Building a website is not a cheap investment, especially for start-up businesses. Therefore it is so important that you are doing it the right way the first time. It’s also important to note, that not all website designers offer all the things you need. Some may simply ‘design’ the look of your website. For those who already have a website built, it’s important to check you do have all your bases covered.

A general website has the main menu items such as

• Home Page – it doesn’t need to be long and overflowing with words, but it should immediately allow your visitor to know what it is you offer
• About Page – it’s not entirely about you, a strategic About page will be make reference about how you backstory is beneficial to the visitor
• Products or Services Page – whatever you’re offering
• Testimonials Page – these little babies do help sell
• Contact Page – have a page solely designated to the contact options available for visitors. Always keep in mind how your ideal client will want to contact you. (These can also be featured in the footer to top header of your home page too)

Now for some crucial elements you should be including:

• Back Up System – I am always surprised how many website I come across and there is NO back-up system in place. What happens if you’re website is hacked, you loose everything.  I use BackUpBuddy to back up my websites, you can learn about them here. 
• Security System – Hackers and bots are constantly on the prowl for vulnerable websites they can hack or destroy. Having a good security system will block out hacking attempts and notify you of attempts. I use iThemes Security Pro.
• SEO – Search Engine Optimisation can feel very overwhelming for some, but Yoast SEO is a great website plugin that is user friendly. 
• Terms and Conditions, Disclaimer and Privacy Policy – if you are an online business, which most are these day, these little gems are extremely important. Under NO circumstances should you ever copy these of another website. My go-to team is Legal123, who sell a Website Legal Package and lots more other key documents businesses should have. 
• Mobile Friendly Theme – in today’s society everyone is using mobile and always browsing the net, so it is important that your website is mobile friendly. I build my website’s using Elegant Themes – Divi. They allow you to make variations on pages suitable for desktop, iPad and mobile.  

If you are looking to either build a new website, refresh or simply looking for regular maintenance, then please feel free to contact me at hello@annecclark.com and we can catch about your needs.

Please note this article does contain some affiliate links.