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What day of the week should I launch a website?

The moment you unveil your new website can have a big impact on its performance in the early days. It’s important to pick the right date to premiere your website, but choosing the right day is not always that straightforward. Here is some advice on how to choose the right date and day of the week to launch your site.

What is the best date?

The first question to ask is whether your business is a seasonal one. Is there a certain time when your target audience will most want to use your products/services? When is that time? For example, it wouldn’t be a great idea to launch your new skiing equipment store right at the end of the ski season, as nobody will be looking for new products at that time. Find out when your audience is likely to be most active online, and aim to put it out then.

What is the best day?

Days of the week, and times of day, make a difference for different audiences, but also for you…

For example, launching a site on a Friday is one of the worst things to do. This is because putting your website online is not going to be a smooth process; you want your web team, client, host, and the domain registrar all to be ready in case issues arise. These negatives hold true for launching your site on a Saturday or a Sunday, especially if your product is designed for a corporate audience. 

Tuesday is one of the best days to launch your site, as it’s likely that your potential clients are browsing online and haven’t yet been bogged down in so much work that they don’t have time to look at your site. Choosing Tuesday means that not only do you have Monday to properly prepare your team and tease out any loose ends when your brains are fresh, it also gives you the rest of the week to work with your team to deal with potential bug fixes or other problems as and when they arise.

The right day could be completely different for a different company though; make sure you know when your target audience is most online so that you can identify the best day and time to reach them with a new website. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but with the right work and attention to general trends and statistics, you can get an idea of what day might work best for you.

Be prepared and plan ahead

It is always a good idea to plan ahead to ensure a successful website launch. And, once your website goes live there is a whole new list of things you need to prepare for. For example, you need to plan who you are going to tell about the launch and what platforms to use on social media. Influencers and news sources that speak to your target audience are important too. You’ll also need to set aside some time to respond to people when they have queries about your business.

There are no real shortcuts when it comes to making a success of your website launch. You will need to do the research and plan accordingly to see the best results. You know your business, and this empowers you to understand who your target audience is. If you’re unsure, by downloading our free ‘A beginners guide to buyer personas’ will help you learn more about them, find out their habits, and launch your website at a time that they will be receptive to it.

Having a website is crucial for every business. If you haven’t created yours yet, why don’t you check out Go Sitebuilder? Create your website from anywhere without the need for any technical skills. Try Go Sitebuilder free for 14-days to see just how easy it is to get your business online.

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How to edit the images you use for your website

How to edit the images you use for your website

The visual aspect of website design can attract or turn away visitors, therefore when creating your website it is important to choose images that create an impact and relate to your brand.  Rather than just focusing on the content of the images, however, it’s vital to make sure that you take into account other aspects, such as file type and quality to really highlight your website and make it stand out from your competitors. Here are some considerations we think are really important when ensuring your website leaves a lasting impression.

Think about the quality of your images 

The quality of your images can significantly impact the way customers view your website and your brand. High-quality images imply a professional service and instil more trust in your brand for customers than images of low quality. The best ways to achieve high-quality images is either by taking them yourself (see our article on How to Take Great Product Photos) or by using stock images to ensure the quality is high. 

Know the type of file you need to use

When adding images to your website it is important to know the type of file you need to use. Generally, this is a choice between a PNG file and a JPG/JPEG file. A PNG file is a larger file, which creates higher quality images than a JPG but can slow your site speed down if used too often. A JPG file, however, is used more frequently as the file size is smaller; the only compromise is that its image quality is slightly lessened. 

Think about composition  

A good website will have images which engage the visitor and mean something to the brand or subject matter. Therefore the composition (how the image is ‘staged’ and shown to the viewer) should be taken into account when selecting your final images. A simple crop can change the focus of an image and make it more relevant when building your website. The built-in image editor on Go Sitebuilder is a perfect addition when cropping your images as you can visualise how small changes can impact how the image is shown on your website.

What about colours, filters and stickers?

Depending on your brand image, aspects such as colours, filters and stickers can portray the personality of your brand. For example, a travel website may benefit from brightly coloured images to show locations in the best light. Whereas a beauty website may have more use for filters.

If you are looking to build a website for your company, then look no further than Go Sitebuilder! Our simple design means you can have a professional-looking website up and running in minutes, and we even have an image editor built into our website editor. Try our 14-day free trial today!

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How to Attract Customers to Your Bar or Restaurant

Birds eye view of a table full of plates of colourful food with people sat either side of the table

Owning a bar or a restaurant can seem like a lot of work. However, it is an incredibly rewarding business to get into. If you have a love of food and drink then going into this industry could really play to your skills. However, it is important to have some kind of strategy in place so that you can attract customers into your establishment. If you don’t know where to start, then follow our tips to ensure you advertise yourself in the right way, to the right customers. 

Know your audience 

This may seem obvious, but work out what kind of atmosphere you want to create within your establishment. From decor to menu, website to social media, it is important to have a theme running through every element of your business so that you are able to market to your targeted clientele. 

For example, if you want to start up a sports bar then having a relaxed, comfy interior with cheap drinks and bites on offer will be appealing to those who want to have a fun night out without racking up huge expenses. However, if you would rather reach out to those who are looking for fine dining then it is important to cultivate a high-class image of your establishment. 

It could also be useful to consider the area that you are in, and whether this should affect how you market yourself. For example, if you’re establishing yourself in a small community then it could be good to use local produce in your ingredients. Or if you’re in a city with a large student population then offering student discounts can pull in swathes of youngsters. 

Working out your target audience is also important when building your online image. By building a website which mirrors the experience that you offer, you are more likely to attract the right customers.

Have a strong website design 

As mentioned above, it is important to have a theme running throughout your business. Perhaps you decide to emulate your website’s colour palette with that of your restaurant’s interior design.

It is also important that you make your brand name clear on the website: this will make your image more identifiable, and if it is eye-catching then it is more likely to stick in other people’s heads. 

It is also vital to have a website that is easy to navigate, both on a computer and on someone’s mobile phone. Considering 57% of internet users say they wouldn’t recommend a business if their website isn’t optimised for mobile, it is important to have a website that is easily accessible in both formats. Go Sitebuilder – an online website builder based in the UK – is an extremely simple way to create your dream site, and is optimised for both desktop and mobile devices. 

It’s also great to write a bit about your background and what inspired you to set up this business. This adds a personal touch and could be the reason that a potential customer chooses your restaurant or bar over someone else’s. If you’re unsure what other pages of content to include, check out our top tips on our blog.

Don’t neglect social media

Social media is a fantastic way to advertise yourself to potential customers. Posting aesthetic pictures of the food and drink that you have to offer onto your Instagram, Twitter or Facebook page helps get your image out there. 

Virtual word-of-mouth isn’t to be underestimated: the more people tagged in the comment section, the more people know about your establishment. Your visibility can also be increased if people post snaps of products that they’ve enjoyed within your bar/restaurant – you can even offer a discount for people who do this! By encouraging people to hashtag your business name in their description and tag you in the image, you are essentially coining in on some completely free advertising. 

The fact that social media is so accessible means it is also a great way to advertise discounts. Offering deals such as 2-4-1 cocktails or discounted set menus means people are more likely to visit your restaurant if they’ve never heard of it before. 

Write blogs 

This seems slightly unusual, but posting blogs onto your website is a great way to build trust between yourself and potential customers, as well as boosting your visibility on Google. 

Perhaps you want to post a certain cocktail recipe that you offer, or maybe you would like to write about the inspiration behind your best selling dish. Writing about your food and drink means foodies are more likely to be attracted to your establishment, as it places you in the role of a leader in the industry. Using highly searched for keywords in your blog can also help you gain more visibility on Google, as search engines pick up on these keywords and then rank your website higher up on the search list.

Building your website 

Building a website which can perform all of these functions may appear daunting. However, Go Sitebuilder is one of the best website builders to turn to for help. Our expertise in website building means creating your perfect website is only a few clicka away. Try it today – with our 14-day free trial, you have nothing to lose!

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How do lawyers market and advertise themselves?

Black male lawyer dressed in a suit is sitting on his sofa at home working on his laptop and viewing some paperwork that he's holding in his hand

The 21st century has seen an increase in competition within the legal sector. Whilst being a lawyer was once only seen as a profession for a small segment of people, now anyone can train to be a lawyer. Undoubtedly, this is a good thing, yet it means the legal field has now become oversaturated – it is much harder to appeal to clients then it used to be. Gone are the days when you could simply rely on billboards and TV adverts to market your law firm: with the rise of social media, more than 70% of your target audience will use online articles rather than ads to have their questions answered about your firm. 

Why do I need to market and advertise myself?

Marketing your services is therefore of the highest importance: if done correctly, you could be able to draw in endless numbers of potential clients to your site. And, luckily, with website builders such as our very own Go Sitebuilder around, advertising yourself is by no means an impossible task. We have comprised together a list of ways to help you build your online image, making your marketing strategy that little bit easier. 

Ensure you have an SEO strategy 

SEO – search engine optimisation – is key to increasing your online presence. SEO essentially maximises the traffic flow to your online website by making your site appear higher up in Google searches, and should be a key tool in your marketing strategy. Considering that 55% of all clicks go to the first three Google search results, being visible to users is of high importance. Investing in SEO is vital if you want to expand your client base, or even start from scratch – this Legal Trends Report revealed that 37% of legal consumers look for a lawyer via an online search. 

SEO is often improved through posting blogs, as the keywords that you use are picked up by Google, and thus your website is more likely to come up in search engine results. Other ways to optimise your site for SEO are having clear site navigation – with a call to action on the homepage -, using high-authority external links and making sure that your pages load quickly. It’s also crucial to make sure your site is optimised for mobile, as Google now has mobile-friendliness as a factor in how well your site ranks. If you’re new to SEO, check out our quick guide over on our blog.

Target your networking

This may seem obvious, but if you are just starting in the legal profession then you must choose a specific area of law to practice – remember, each client has a special, specific issue in mind. It could also be of benefit to pick a niche area of practice: for example, if you go into corporate law then you could specialise in trusts and bonds. 

Consider also whether or not you want to be a local, national, or global firm. Attending networking sessions is a fantastic way to get yourself out there, as it will give you the ability to advertise yourself in person, adding a more personal element to your online business. Perhaps if you want to have a strong local presence then doing some pro bono work could be an invaluable way to market your services. Word of mouth is not to be ignored, and if you are seen to be helping the community, then they are much more likely to want to help back by supporting your business. 

Don’t underestimate social media 

As mentioned previously, the Internet is practically a breeding ground for new clientele. Paid marketing through the likes of Facebook and Instagram means you can reach out to anyone, anywhere. Barry Walker, a Managing Partner at Walker Law has commented that “Social media marketing is the future of lawyers. Most people perform research on their smartphones.” 

Having a strong presence on social media can also help build your credibility. By posting updates about your services, as well as your achievements, you can create a strong image around your business which others can easily follow and access. It also gives people the chance to leave unfiltered reviews of your business: not only can this generate trust in others who are considering your services, but it also markets your business for you, completely free of charge! Sharing these reviews on your website is a fool-proof way for you to build a relationship with a client before either of you have ever met.

Where do I start?

Although you might succeed in drawing people to your site, you must entice them to stay. Having poor web design and shoddy content is a sure-fire way to dissuade people from wanting to use your services, and could prompt them to turn to another competitor in the same industry. Standing out from the crowd with modern, cutting edge web design and an easy-to-navigate site adds to your image as a professional who really knows what they’re doing.

Go Sitebuilder is a simple and easy to use website builder, giving you the ability to create one of the best online businesses in your field of work. Our 14-day free trial allows you to test this for yourself, giving you all the freedom to craft your own business website.

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How to make a successful wedding photography website

How to make a successful wedding photography website

If you are a wedding photographer, your most important tool – apart from your camera – is your website. This is where potential clients come to see your previous work, decide if you are right for them and check out your prices. The success of your business could depend on it.

We’ve written this guide to help you make sure your website stands out from the crowd and brings you more clients, more visibility, and more revenue!

Assess the competition 

Before you start anything, have a look at what others in your industry are doing. In fact, while you do your research, make a list of wedding photographers that you think are leading in the market. What are they doing well, and most importantly – what do you think they could improve on? If there is anything you think their website is missing, make sure to make a note of it so you include it in yours. 

Looking at the competition will help you read the market and identify any gaps that you could fill. Develop your niche – if everyone looks like they’re doing the same thing, highlight what you do differently, whether that’s elopements, large ceremonies or destination weddings. 

Build your brand

Once you’ve decided on your niche, then you can work on your branding. This includes your name, logo, colour palette and typography; if you develop them together then they will look more harmonious on the website. You don’t need to hire a graphic designer to make a logo either, as free online tools like Makr and Looka can help you make your own. 

To help you do this, write notes on the service you provide, your target audience and your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). This will help you direct your creativity and make sure that your website accurately reflects you and your brand. 

Showcase your talents

This is one of the most important parts of your website, if not the most important. The gallery of photos that you choose to showcase are going to be the deciding factor as to whether a potential client contacts you. Choose the pictures that best reflect your brand and your USP, making sure that they are both inclusive and diverse. 

Another consideration is the speed your photos load at – a slow-loading site is a sure-fire way to put visitors off, but you also want to avoid having low-quality pictures in your gallery. Make sure the web host you use is fast and efficient to be able to find a happy medium. 

Tell your story

As a photographer, you are the individual, the company and the brand. Clients are looking to work with someone that they would be happy to have at their wedding, so your story is a tool you can use to make you stand out against the competition. 

Be approachable, relatable and engaging, involving elements of your life that might make it more likely for you to forge a connection with your potential clients. At a loss? Ask your friends and family for qualities they think make you unique and incorporate this into your story. 

Gather testimonials

Another intrinsic part of your website that will help you get conversions are testimonials from previous clients. Although they are difficult to obtain when your business is young, they are essential to developing client trust. 

After each wedding, make sure you contact your clients and ask for a testimonial – if they liked your services then they will be happy to write a glowing review! This is the clients’ big day, and a stamp of approval from previous clients will show them that you won’t let them down. 

Create a clear website navigation

This might seem daunting, but you just need to look at your website as if you were a potential customer. The first page needs to show off your photography and your brand, and have the information most relevant for your client – what type of weddings do you specialise in and where are you based?

Other crucial elements to include are a clear navigation menu that in one click can lead them to your previous work, testimonials, pricing, and contact details.

Start a blog

Blogging is a powerful marketing tool for everyone trying to expand their business. By including keywords relevant to your business, Google will rank your website higher in its search engine, making it easier for people to find you. 

You can use the blog in various ways, either sharing client stories, posting industry-related news, or sharing top tips or guides for a seamless wedding experience. This will place you as a leader in your industry, and help potential clients relate to you as an individual.  Be prepared to update your blog regularly though, as this will help with Google rankings and make your website look relevant and up to date. 

Are you ready to make your own wedding photography website? At Go Sitebuilder you can build a website with minimum hassle. Our pre-designed sections help you drag and drop your logos and pictures where you want them, and there are image galleries ready to showcase your wedding photography! Try our 14-day free trial today and see just how amazing your website could look.

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How difficult is it to build a stock photo website?

Female photographer sat in front of her laptop holding her camera uploading her new photos to her Go Sitebuilder website

What is stock photography?

As a beginner, building a stock photo website may seem like a daunting prospect. Yet it is not as difficult as it seems. Stock photography is essentially commercially sold photography. As the demand for photography is so varied, your potential client list is limitless. This guide will show you that you don’t need to be a professional to build a stock photo website. You can be successful without any prior knowledge of the stock photo market by following these tips!

How to make your stock market website unique

Ok, so whilst anyone can build a stock photography website, you still must be offering valuable content. Don’t publish any old stock photo: make sure the image is well lit and clear so that people want to purchase your image. Also, it is important to make sure your photos are of high resolution, meaning it is probably a bad idea to advertise images taken on a mobile phone. Ensuring your images are from a high quality camera means your website will be taken seriously by potential clients – here are some stock photography tips that might come in handy!. Finally, don’t be afraid to be bold with your images – eye catching, statement pieces are much more likely to stand out and become a marketable item. 

How to make money from your stock photo website

The two main types of stock photography which you want to focus on are Macrostock photography and Microstock photography. As the latter suggests, you won’t be making big bucks with this type of photography – you earn a small sum of money per every image downloaded. However, given how easy it is for anyone to download a photo, you are pretty much guaranteed an income this way, especially if the image goes viral. In contrast, Macrostock photography gives you the opportunity to license and sell exclusive images to clients for a much higher price, although it may take some time before you have a solid client base.

What next?

A great way to start building your stock photo website would be to use Go Sitebuilder. Our online website builder is one of the best ways to begin your stock photography website business: it is easy to use and has all the necessary knowledge to help you build a successful website. Why not give it a go – our 14-day free trial means you have nothing to lose! 

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What are the most common email domains?

Close up of a person's hand holding a mobile phone as they check their emails

Email is the most important form of communication for businesses. It is versatile and quick, allowing anything from a quick chat to finalise a plan to a long-form explanation of a service with multiple attachments. But are the most common email domains, and what are the pros and cons to each one? 

Gmail.com (18%)

With over a billion users across the globe, Gmail has taken over the free email space since its launch in 2004. It has a streamlined interface without too much clutter, and lets you organise your emails into different folders which helps you to focus on your priorities. It works with a Google account, which has a fleet of features such as Google Drive, Google Docs and Google Calendar, making file sharing and time-management simple. 

Yahoo.com (17%)

Although it isn’t as much as a household name as Gmail, Yahoo offers a professional email service with some useful features unavailable with its competitor. Yahoo allows you to organise your emails into custom folders, and the free version has a terabyte of storage.

Hotmail.com (16%)

It may be one of the top three most popular email domains, but you can’t get one anymore! In fact, Hotmail used to be a part of Microsoft, which has had a couple of rebrands and is now Outlook. This means that if you created your account before 2012, then you will still have the @hotmail.com address, but if you want to create a new one, then you will get an address ending in @outlook.com. Just like Gmail, Outlook offers extra features such as a calendar and access to online Microsoft Office products. 

These are the top three email providers, as after this the percentage of users drops off sharply to under four per cent. Bear in mind that using an @gmail.com or @outlook.com email address is fine for personal use, but doesn’t look very professional if you want to use that for a business account.

If you’re looking for business emails, then it’s much better to have an email address that matches the name of your website domain, as this adds extra credibility to your company. Go Sitebuilder gives you a personalised website domain name as well as five unique business emails for you to use. Sign up for our 14-day free trial and see just how easy it is to get your business online. 

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Can I host my own website?

Young female sitting on a mattress in a trendy bedroom on her laptop and listening to music through headphones

Hosting your own website is possible. It can be quite an entertaining and rewarding experience, but it’s definitely not for everyone.  All you need is a Windows or Linux machine, and you can upload some HTML files to a folder and host them on the internet all by yourself! 

Now, if all of that already sounds a bit too complicated – you have absolutely nothing to worry about. There are some alternatives and professionals who have taken care of all of this for you already! At Go Sitebuilder, you can easily design, host and launch a professional website without any of the hassle.

Getting everything right

To host your own website, you’ll need a server. A server is a machine that stores data and sends it out to the internet, allowing your site to be accessed from anywhere in the world. That is what web hosting is, in a nutshell. 

It can take a very long time to get everything set up correctly but have no fear – here at Go Sitebuilder we’ve already taken care of all of that for you. 

For a small business owner, or someone trying to get their website running and performing at exceptional quality, it’s always a good idea to go with a professional and experienced hosting service. You won’t ever have to worry about accidentally flipping off the wrong switch or randomly having the whole shut website down! And, the best part is, it’s super simple to do and can be up and running in no time.

Energy and Efficiency

To host a website, you’ll need your server working 24/7. All-day and all night this little guy will be sending and storing data – forever. For anyone to see this data (your website), you’ll need to have some energy running to it. This can be a great way to run up a huge energy bill! 

Unless you can invest in a powerful server and the necessary connections to back it up, the only reason to host your own website is for fun.

The smart choice

A great and trusted option is to build your website and get it live in no time at all with Go Sitebuilder. We make it easy to design and launch a professional-looking website with all the functionality you need to make it work for you. The hosting is handled at our end and included in your subscription fee, and you have access to powerful tools to help market your website and make it into a powerhouse for your business. Get started today, and you’ll be ready to launch in no time.

If you haven’t got your own website up and running yet, what are you waiting for? With Go Sitebuilder, you can have an ecommerce site online in just a few hours, with no experience needed. Try them out now with a 14-day free trial.

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What online courses platform can I use to learn marketing strategies for ecommerce?

Young black male entrepreneur studying marketing strategies for his new online store. He is sat at a desk with a coffee and laptop, writing in a notebook

Having an ecommerce site allows you to keep an eye on analytics, which makes marketing strategies easier to design and implement…unless you’re a complete novice. If you’re setting up your online shop but haven’t the foggiest on how to make the most of it, then you can take a MOOC (massive online open course) to quickly learn the fundamentals. We’ve put together some of the best MOOC options. 

Udemy

Udemy is one of the largest MOOC platforms, and they have a great selection of courses on marketing strategies, with the most popular marketing courses ranging from £10-20. The price includes lifetime access to the course, so you can go back to brush up on your skills whenever you want, as well as a certificate upon completion. With a 30-day money back guarantee, they’re a great place to start, and they even have a marketing course quiz to help you choose which course is right for you!

Coursera

This is one of the largest providers of free courses out there, so if you’re on a budget, then this is the place to look! For most courses, you will have to pay extra if you want to get a verified certificate at the end, but you can view the course content free of charge and there is financial aid available if you need it. They offer a 7-day free trial to see if you like the extra features. 

EdX

EdX offers free courses from top universities and institutions. With most courses, you can access course content and discussion boards for free, but you won’t be able to view it after the course duration ends. The paid version includes lifetime access to course content as well as graded assessments and certification upon completion.

These are all general MOOC providers where you can search for marketing strategy courses, but some marketing specialist companies offer their own. Hootsuite, Hubspot Academy, and QuickSprout all offer specialised marketing courses that will give you pointers on how to increase revenue and attract more customers to your online shop. Universities also offer online courses (such as this one from University Arts London) but they’re often much more expensive than MOOCs. 

If you haven’t got your own website up and running yet, what are you waiting for? With Go Sitebuilder, you can have an ecommerce site online in just a few hours, with no experience needed. Try them out now with a 14-day free trial. 

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What’s the difference between a domain name and an email address?

Female sat on a green sofa with a child and a laptop on her lap

If you’ve been looking at choosing a website builder, you’ll probably have noticed that many of them offer personalised domains and email addresses. But what is the difference between the two terms, and do you need them?

Domain name

A domain name forms part of the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and is the address for a webpage. They often end in .com, but can end in any one of the 1500 valid domain extensions, such as .net, .org or .co. 

www.exampledomainname.com 

If a user types your domain name into an internet browser’s search bar, it will take them to your website. It is unique and only refers to your specific site. 

Email address

An email address has a domain name within it, but it is formatted differently. Instead of the www it has a username, and an @ sign instead of the full stop. 

username@exampledomainname.com 

Instead of typing this into a search bar, to contact you, a user will have to use an email server (such as gmail or outlook) and use this address to identify the recipient, just as you would write an address on a letter. 

The confusion

It can be easy to get confused when email accounts and domain names start to look similar. Site’s owners can create subdomains, which use a word instead of the www and are designed to organise and navigate through your site: 

store.exampledomainname.com

You can also place dots in the username of an email, so it would be possible to have an email address that looked like this: 

firstname.lastname@exampledomainname.com

The way to tell the difference is to look for the @ sign, which is the flag for an email address. You will never find a domain name with the @, and you will never find an email address without it. 

So, what does it mean when a website builder offers you a personalised domain as well as personalised emails? Let’s say you own a coffee shop called Caffeine Dreams. If it is available, you could have the domain name:

www.caffeinedreams.com

You would also have email addresses that use the same name:

hello@caffeinedreams.com
support@caffeinedreams.com
careers@caffeinedreams.com

These email addresses will be handled by an email server, not your domain itself, but it looks much more professional for a company to have personalised emails. It raises your credibility as well as making the email address easily recognisable and memorable. 

Go Sitebuilder offers personalised domains with up to five personalised emails, as well as a wide selection of designs to make creating your website hassle-free. Why not try out our 14-day trial today?