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How do I get my new website noticed?

Male photographer on a laptop making a website

There are few things more upsetting than spending the time to make your website look beautiful and then realising that nobody is visiting it! But don’t worry – this happens to the majority of small businesses as they find their feet in the digital world, and there are multiple ways to get your new website in front of as many eyes as possible. Using a website builder like Go Sitebuilder can help you create a professional-looking website simply and easily, so you don’t spend too much time on the web design and can focus on the more important parts of your business. 

Unless people have your domain name noted down somewhere, the way they are most likely to find your website is through a search engine. Google is by far the most popular, with over 70% of the world’s online searches going through their site, and we are going to look at some Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) tricks that will help Google both see your new site and rank it higher than others. 

Get your new website indexed by Google

When you first click “publish” on your site, you might find that it doesn’t come up when you Google it. This is because Google’s crawler bots (which read your site and decide where it should rank) haven’t got round to indexing your site yet. This means the only way to find it is to put in the exact domain into the search bar on your internet browser. 

There is no set deadline that Google says it will index your new site by when it has first been published, but the average time is from four days to four weeks. However, there are a couple of things you can do to make it easier for Google; you can verify your site on Google Webmaster Tools, and submit your site to Google. We are going to look at other ways to make your site rank better on Google below. 

Research and use keywords on your new website

What is your company about? Brainstorm some words that accurately represent your company and the products or services you provide, so that when Google indexes your site, it will be easy for it to know what your new website is about. It’s a good idea to focus on a niche here, rather than something very broad, as it makes it more likely to stand out against the competition. 

Research the keywords you’ve come up with and run them through Google Keyword Planner; you want to use keywords that are high in search volume (so lots of people search them) but low in competition (so not many other websites are using them). This way, Google’s crawler bots will see your site as more relevant and rank you higher for those specific keywords. 

Create unique content

The content you have on your site, whether that is your web copy or your blogs, has to be unique and not copied from another site. This may seem like a no-brainer, but Google has indexed hundreds of millions of websites and can immediately tell if you’re copying and pasting from another source, and will penalise you for it. 

The best way to do this is to create a blog. This is a double win, because if you publish content regularly, then Google will re-index your site regularly, and rank you higher for being up to date. It is also a good opportunity to get backlinks, which is where external sites link back to your website because they value your content. Look for fresh, interesting ideas and unique ways to approach common issues, and put in the time to create content that is valuable both for your new website and your audience. 

Get your own url and publish it everywhere

This is not a moment to hide under a bushel! Take your new website’s domain and add it to your email signature and your business cards. Upload it on your Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin profiles, and get friends to link their contacts to it as well. 

Although it may be tempting to start your new site with a free website builder, they are unlikely to give you your own domain name, instead giving you a long and complicated url like this: www.websitebuilder.com/yourname/yourwebsitename. Difficult to share and even harder to remember, this is a sure-fire way to show potential visitors that you are not committed to your new website. With Go Sitebuilder, we not only give you your own domain, but we also give you five personalised email addresses to make you look even more professional. 

Getting your new website noticed can be difficult because there are so many sites out there! But if you do your keyword research and put some time and effort into creating high quality unique content, you are well on your way to having a Google friendly website. And don’t forget to advertise your site wherever you can!

If you’re still looking for a website builder with excellent web design that needs no coding experience, we designed Go Sitebuilder especially for you! Our ready to go web design templates mean you can have a stylish and professional new website up and running in moments. Why not try our 14-day trial today to see what we can do for you and your business? 

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What are the different navigation options for a website?

A male and a female sat at desk, looking at a laptop. The male is wearing a red hate and pointing to the laptop. The female is looking at the male.

Navigation is an incredibly important aspect of web design. Navigation refers to how visitors move around your site, whether this is through links or a menu. If the navigation on your website is too complicated visitors can be put off exploring further around your website. If you need more convincing check out our blog on why navigation is so important.

There are a few different options when choosing the type of navigation you want. Often this is a choice between menu styles, but there are other ways in which good navigation can improve your website. With such a range of templates and layouts that come with many website builders, it can be difficult to choose the right one. With Go Sitebuilder we want this choice to be easy, so read on to find out the best navigation style for you. 

Header Menu

Website builder homepage showing video and navigation bar
Source: GoSiteBuilder

The first, and most popular, style of navigation is using a header menu. As you can see on our website this is the style we opted for. A header menu gives the visitor a clear range of options as soon as they enter the website. This means that there is no additional searching for a menu option, making this style the most simplistic. A recent study found that header menus are 22% quicker to navigate than other menus. 

Some header menus are static (meaning that they stay at the top of your page as you scroll), whereas others move off the page as you scroll. Neither option is better or worse, but having a static menu means visitors can change pages easier. Often these headers have between 5-7 options to click on, more than that and the web design starts to look cluttered.

Pros of a header menu: 

  • Visitors can easily find your menu
  • Easy to organise your website into specific categories 
  • Gives structure to your website 
  • Allows visitors to quickly move between web pages 
  • A very popular web design trend – for more web design tips read our blog on the latest web design trends

Cons of a header menu:

  • Takes up space on your website
  • Can be difficult to translate into a mobile format 
  • Some prefer a more minimalist homepage with a smaller menu

‘Hamburger’ Menu

Event website homepage showing a hamburger menu]
Source: Circles Conference
events website showing drop down menu
Source: Circles Conference

The ‘hamburger’ menu is often represented by 2 or 3 lines. When the lines are clicked on, the menu opens into the website, as you can see above with the Circles Conference website. Although this option is used less, there are still positive aspects to this design. 

The main reason this is chosen over a header menu is that this design is more minimalist and takes up less room on the homepage, which leaves more room for a bold header, as seen in the images above. Also, as this menu opens out there is more space and there can be more sections of the website. If you have lots of navigation options, a header menu can look cluttered, so a hamburger menu could make your web design look more streamlined. 

Pros of a hamburger menu: 

  • A more minimalistic look
  • A larger range of menu links 
  • Easily transferable to mobile websites 

Cons of a hamburger menu:

  • May be harder for a visitor to find the menu if they don’t know what the symbol means
  • Visitors have to spend more time finding your menu

Drop Down Menus

Source: Asos

This option is often used for online shops as visitors may want to find a specific item. This example of the Asos website essentially has three menus. The first is the option between Women and Men, then they categorise the product by general product type such as clothing, then more specific fits or clothing types. This allows for multiple options when organising your website. 

However, unless you need lots of options an overly organised menu may distract from the content of your website. For example an accounting firm would not need as many options as a site such as Asos. 

Pros of a drop down menu:

  • Site content can be organised into more specific categories
  • A good way to organise for e-commerce sites
  • Gives structure to your website 
  • Visitors can easily find the menu and navigate through your website 

Cons of a drop down menu: 

  • You may be tempted to make too make categories and over complicate your website navigation
  • Not every website needs this many categories 

Whichever type of navigation you choose, remember these 5 assets of good navigation:

  • How quickly can visitors change pages? 
  • How easy is your menu to use?
  • Does the style fit with your web design?
  • Is it too complicated?
  • Can your navigation be translated to a mobile site?

If you are ready to start building your website, then look no further than Go Sitebuilder. We offer a wide range of features including a range of design templates, which give you multiple navigation options. Our simple website builder design means you can have a professional looking website up and running in minutes. Try our 14-day free trial today!

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What’s the difference between local and global web design?

Pleasant conversation. Pretty young woman holding her kid while having telephone talk about the difference between local and global web design

If you’re building a website for the first time, or want to improve the web design of your site, you’ll need to work out whether you want to target a local or global market. Whilst it might be tempting to create a web design that falls into both of these categories, if you’re building a website from scratch for a brand new business, then it might be a good idea to focus your web design on just one of these categories. 

Go Sitebuilder offers ready to go sites which are completely customisable, so that you can build your website with a web design that perfectly suits your business, whether you’re aiming to keep it local, or to make it global. We take a look at some of the differences between local and global web design to help you decide which is the right web design for you. 

Colour scheme 

The psychology behind the colour scheme of your website is more important than you might think. According to TrueList, 42% of shoppers base their opinions of a website on the overall web design, and colour is an incremental factor when it comes to forming these judgements. When selecting the colour scheme for your site, think about what emotions you want to evoke, and what emotions the colours might inspire. 

If you’re building a website with the aim of targeting local customers or clients within your area, consider if there are any colours you can use that resonate with your locality. For example, if your town or city has a renowned sports team, you may choose to select a colour scheme which slightly mirrors the colours of that team. However, you also want to have a distinctive colour that resonates with your own brand – see if you can incorporate a colour which is unique to your business into your web design. 

On the other hand, if you’re building a website with the purpose of selling your products or services globally, you’ll want to pick a colour scheme which is more general. For example, some colours have negative connotations: in South Africa red is the colour of mourning, so you might want to opt for a more neutral colour scheme to ensure your web design is appealing to your global audience. 

Images 

Images also play an important role in the aesthetic appeal of your web design, as they not only add to the overall appearance of your site, but they help to convey a message. Using images is one of the quickest ways to communicate with your target audience – according to MIT, the human brain can process images in 13 milliseconds. That means it’s crucial to choose the right image for your website, as it is a great way to capture the interest of site visitors. 

If you’ve created a web design targeted at a local audience, one of the best ways to boost your image as a trusty, local business is to use local images. This doesn’t mean uploading a few snaps of some local landmarks onto your site – try snapping images of your products being used in a local area, or maybe upload a picture of your business collaborating with another local business. 

For a global web design, images of your local area are much less important: you don’t need to use images to highlight the fact  that you are a local business targeting local audiences, so you have more freedom in choosing which images to add to your web design. Use more general photos: stock images are a good way to add a professional touch to your website, without the cost of hiring a photographer. At Go Sitebuilder, we offer a huge range of stock photos to choose from, helping you build a website perfect for a global market within a few clicks. 

Content 

When building a website, your content not only conveys a message to your audience, but it also plays a big role in SEO, which affects your ranking on Google. You’ll need to decide how you want to structure your content for your web design: if your aim is to build a website for the global market, then you might want to focus mainly on keywords referring to the the products or services you sell, so that Google’s algorithms rank you higher on its search page results when someone searches for a specific item or service. 

If you’re a local business, you’ll still want to use keywords for your product, but you can also capitalise on local keywords, as it is fantastic for SEO: if you incorporate your location within your content on multiple pages then Google will rank you higher when someone searches for your products or services within the area. 

Whether you’re building a website for a local or global market, it’s important to find a website builder that is easy to use, but also offers quality services; Go Sitebuilder offers ready to go sites with completely customisable web designs, so that you can build a site that’s perfect for you. Our 14-day free trial gives you all the freedom you need to try our services, completely free of charge – try it today!

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What are the steps involved in building a news website?

Portrait of handsome young man using his mobile phone in the kitchen finding the steps involved in building a news website

With the amount of website builders available on the market, starting up your own news website has never been easier. Local newspapers are bearing the brunt of the rapid decrease in revenue for print journalism, and as they sadly start to shut down they create a gap in the market for online hyperlocal news sites.

In fact, between 2016 and 2018, there was a 50% increase in membership to LION, a US-based hyperlocal website association. It doesn’t have to be local news though; there is also a market for nationwide or global news, as long as you find an original angle to take your news website. To make the website part easier, Go Sitebuilder is a website builder that can have your news site up and running in a few minutes – but you need to do more than just find a website builder that works for you! Here are the steps you need to take to set up your own news website. 

1. What will your publication be about?

There are thousands of news websites out there on the internet; you need to make sure yours is unique if you want it to stand out. This is easier with hyperlocal news, as you’re unlikely to have too much competition, but if you’re planning on a more global approach, what will your publication have that will make it different? 

It’s a good idea to focus on a “mission statement”, where you define what you want your publication to achieve, and who your target audience is. Maybe you want to focus on sustainable technology, long form analysis of current affairs, or just short and snappy pieces on your local area for residents to stay informed. 

2. How will you make money?

Starting a news website is not a way to make fast cash. Although online news can be lucrative, you’ll have to commit your time to creating high quality content regularly and gather a decent following before you start to see a significant return on your investment. However, it’s good to think about the way you plan to make money as you start, so you can drive your site in the right direction.

There are multiple ways to earn money from your news website. Advertising products on your site is easy, especially using a platform like Google Adsense, but you may find you are advertising products completely unrelated to your site, and it can make your site look a little cluttered.

Sponsored content is another possibility, and as you start gaining traction with your site you’ll probably find that you will receive multiple emails from content creators wanting to pay you to publish their content on your site. This seems like a win-win situation, but you should be careful that their content doesn’t devalue your site as a whole; only accept content that is genuinely relevant and interesting to your target audience. 

Another way to get revenue from your site is to create a subscription model. This is risky, as you risk losing many readers who don’t want to pay for their news content, but it can be very valuable if you have a loyal audience. There are two ways to do this; either by blocking all of your site content unless the visitor has a subscription, or allowing unpaid views to your site, but a subscriber gets extra benefits, like a weekly email with the latest news or access to long form investigative journalism that took more time and money to create. 

 3. Choose a platform

When you start looking for a platform for your news site, it can get overwhelming trying to choose between all the website builders available to you. The best way to choose is to create a list of things you’ll definitely need for your news website, and go with a website builder that provides all of them. 

You want a website builder that is both flexible and scalable; the last thing you want is to start making some headway with your news website and then have to change to another platform. Check that it doesn’t have a limit to the amount of pages you can create, or images you can upload. Many people check their news on their phone, so having a responsive web design is paramount, as well as having an integrated SSL certificate and being SEO friendly. Before you ask – Go Sitebuilder has all this and more.

4. Create your content

This is the fun part! Make sure your content is high quality and original, and embellish it with images, infographics and videos to make it more dynamic. This is also a good test period when you start, and will help you decide whether you can create all of the content on your own or whether you will want to hire other writers or editors. 

Make sure you are writing and producing content on a regular basis to improve your chances of people seeing your articles. 

5. Create a digital marketing plan

This isn’t as scary as it sounds! Seeing as many people get at least some of their news from social media (in the US it can be as much as two thirds), creating a social media strategy is a great way to get your content in front of your target audience. For hyperlocal news websites, join local Facebook groups and publish your content there, or for wider reaching news, make the most of hashtags on Twitter. 

If you’re ready and raring to go with your online news site, then why not register for a free 14-day trial with Go Sitebuilder today? Our platform offers ready to go web designs, unlimited blog posts, fully responsive design and more – and it only takes minutes to set up. Spend your time creating quality content, and let Go Sitebuilder take care of making sure your news website looks stylish and professional. 

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What is the most important page of a website?

How to make sure your legal business's website is secure online

Although all pages of your website are important in showing information about your business, there are certain web pages that you need to get right. Using a website builder such as Go SiteBuilder you can create multiple pages for your website centred around different topics. 

Once you have the structure and web design of your website set up, the next phase is to consider which pages you need to optimise the most. Certain pages are more important than others due to factors such as ability to give visitors key information and SEO results. 

What are web pages?

So to start off this blog; a quick round up of what a web page is. If you are new to website building you may be feeling confused over the different terms for different aspects of a website. A web page refers to the different sections that a website may have, often to find these pages there is a menu which allows visitors to navigate around the website. 

The most important pages are:

  • Home page – generally this page shows what kind of website you have and gives an overview of the type of content 
  • About page – has content about your company or the kind of work you do. If you run a firm with multiple people this can be a good page to introduce your team. 
  • Contact/Key Information page – without this page visitors will not be able to use your services or engage with you 
  • Blog page – blogs can be a great way to boost SEO and give visitors more information. Check out our post on the benefits of a blog for SEO.

For some businesses/websites there will be pages that are more applicable to them. Such as:

  • Gallery page for a photography business 
  • E-commerce page for an online shop
  • Menu pages for a restaurant or bar 
  • List of services for a beauty salon or hair dressers 

Which page should you focus on?

When deciding your strategy on how to create the most effective website, regarding webpages, there are a few aspects to consider. Generally consider which web pages have:

High visitor numbers/interest – which of your pages have the highest likelihood of creating interest? Is it your online shop or is there something unique on your blog page?

Strong first impressions – which page shapes new visitors’ opinions on your website the most? Studies show that it takes visitors less than two tenths of a second to form an opinion of your brand once they enter your website, therefore creating a strong first impression is incredibly important. Generally this relates to your homepage. 

An ability to sell your brand – any page which allows you to inform visitors what your brand is all about is incredibly important. Ensure that pages such as ‘About’ and ‘Contact Us’ are filled with key information. 

How do I optimise my web pages?

You may now have one or a few pages that you want to change to achieve better results. By following some of these tips you will create a more effective website that attracts a higher number of visitors. 

Homepage:

As your homepage is the first page visitors see, creating a good first impression is incredibly important. Consider the following:

  • Use a large header – this could be an image, text or video. But ensure that this is eye catching and shows your logo or brand name.
  • Do not overload with information – if your homepage is too content heavy visitors will be put off reading through all the text. Try and break it up with pictures or videos. 
  • Make a clear menu – your menu should be eye catching and easy to find to allow visitors to navigate your website easily. Read our blog on why navigation is so important to find out more. 

About page: 

This is the page visitors go to in order to find out more information about your business. Ensure you have:

  • Relevant information – readers do not want an essay, stick to the relevant information. 
  • Special commendations – do you possess any awards or glowing reviews? Consider including a few to make your business stand out.

Contact/Key information page:

  • Include links – where you can have links to Google Maps (for your address) and email links to make contacting you easier. 
  • Stick to the information – you do not need paragraphs on this page, just a simple layout.

If you are ready to start building your website, then look no further than Go Sitebuilder. With a wide range of features, our simple website builder design means you can have a professional looking website up and running in minutes. Try our 14-day free trial today!

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What are the 5 best finance web design inspirations?

Pensive male student pondering on 5 best finance web design inspirations

Whether you’re taking your finance services online, or think your web design is in need of a touch up, you’ll want to build a website which is inviting, engaging and captivating. This is because you want traffic to your site to stay on for as long as possible: you roughly have 15 seconds to grab the interest of your site users. 

By keeping people on your site, they’re more likely to want to explore other sections of your website. Building a site with a strong landing page is key in drawing people to your website. However, other pages of your site must be similarly visually appealing, easy to use and informational. If you’re not sure how to build a website with a stunning web design for your financial services, we’ve put together some of the best web designs for you to take inspiration from.

1. Keep your web design simple

webpage showing glass on white background
source: Reinventure Capital

Less is more when it comes to web designs, especially if you own a financial business. Keeping your web design simple adds to your professional image, and it helps focus the site visitor on your brand, instead of them being distracted with bold fonts and garish colour schemes. A minimalist web design looks sleek and sophisticated – even without reading anything about your business, a site user is more likely to think your services are highly professional if you have an attractive, yet understated, web design. 

2. Make your web design personal 

personal website showing man on computer working in finance
source: Johnson Financial Group

OK – so we don’t mean plaster your face all over your website. However, what we do mean is that you should add a personal element to at least one part of your web design. Perhaps you use an image of people who have benefited from using your services: by showing a relatable image, you’re already on your way to create an emotional connection with a potential customer.

Or, maybe you post a picture of your team who work with you in your financial business to add a face behind your business to create a friendly, open persona. 

3. Use comedy 

Website header showing climbing through small hoop
source: Moula 

Although you might think adding in some humour to your web design makes your website seem unprofessional, if done correctly, it can actually have the opposite effect. Subtle humour is a great way to engage interest, especially in a financial business. Indeed, Compare the Market used humour to strengthen its brand in the form of a meerkat: the success of this campaign can still be seen today.

Design consultant, Espen Brunborg, stresses the importance of humour in a website when the landscape across these sites tends to look similar: you can set your brand apart from other businesses in a memorable and unique way. When building your site, using puns, humorous images, or taglines with a double meaning can help you add in a bit of humour, showing your financial business is focused on user experience as much as providing a quality service. 

4. Stick to a consistent colour scheme 

Online payments website header on blue background
source: Stripe

When building your site, don’t get distracted by all the different colour schemes you can choose from. Your web design should remain consistent across all pages, which is why it’s important to keep your colour scheme consistent throughout your site. 

This helps build the image of your brand, as colours can actually become identified with a certain brand after time. For example, blue is synonymous with Facebook and Twitter, red and white brings images of Youtube to mind, and green relates to Spotify. Keep your colour scheme constant when building your website to create a memorable brand for your financial business. 

5. Make sure your website is easy to navigate

Product navigation boxes on finance website
source: CUA

From looking at this web design, it’s easy to see where to go if you want to find out more about the different sectors this financial business offers. No site user wants to spend unnecessary minutes clicking around your website, trying to find what they’re looking for – label your different pages clearly so the site visitor can navigate through your site within a matter of seconds. How you choose to display this is completely up to you – whether you go for a listed format, or separate your different site sections into boxes, make sure it’s easy to read and clear. Why not have a look at our blog on the importance of navigation to give you some ideas?

When you’re building your site, you’ll want to choose a web design which is personal to you, without needing endless hours of your time to work on it. Go Sitebuilder offers ready to go web designs which are completely customisable, giving you the freedom to design your website in the way that you want to. Our free 14-day trial lets you build your dream website in a matter of a few clicks – try it today!

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Is it a good idea to have a personal website?

Smiling african american mother and kid daughter having fun with computer looking at her personal website

For many, the idea of creating an entire website dedicated to you and your achievements can seem unnecessary, even narcissistic. But it could be a great career move, or a way to consolidate your portfolio so your work is easy to find and share. With website builders like Go Sitebuilder, you can have a website up and running in just a few minutes, so now it’s just up to you to decide whether it is a good idea for you. 

A personal website gives you a competitive advantage when job hunting

If you’re job hunting, then a personal website can be an invaluable tool to help you stand out from other applicants. Whereas a CV, cover letter and Linkedin Profile are all restricted in their format, if you create your own website then you have full creative control over how you present yourself. Remember that your website speaks volumes about who you are as a person, so make it reflect your personality. 

All recruiters carry out some research on potential candidates, and if you have a website that comes up after a quick Google, you’re giving them more information in a more dynamic way. It may say on your CV that you grew a blog by 10,000 followers, but your website will have a link to the blog itself, making it more memorable and more believable. Including work samples and client testimonials is another way of proving that your work is valuable and of a high quality.

You can use your personal website to network

If you have expertise in a certain area, you can highlight this in your personal website. Writing blogs on topics in your industry and optimising them for SEO could get more people viewing your site and seeing you as a leader in your field. This will mean others in your industry will be aware of you and your work, and are likely to reach out, for collaboration, job offers or more!

Think of your website as a virtual business card that you can use when networking, and make sure it has all the information you think is necessary to show you in the best light. Don’t crowd it though – make sure all the information is relevant and useful for visitors to your site. 

Creating and optimising a personal website means you acquire new skills

Depending on which website builder you use, you can make your personal website as complicated or as simple as you like. Either way, you’ll gain a plethora of new skills, proving not only that you are tech-savvy, but also that you are capable of learning new things autonomously. 

You’ll learn how to customise a website for your personal use, show different styles of web design, and also prove your copywriting and content writing skills. If you spend some time optimising your site and promoting it on social media, then these are even more skills that are easily transferable to many different job roles. 

Personal websites lend credibility to freelancers

As a freelancer, you are only as good as your online image. There are so many thousands of freelancers on the internet offering work in a variety of sectors that it is extremely difficult for clients to choose which person to go to, especially on freelancer websites like Upwork or Fiverr. If you have a link to your personal website in your profile for these sites, then potential clients can visit your site and immediately see the work you’ve done, as well as testimonials from other clients who have worked with you. 

Having a personal website also means that you can develop a brand for yourself, rather than using a plain, uniform profile like those supplied by Linkedin or Upwork. Creating a brand means that you will become more memorable and your style will be more recognisable. This gives you a headstart against other freelancers who are struggling to stand out in a saturated market.

Personal websites are perfect for visual industries

Imagine you’re a designer, photographer or videographer. How are you going to showcase your work using just your CV and cover letter? If you’re a freelancer or looking for a job, the best way to show what you’re capable of is by publishing your work so others can see it. If you’re worried about people stealing your hard-earned work, check out our blog on protecting your images from being stolen by strangers. 

When done right, your personal website can be an instant portfolio that will be potential clients or recruiters’ first port of call when they want to find out about you and your work. 

If you think you’re ready to get stuck in and create your own personal website, why not choose Go Sitebuilder to do it? We provide hundreds of pre-designed templates that can easily be customised to your personal brand and style, all in a matter of minutes! We know you’re busy, so our streamlined web design services can be carried out from your laptop, tablet or smartphone, so you can control your website wherever you go. 

Why not try our free 14-day trial to find out what your personal website could look like? 

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What should be on a cocktail bar’s website?

Group Of Female Friends Enjoying Night Out At Rooftop cocktail bar

Having an effective website for your cocktail bar is vital in increasing brand awareness and giving potential customers more information about your cocktail bar. Website builders such as Go Sitebuilder will allow you to create a professional website with simple templates and a range of features you can customise. 

Creating a website can be daunting as there are so many different options regarding navigation, web design and content. Therefore, when creating a website you must consider some key aspects. In this blog we are going to outline what you should include in a cocktail bar’s website! 

Information on your cocktail creations 

Whether you have a set cocktail menu or one that changes regularly, having a menu on your website is incredibly important. There are a couple of ways you could create a menu:

  • Either write a menu on one of the pages on your website
  • Or create a separate file that you can attach to a webpage. If you are looking for an easy way to create a pdf menu then check out the templates for cocktail bar menus on Canva for some inspiration. 

Generally try to think about the following factors when designing your menu:

  • The colour scheme – does the design fit with your website and brand image?
  • Use of images – do you want to use photographs or infographics to enhance your menu?
  • Font choice – ensure this is in keeping with the rest of your web design.
  • Can you use the same menu in your bar as on your website? This gives continuity and makes the customer experience easier. 

Stunning photographs 

The best way to market your cocktail creations is to have beautiful photographs. Try to have a range of photographs, some which focus on individual cocktails and some which show the atmosphere and decor of your bar. With each photograph ensure to include a caption, especially if the photo is of one specific cocktail so that visitors know which drink they are looking at. 

Images can help portray your brand image as well as boosting visitor numbers to your website; if you want to find out more about how you can use images to get your website noticed, check out our blog post on how images can enhance your website. Also ensure you link any social media accounts to your website, but make sure the photographs you post on social media are also high quality and in keeping with your brand. 

Key information 

Having a beautiful website doesn’t mean much for your business if it doesn’t have the vital information that visitors need in order to find your bar in person. When you are creating your website ensure to have a page dedicated to key information such as:

  • Contact information – phone number, email address etc.
  • Location – an address and a Google maps link (many website builders have this as a feature you can add.)
  • Opening times – ensure to include any special times such as bank holidays.

Many websites will have this information in a footer at the bottom of the website but having the information on a separate page is useful as well.

Special events 

Another aspect you may want to consider for your cocktail website is having a section on unique experiences or aspects of your business. This may be in the form of:

  • Cocktail masterclasses 
  • Hen or stag parties 
  • Themed nights
  • Music nights 
  • Guest Mixologists 
  • Being part of an event or festival 

However, you choose to differentiate your business, having a unique selling point can be a great way to separate yourself from the crowd. 

What makes your bar stand out from the rest

When a visitor is looking at your website is there a unique part of your bar that stands out? If not that needs to change! With many cocktail bars in competition with each other having a unique selling point is vital. Take a look at these Unique Bars in London for inspiration. 

Some bars focus on their decor or theme. For example, the Alchemist cocktail bars have a clear theme on mystical creation and a black and gold colour scheme that is clear throughout their website.

Others may focus on particular cocktail Mixologists that they have in their team. For example the cocktail bar White Lyan’s selling point is master Mixologist “Mr Lyan”.

Whatever your main selling point is, ensure that visitors can clearly see this on your website and can find out as much information as possible. 

If you need a great website builder to create your cocktail website, then look no further than Go Sitebuilder. With a wide range of features such as an image editor and the ability to add your menu to your website, our simple website builder design means you can have a professional looking website up and running in minutes. Try our 14-day free trial today!

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The importance of localised SEO for restaurants

Modern office researching the importance of localised SEO for restaurants

You’ve perfected the interior design, you’ve tweaked the menu until you’re happy with it and your staff is ready to go. But how are you going to get the new customers you need for your restaurant to thrive? We’re going to look at how you can use Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to help your restaurant’s website get noticed with people in your local area. Local SEO can increase your brand reputation, drive more customers to your restaurant, provide cost-effective marketing and increase customer engagement!

What is local SEO?

SEO is a way of applying elements to your website that makes it easier for search engines to index and rank it. This means that robots scan your website and decide what it is trying to do or sell. If it seems relevant or useful to people the robots will push your website up the search engine results so it gets noticed by more people. You can do this in multiple ways, using keyword implementation, optimising your web design, or using a good website builder with some SEO techniques built in. 

This is fine if you have a company that is global or national, but if you have a geographically specific company like a restaurant or a bar, then it doesn’t matter if your restaurant is the first result on Google in the Marshall Islands; that isn’t going to get you any more customers. Instead, you want to use local seo techniques to make sure people in your area are more likely to see your restaurant’s website.

Think about when you’re looking for a new restaurant in your area – what do you search for? If you’re anything like us, it will be something along the lines of “restaurants near me”. Let’s look at how you can make sure your restaurant is one of the first results they see.

Set up a Google My Business page

Google is the most used search engine and it is very adept at showing people what they are looking for close to where they are. This is due to the fact that many companies have a Google My Business page, which means they show up on Google Search and Google Maps as a certified business. 

When creating your Google My Business page, be aware that this is likely to be the first thing a potential customer will see of your restaurant. Choose high quality pictures – of your restaurant and your food – and add a description of what you offer. Make sure all the information you include is up to date, especially the address, opening hours and phone number. 

Use your social media pages

Social media is an important marketing tool for local businesses. You can use beautiful images to showcase your food and restaurant, publicize offers and discounts, and drive engagement with your potential customers. Make sure in each account you have your website address, physical address and phone number to make sure they can contact you. 

Publish your menu on your website

How many times have you visited a restaurant’s web page and there isn’t a menu to peruse? Don’t be that restaurant. Typically people search for the menu when they’ve decided on a specific restaurant, so if you can take them to your website immediately and show them a well-designed menu then you are likely to increase your conversion rate. 

Make sure your site is mobile friendly

The vast majority of people searching for restaurants will be using a mobile device when they are already out and about in a certain area. If your website isn’t optimised for mobile usage then people are likely to quickly lose patience and choose another option. In fact, Google ranks responsive websites higher, so make sure you choose a website builder like Go Sitebuilder that ensures that your website can be used across desktops, tablets and mobile devices. 

Get local citations

A local citation is anywhere on the internet where a website (that isn’t your own) mentions the name, address and phone number for your business. Google My Business is a great place to start, but consider branching out into other areas like Yelp and Trip Advisor, as well as more local options. Does your area have a local restaurant listing website, or is there an online local magazine that has a section on places to eat in the area? The more places your website and business information shows up on the internet, the better. 

Your restaurant is local, so make sure your SEO is as well! If you’re looking for a website builder to help you create a beautiful web design to show off your restaurant, why not try Go Sitebuilder? We know you’re busy, so we provide pre-made templates custom-made for industries such as restaurants so you can get back to what you do best.

Try our 14 day free trial today and see how a website can help you grow your business!

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How to build an online community

Happy milennials friends walking in old town city centre talking about how to build an online community

Creating an online community with your website can be a really useful way to engage with visitors and spread the word of your business. A virtual community makes customers feel more connected to your ethos and ideas, thus creating a more loyal and attentive customer base. 

Brands that create a strong online community are seen as trustworthy and worthy of promotion and conversation by their community. There is a sense of the company wanting to fulfill the individual needs of the customer, not just wanting a customer base for the revenue. 

There are many simple steps you can take to build an online community for your business and many of these start with your website. 

Choose Your Platform

There are a few different ways you can create an online community. Some businesses choose to mainly operate through social media, creating engagement through comments on posts or sharing their followers images. 

Other companies may use online forums for their business. An online forum is a specific site owned by the business (e.g. a website or blog section), where visitors interact in a similar way to social media. A key difference is that the owner of the site can oversee the content created and delete comments or start threads (online conversations) surrounding certain topics, making sure the focus stays on the company. There are two different types of online forum:

A Shared Interest Forum:  this is a site where people who have a shared interest can come together to discuss and share information. This can be really useful for businesses to find people who are interested in areas surrounding their business. By engaging in these platforms firms can market their business to potential customers. 

Information Forums:  these are forums which are specifically focused around a certain product or service. Usually the first post is surrounding this product or service and then others contribute their opinions or suggestions about the product. 

These forums can either be on a platform designed and made by your business (on your website) or on social media. There are benefits of both. Often social media can be better at reaching a wider variety of people initially, and then a link to your online forums can ensure you attract those who are more interested. When you set up your online forums ensure you have some way of taking members details or allowing them to ‘subscribe’ to your online community, even if this is simply a like to your page on Facebook.  

Foster Your Community

Creating an online community is pointless unless you are willing to continue to build and inform those in your community. To foster your virtual community you must consider the following questions:

  • Who is the main leader of this community? 
  • Who in your business will be responsible for posting and engaging?
  • What kind of content will you post? Examples may include:
    • Questions about a product you may start selling to see if there is interest
    • Gathering data on your community – age, location etc
    • Asking questions surrounding topics related to your business 
  • What platform will be your main forum?
  • How many members are you aiming for?
  • Will you run competitions with prizes/giveaways in your forum to attract more people?
  • How else will you interact with visitors to your forum? (e.g. blogs posts, videos etc.)

One of the biggest questions is how to engage a wide range of people. Some internet forums can be very exclusionary, however with studies showing that there are many social and individual benefits to belonging to online forums, reaching out to a broad audience is incredibly important. 

Establish Guidelines

As with many large communities the importance of guidelines cannot be understated. Without clear guidelines for your community there is opportunity for hateful comments or threads that are not related to your topics. Therefore, writing your guidelines at the start of your forum and ensuring that these guidelines are visible for everyone can reduce unwanted posts. This blog outlines some guidelines you may want to consider.

Whoever is running your forum should also be in charge of moderating the comments and posts made. This means that if there are any posts which do not fit the guidelines then the moderator can delete these quickly. If someone is posting regularly against your guidelines, then you may want to exclude them from the forum.

If you need a great website builder to back up your online forums, then look no further than Go Sitebuilder. With a wide range features to link to your social media, our simple website builder design means you can have a professional looking website up and running in minutes. Try our 14-day free trial today!