website builder – the website builder is hosted on the same server as the website and can be accessed anywhere there’s internet. This means that the user will never have to download or install software and can access their “build” — at any stage — so long as they have a healthy internet connection. These are more common than the following type.
• An offline website builder – typically thought to be geared more towards users with technical knowhow, an offline website builder is exactly as it sounds; a platform that works offline. This means the user will have to download the software and save the files locally, then upload them onto a server once they want to launch the website

If you choose to use a website builder hosting package that doesn’t mean that you’re bound to that specific hosting plan once your website has been built.

It all starts with the right domain. Get yours today at Domain.com.

What Should I Expect (And Want) from a Website Builder?

A quality website builder provides all the tools you need to build, maintain, and expand upon a website. A few common things to expect are:

Variety of Templates

The allure of using a website builder is that it’s pre-coded. This means that someone with zero knowledge of coding can utilize the user interface to create their own website. This is done by way of templates. Each website builder will have their own catalogue of templates which are  pre-coded, designed, and color coordinated. Once selected, these templates can be customized to fit a brand or personality.

Functionality

A good Website Builder will have an image editor, “drag and drop” functionality, and customizable templates. The functionality of a website builder should be easy to use and versatile.

Mobile Formatting

It’s no secret that people are just as likely to visit your website on their mobile device as they are on their computer. Today, mobile formatting is not only important for websites, it’s an imperative. If the website builder that you’re considering doesn’t format for mobile, run away. You can’t risk losing customers because a website doesn’t load properly on their mobile device.

User-Friendly Interface & Technical Support

Website builders are designed to be user-friendly, allowing even the most computer illiterate of us to easily create a site. To that end, every website builder should be backed by a reputable and diligent technical customer support team. If anything in the website happens to break, or if certain pieces aren’t fitting together, then a good provider would offer customer support to troubleshoot the problem.

Analytics Tools & SEO

Analytics and SEO (search engine optimization) are now utilized by every successful website, so you should expect your website builder to offer some form of both. This can mean offering a flawless integration of Google Analytics, or even some ground level keyword generation for SEO. These types of tools will allow a user to understand how well they’ve positioned themselves on the internet, what they’re doing wrong, and where to improve.

Key Takeaways

When it comes to spelling out the differences between web hosting and a website builder, it’s best to separate them entirely. Some key takeaways:

• Web hosting hosts both websites and website builders but by its definition is incapable of building a website.
• A website builder does not host a website so that consumers can access on the internet. Rather, it hosts the tools and pieces needed to create that website, allowing the user to build.
• Both web hosting and website builders work best in packages, where a website builder is utilized to create a website, then the website is hosted through the same bundle

It all starts with the right domain. Get yours today at Domain.com.

I Understand Now, How Do I Get Started?

Now that you understand there is no choosing one or the other, rather it’s about working to integrate both web hosting and a website builder, how do you get started?

First, you need a domain name. Your domain name is going to be the name of your website, which should hopefully align with your brand or company. From there, you can choose what type of hosting and website builder package you want.

If you’re still confused about all the options or have any questions regarding domains, hosting services, and website builders, then feel free to reach out to the experts at Domain.com and they’ll provide the answers you’re looking for. You don’t need to be an expert coder to create a fantastic website, you just need a solid website builder and a decent web hosting plan.

In our thorough guide we’ll answer:

• What exactly is a website builder?
• Why do people use them?
• What characteristics are found in a good website builder?
• How do I get started?

It all starts with the right domain. Get yours today at Domain.com.

What Is a Website Builder?

A website builder is as it sounds; an apparatus that allows you to craft your very own site. This platform or software is typically engineered to have a user-friendly interface, with plenty of drag and drop functionality and preset styles and website templates to choose from. They allow you to build a website from scratch by using prebuilt structures.

In this way, with a bit of invested time and some pointed tutorials, you can start creating your layout, style, and then integrating your brand’s elements and content. The code runs on the backend, but the frontend is a platform of digestible, easy-to-learn features which allow you to build your home on the internet landscape.

This can be done in two ways:

Online Website Builder

An online website builder is a platform that you access through your web browser. Instead of downloading the builder’s software, it’s hosted on the cloud, which you can access anywhere there’s internet.  

Offline Website Builder

An offline website builder requires the user to download software and host the files locally on their computer. It’s a general rule of thumb that offline website builders take a bit more technical knowhow and experience, seeing as the files will have to be uploaded onto a web hosting platform once the buildout is finished.

Why Do People Use Website Builders?

To put it in perspective, many renowned web developers use website builders, like WordPress, to put together websites. These tools are not reserved simply for novice users within the web development space. Of course, if the website is going to need extensive coding with complex functionality and advanced security, then a standard website builder might not be the recommended option.

But website builders are the perfect option for most small businesses and fresh enterprises. Here are some of the main reasons people use website builders:

• Creates a website in a snap
• Less room for error
• They don’t require technical knowhow
• Affordability
• Low Maintenance
• 24/7 Technical Support (offered by companies like Domain.com)

A Snap of the Fingers

In many circumstances, a small business needs scant more than a functional, good-looking website that is easy to navigate. Any web developer will tell you that a website builder can do this in the blink of an eye. They’re right. A website builder can create a good-looking, viable and functional site in a matter of hours.

Less Room for Error

Being that the website builder is pre-coded, there’s less room for error. The pieces you build, layer, and add together will work because they were designed to complement one another. You’re not creating new “pieces of a website” hoping they integrate perfectly, you’re integrating pieces that have been tested countless times before.

Caters to Low Technical Skill Sets

You don’t need to be a graphic design guru, web dev pro, or even understand HTML to use a website builder. One facet of website builders is their template catalogue. These templates come integrated with color theory, crisp designs, and functional processes. They do the work so that you don’t have to.

Affordability

It should be no surprise that it’s far cheaper to utilize a savvy website builder instead of hiring a web developer to do the work on your behalf. Truth be told, most of the web developers you hire will be using some sort of templatized platform—especially if your website does not require custom coding. Hint: most don’t.

Little Maintenance

Since website templates are pre-coded in website builders, there’s little need for upkeep and maintenance. Of course, the website should be continuously updated with fresh content for your audience to engage with, but this is another “plug-n-play” process of a good website builder.

DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Support

Many small business owners or brand creators want to go the DIY method when it comes to their website. They want to learn how the process works and maintain full creative control, and that’s understandable. For many online website builders, companies like Domain.com offer technical support along with the builder. This means if you run into any issues, you can call them for free.

Now that you have a general understanding of why people utilize website builders, when you start your hunt, what features and characteristics should you be looking for?

It all starts with the right domain. Get yours today at Domain.com.

What Makes for A Good Website Builder?

What makes for a good website builder is often subjective due to the needs and experience of the user. What one web developer may qualify as “good” can differ from the opinion of another. Yet, there are some ubiquitous characteristics shared by website builders which most everyone agrees are measurements of their quality.

You’ll find the most important features below:  

User Friendliness

The entire point of utilizing a website builder is for its ease of use. This is part of the “drag and drop” experience, as little else is required in reshaping your website other than dragging and dropping the pre-coded elements where you want them to be. These are also known as WYSIWYG web builders, which stands for “What You See Is What You Get.” Domain.com offers one of the best website builders that:

• Complements beginners and pros – The novice can learn how to navigate the platform quickly, and the pro can utilize its wide offering of features and functionalities.
• Allows the user to drag and drop nearly every element – This includes text, video, pictures, your logo, and more.
• Removes the necessity of plugins – You won’t need to download or install any 3rd party software. This further eases the process seeing as the entire platform is hosted by Domain.com.

Templates & Customization

A common fear with website builders is that the site is going to end up looking cheap. Another fear is that websites created using the same website builder might look too similar. Let’s put those worries to rest. Website builders allow you to customize a large wealth of templates so your website will look and feel unique to your business or brand. Features should include:

• A fully customizable design stack – This includes fonts, colors, layering, and graphic design.
• A fully customizable template catalogue – You don’t want to have static, stale templates — ones that seem to have been developed without the help of a professional graphic designer. This can indeed create a cheap looking website. Instead, you want a large selection of templates to choose from. Each one should be customizable (to an extent).
• Customizable images – You’re going to want to utilize a website builder that comes with an image editor. It should be obvious that the images on your website need to be purposefully selected, immersive, and engaging to the eye. Having a one-stop-shop image editor is the perfect way to simplify the process.
• Mobile responsive customization – It’s more likely that your audience will view your website via their smartphone than their computer, meaning it’s imperative to format a website for mobile. It is critical that the website builder you choose caters to mobile formats.  

Analytics and SEO Tools

One of the most important facets of a company’s growth is keeping track of their performance on the web. Today, with analytical tools, users can track every interaction a potential customer has with their website.

Additionally, SEO (search engine optimization) tools assist with visibility on search engines, meaning a company has a higher likelihood of “popping up” on a given search. You may be reading this and thinking, “SEO? Analytics? This stuff is jargon to me.”

Which brings us to our next point: a great website builder will integrate these elements as well as work to explain them to the user. In which case, a website builder should integrate:

• Analytic Tools – The most common you’ll see is Google Analytics, being that Google is the search engine every company wants to rank on.
• SEO Tools – A basic keyword generator and the integration of metadata with the possibility for further expansion.

Extras

Additionally, if you plan on shifting your business into an ecommerce platform or if it’s one from the start, then be sure that the website builder you choose includes tools to support your transactions. This includes but is not limited to:

• A shopping cart – You’ll want your website to support the shopping cart feature, as that’s the easiest way to purchase a given product.
• Inventory management – You’ll want your backend to have a one-stop-shop to track your inventory and stock.
• Payments – From Stripe, PayPal, to credit cards, you’re going to want your website to support online payments.

While the ecommerce features mentioned above are standard, the integration of them is not. The key is to find a website builder that seamlessly integrates each feature, seeing as they will be the pillars of your ecommerce platform.

How Do I Get Started?

Before building your professional website, there are a few steps that must first be completed. For instance, for your website to exist on the internet you’re going to need a domain name, which will also be the name of your website. And before you purchase this domain, you’re going to need to choose a hosting platform and website builder.

We’ll explain below.

It all starts with the right domain. Get yours today at Domain.com.

Starting with the Domain Name

If you go to Domain.com, there’s a search bar in the center of the page. Just enter the name of your business or the domain you want and Domain.com will assess its availability and then provide pricing. Once you’ve found an available name, you’ll need to enter:

• Both the domain name and the extension
• Your first and last name
• Your email address
• Your phone number
• Your physical address
• Billing information
• Administrative contact information

Choose A Host

Once you’ve obtained your domain, you’re going to have to choose a hosting plan based on your specific needs.

Create, Create, Create

Once you’ve settled on a domain name and chosen your host provider, now it’s time to utilize the website builder and start creating the website itself. Explore the large library of templates and then customize them. Try to evaluate exactly how you want to position your brand and what you’re trying to showcase, then find the perfect base template that complements your vision.

Customize and Integrate Images

Once you’ve laid a solid foundation for your website, it’s time to customize. Create a standout website by integrating stellar images that are brand-specific and original. Steer clear of anything “stock” or “filler-focused” and try to, if you can, place original content anywhere possible. This will further showcase your brand and add to the uniqueness of your platform.

Add in Analytics

Once your website is finished, adding an analytics tool is a fantastic way to measure its success on the internet. The data generated by these tools will allow you to understand how well you’ve positioned your brand, where to make changes, and where you’re succeeding. In today’s digital climate, it’s nearly impossible to compete with other brands without some sort of analytics tool.

Build Your Own Website!

A website builder is a tool that allows both novices and pros alike to create a professionally designed website. With pre-coded templates, user-friendliness, image editors, analytical tools, SEO tools, and more, it’s never been easier for someone with zero technical knowhow to build their own block of real estate on the internet.

At Domain.com you can buy your domain, set up your web hosting service, and utilize their powerful website builder all in the same place. Better yet, they’re available to answer any questions you may have and guide your through the building process. Reach out today to get started on building your online presence!

Sources:

Domain.com Services

www.domain.com

WebSavvy Marketing. What is a Website Builder? June, 2017.

Website Builder Expert. Website Builders. Website Builders Debunked | What Are They And Who Uses Them?

If you’re starting a new business and need an e-commerce site, or finally getting around to it with your current company, it’s crucial that you not only have a website but that it stands out amongst the oversaturated crowd. While visitors may not be able to explain in detail what makes a good website, they are more than capable of identifying a bad one when they see it.

So, if you want to create the best website to showcase your business, keep reading to discover the best website builder features as well as tips for making a user friendly website.

It all starts with the right domain. Get yours today at Domain.com.

Questions to Ask about Website Builders

Building your own website used to both break the bank and require specialized knowledge. Fortunately, we now live in a time with “drag and drop” website builders that allow you to make a fantastic website without knowing a lick of code. These are also called “WYSIWYG” editors, or “What You See Is What You Get” which makes the creation process very simple. By removing the technical barrier to entry, the cost in both time and money to create your own site has dramatically lowered.

Since there are quite a few website builders on the market, there are a few questions you should be asking when shopping around. Today, for simplicity’s sake we’ will use Domain.com’s website builder as an example:

• How Long Has the Company Been in the Business? – It is important to find a company that has plenty of experience and business acumen. Using someone who is new to the game can end in disaster. Domain.com has been operating since 2000, and for nearly two decades we have been at the forefront of domain registration and website hosting products and services. We specialize in:

• Website creation
• Domain names
• VPS hosting
• Web hosting
• Professional web design
• SSL certificates
• Online marketing services

• How many users are there? – A happy and thriving user base is demonstrative of a useful good or service. Domain.com has tens of thousands of users who have used their services for domain registration, website creation, and web hosting.
• How much does it cost? – Obviously, cost is one of the largest factors in determining the best website builder for you. Domain.com has three affordable options, starting with a Basic Plan that is free with the purchase of a domain name.
• How’s the customer support? – You’re in for a headache if your website goes down or issues arise and you have no one to help fix the problem. Domain.com has a 24/7 customer support line ready to troubleshoot anything that happens.

Best Website Builders: What to Look For

There are a wide range of key features that must be offered in the website builder you choose. For instance, Domain.com is powered by WordPress and has three tiers of service that provide various website building features:

Basic Features

Basic comes with the purchase of any domain name. It includes the following:

• Drag and drop website builder – Create up to 6 web pages using the easy building feature. Drag and drop anything from text, pictures, videos, logos, and other page components. No coding or previous experience is necessary.
• Pre-built sections and pages – If you do not want to create everything from scratch, there are a plethora of pre-built sections and pages that you can select from. If you like them, you can keep them as is, or you can customize by simply adding or removing parts. You can also change fonts, colors, and a variety of other design elements.
• Mobile friendly website templates – Mobile is every bit as important as your desktop website; therefore, it is critical that you invest the time in ensuring that mobile works brilliantly. There are more than 100+ mobile-friendly website templates that you can choose from.
• SEO tools – Search engine optimization can make the difference in whether your online business fails or thrives. SEO tools allow you to add keywords and other such metadata in order to track and improve your SERPs, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Read here for current SEO trends.
• Stock image library – There is a massive library of stock images you can use to help tell your story. Images are an important aspect of messaging that many forget or underutilize. The wide selection of stock photos means that you are practically guaranteed to find the right pictures for your website.
• PayPal integration – Sell your goods or services directly through your website or Facebook page with PayPal integration. This service accepts credit cards and grants store access to mobile, tablet, and desktop users.

Pro

Pro allows for all the basic features as well as:

• Unlimited pages – No maximum number of pages or artificial limit. You have the ability to create as many pages as you want with the unlimited feature.
• Revision history – Your website may undergo various changes during its lifetime; some good, and some not so much. Revision history allows you to go back and see past versions of your website and revert to those versions if you so wish.
• Custom favicon – Favicons are “An icon associated with a URL that is variously displayed, as in a browser’s address bar or next to the site name in a bookmark list.” With Pro, you can create your own customizable favicon. If you want to know why favicons can help your business, read here.
• Google Analytics Integration – Google Analytics help you get to know your visitor and customer. It allows you to paint a clear picture of your website to gauge performance, marketing, products, and content. All of this information helps provide insight on ways to optimize your site and grow your business.  

Business

Business has all the benefits of pro and then adds various e-commerce features such as:

• E-Commerce Shopping Cart – The shopping cart allows you to sell your goods or services whether a user is on a desktop, tablet, or mobile device.   
• Inventory Management – With inventory management, you can track your inventory and stock.
• Payment Processing – You want to give your potential customers various means to pay for their purchases. With this feature, visitors can choose between PayPal and Stripe.
• Coupon Codes – Coupon codes provide a way to entice customers. Deals, even small ones, tend to drive sales.

WordPress Live

As time passes, you will inevitably run into issues that require some expertise and troubleshooting to fix. WordPress Live is a fantastic service that seeks to help you solve any of your website building or maintenance issues. If you do not have the money to have a website creator on retainer, WP Live is an excellent alternative as Domain.com offers three affordable plans: WP Live Lite, WP Live, and WP Live Pro.

Benefits include:

• Guides – WP has hundreds of helpful guides on building your website. These tutorials help you save time as you create a beautiful site that not only looks great but functions perfectly.
• Expert Advice – As soon as you have a problem, you can turn to WP Live’s experts. Simply reach out via live chat, email, or phone to get immediate assistancehelp. They can help you:

• Utilize social media and integrate those features onto your site.
• Learn methods and means for growing your audience and building traffic to your site.
• Analyze data to look for weak spots or strengths in order to increase click-through and conversion rates.  
• Optimize videos and images on your site so that each page loads and responds in a reflexive manner.
• Screen Sharing – With this feature, you can get live step-by-step help on your website for any issues that cannot be solved over the phone.

Whatever your issue, WordPress Live has a solution.

Tips for Building Your Website

As you go about the process of creating your own site, there are a couple of things you should keep in mind:

• Have a clear goal in mind – Websites serve different purposes according to their owner’s need. Whether you want to sell something, build an audience, or share your talent, your website needs to be developed with your specific goal in mind. Creating a generic website will waste an opportunity to generate a new customer or fan.
• Create Your Content – Even if you plan on hiring a writer to edit or polish the content on your site, you should have a thorough understanding of your messaging. The goal of your content should be to state your purpose briefly and then tell your audience why they need that specific product or service.   
• Use a call to action – Every page on your website should encourage the visitor to do something. Whether that be calling, signing up, downloading, or purchasing, you want to entice your audience to take what they’ve read and then act on it.
• Do not ignore mobile – According to Statista, 34.5% of all e-commerce purchases are performed on a mobile device. If trends continue, this number is expected to surpass 50% by 2021. As a result, it is vital that you create a site that is responsive and works flawlessly on mobile devices. A bad mobile experience with a website is one of the quickest ways to turn away potential customers.
• Keep it simple – Quite often, less is more, especially when it comes to web design. You do not want to clutter a page, overwhelm a new visitor, and detract from your message. Keep your pages simple and clean by sticking to minimal colors. Use photos and media sparingly as a means of highlighting or emphasizing your messaging. Utilize white space in order to create a natural flow and to break up sections. More and more we see simplistic design at the forefront of quality web design.
• Make navigation easy – Moving through your site should not be some sort of treasure hunt. You want the navigation menu to be easy to spot and use. It is critical that each page redirects back to the home page.
• Tell your story – It is important that you captivate your audience by telling them your story. A business is often a proposed solution to a problem the owner encountered at some point in their life. By highlighting the reasons behind building your company, you can connect to your site’s visitors in a much more personal way. People love to hear stories, so tell them yours.
• Invest in a logo – Although it may cost more than the website itself, hiring a professional to design your company’s logo is a fantastic form of branding. Logos are a simple way to spread your message with just an image. If you choose to hire a designer for this task, ask them to create it as a .PNG file so it has a transparent background. Doing so will help it blend in seamlessly with your website’s header.

It all starts with the right domain. Get yours today at Domain.com.

Don’t Wait

The thought of creating your own website should not be a cause for anxiety. With Domain.com’s website builder, the process is stress-free. Simply sign up and you can get started immediately. If you have any questions about domains or building out your website, our experts at Domain.com are ready and willing to help. Just reach out and we can provide answers and help get you started!