Posted on

Which domain extension is right for you?

Male sat at a desk updating his Go Sitebuilder website via his mobile phone. His laptop is also in front on of him on the desk

Deciding on a domain name is an important step to building your website, but what about the domain extension? The extension can signify what sector a company operates in and it’s important to choose one that is relevant for your business. 

The four most common top-level domains (TLDs) are:
.com
.net
.org
.co

.com

This is by far the most popular domain extension. And is likely the best choice for your domain extension, as it’s familiar and adds to the credibility of your brand. SEO companies also suggest that a .com is better for search rankings on Google. Backlinks with .com have more authority than other domain extensions. However, many of the .com domains are either taken or are very expensive to buy, so you might have to look at other options.

Quick tip: If you’ve decided on a domain name but there is already a .com version with the same name in use, consider changing your domain name. Many people automatically type .com and you don’t want them to end up on a different site!

.net

This extension used to refer exclusively to internet or network providers but now it’s used for a variety of different companies. It does mean that it’s a great option for tech-based companies, as users still expect this kind of business. It’s also much more likely to be available than a .com domain. 

.org

You’ll recognise .org from sites like Wikipedia, and the extension is often expected to be a trustworthy source of information, rather than a commercial brand. The domain extension used to refer to not-for-profit organisations, and is one of the original TLDs so has good user recognition and search power. 

.co

This is an interesting one. The domain used to function exclusively as the country code of Colombia but has recently become a popular choice to refer to companies and corporations. This would be a great choice if you are a young business and the .com extension isn’t an option, as .co has high availability. The issue with this extension, however, is that people might accidentally end up on .com instead, just out of typing habit. 

These are the top four domain extensions, but there are 1500 TLDs available. The most important factors to consider is whether your domain and extension are memorable, easy to type and match your brand identity. 

Decided on the right domain extension for you? At Go SiteBuilder, you can create a stylish website with a unique domain and five email addresses with no previous knowledge in web design. Try out our 14-day free trial today!

Posted on

10 things you should think about before building your own website

Female florist sat on the floor with her laptop resting on her legs whilst she updates her Go Sitebuilder website. She is wearing jeans, a blue top and a neutral coloured apron. Flowers can be seen in the background.

Creating a website is the next step for your business, but where do you start? Before you leap into choosing a colour scheme, have a look at our 10 pointers on the most important factors to consider when planning your webpage.

1. Domain name

This should be short, simple and memorable. You’re going to have to pay a fee to have the rights to use this name, so make sure it counts! Brainstorm ideas, align it with your branding strategy, and check that you’re not violating any copyright law with your domain name. 

2. Audience

You need to know who your target audience are and what they want, this way you can appeal to their needs. Use analytics tools to get data on your current clients so that you can create a website that will attract traffic with a higher potential conversion rate. 

3. Social media

Much as we complain about them, almost all of us are using at least one form of social media. This is a great tool to help expand the reach of your brand and for users to recommend and share your services, so make sure your website has an option to share content on social media. 

4. Design

Users create a first impression of your site in a couple of seconds, so good clean design is paramount. Make sure the homepage isn’t too cluttered, and make sure it has a clear call to action so that users know what you provide and how they can access it.

5. Sitemap

Before starting to build a website, you’ll need to sketch out a quick plan of what pages you want to include and consider the user experience at each step. Will the user easily be able to find what they need? Are the pages presented in a clear and efficient way?

6. SEO

It doesn’t matter how beautiful and engaging your website is if it doesn’t get the clicks in the first place. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is an invaluable step in the creation of a website, as it allows Google to easily rank the page and make it visible for your target users.

7. Security

It is easy to forget about this step, but good security is vital in order to keep your website healthy and to build trust in your clients, especially if they are sharing personal information through your site. This should be addressed at the beginning of website design, as pages need to have SSL certificates and regular security checks. 

8. Compatibility

Your website needs to work on all browsers, but most importantly, it needs to be compatible with mobile devices. Mobile internet use has increased by 222% since 2013, and 85% of adults think that a website should work just as well or better on a mobile device than on desktop.

9. Hosting

The website host you use will determine how quickly your site loads. If your site takes a long time to load, it will directly affect the amount of people who visit your site; 53% of users will stop engaging with a site if it takes over three seconds to load. Make sure your file sizes aren’t too big and run tests to check your loading speed before you make your site public. 

10. Price

What you can get will depend on what you can spend. A custom-built website will cost thousands, but a website creator can give you a great design for a fraction of the cost. Do your research to get the best deal. 

There are lots of factors to consider when building your website, but if you’re still feeling lost, then Go Sitebuilder gives you a 14-day free trial of their simple and streamlined process to create and manage your website. Give it a go today!

Posted on

Can you build a website for free?

Male business owner working from home and using his laptop to update this Go Sitebuilder website. He is wearing a blue v-neck t-shirt, sitting at a desk that has a mug, notebook and hard hat on.

If you’ve got a business you need a website. If you’re just starting out, though, is it worth shelling out a monthly sum for a paid domain when there are so many free options available? We look at the pros and cons of free website builders and building a website for free.

Why choose a free website?

With so many free website creators on the market, it’s easy to see why so many people have chosen the unpaid option to make their first digital footprint. Even if you don’t know anything about website design, they offer ready-made themes tailored to specific sectors that give your site a professional look in minutes. Many small companies start off on social media, and a free website offers a significant step up from a Facebook or Instagram page. Seems like a good deal, but there are limitations to a free website.

Why choose a paid website?

A free website provider normally has its drawbacks. First, you cannot get your own domain, but instead, have to piggyback on the name of the provider. One of the most popular free website creators, Wix, forces you to create an unwieldy and unprofessional web address along the lines of www.yourname.wixsite.com/yoursite. 

Another disadvantage is that most free websites cap their storage and bandwidth, which means you’ll be limited in the number of images, videos and blogs you’ll be able to upload. Restricted bandwidth will make your site slower, resulting in a worse user experience and a less visible site in terms of SEO.

The website may be free for you, but the providers need to make money through you somehow, which they do by cluttering up your page with their own adverts. The companies also bombard you with emails detailing all the features available in their paid version in a bid to get you to upgrade.

To decide whether it’s worth getting a free website rather than a paid one, then you need to look at your priorities. If you just want a web presence where you can show your services and upload blogs, then a free plan is all you need. However, if you are looking to grow your company, increase your SEO and need certain features such as online selling or mobile capability, then it might be better to look at a paid version. 

If you’re still not sure, Go SiteBuilder offers a 14-day free trial where you can see which features work for you and your business, as well as a team of experts on hand to offer support if you need it. Give it a go today!

Posted on

Can you do SEO yourself?

Female florist wearing a pink t-shirt and apron is working on her laptop to improve her business website's SEO

The words “search engine optimisation” may sound overwhelming to you, but they don’t have to. There are numerous resources available both on and off the web that are here to help you create a successful SEO strategy; one that you can execute yourself! So, yes – you can do SEO yourself – and here are some reasons you should.

Learn a new skill

SEO is a skill, and there is no doubt about that. You’ll learn how to study trends in optimisation and find different formulas to help you achieve top search results. Tips and tricks can be found in every nook and cranny of the internet, and you get a chance to play around with them all. The best part is, once you find something that works well – you’ll be the one reaping the benefits.

Save money

Taking on any task by yourself can save you money, whether you’re fixing your sink or learning how to write blogs for yourself. By taking on your SEO, you’ll be able to save money on strategists, copywriters, editors and more!

DIY SEO will help you save money from the start, along with in the future. Once you’ve established yourself with your core keywords and have learned how to write incredible content, you can sit back and relax and watch your sales roll in. 

It doesn’t have to be scary

With all of the resources available today, you’re in good hands. Many online communities are buzzing with people willing to help and share their experiences. Whether you join an online forum, sign up for daily newsletters or buy a couple of books – you’ll hit the ground running in no time. 

Hiring an expert 

While DIY SEO is an excellent option for many new businesses, some people simply don’t have the time. That’s where the professionals come in. SEO specialists are here to drive traffic by ensuring that your website gets the best ranking on search engines. SEO experts understand the needs of their clients and promise to deliver, which is why they make a great alternative for those who aren’t looking to take this on all by themselves. Another reason to hire an expert would be to expand on a strategy you’ve developed or for some new and fresh ideas. 

Ultimately, doing SEO by yourself is exciting, and it is your business, after all! We love learning new things and developing new skills, and you should too.

You can achieve great results with DIY SEO or with some help from the experts. No matter what SEO route you choose to take, make sure you have a great site to do it on. Sign up with Go Sitebuilder today to create a beautiful website. 

Posted on

How to kick-start SEO for your new website (in 4 easy steps)

Dual heritage female business owner using her phone to update her website's SEO. She is casually dressed standing in her kitchen wearing glasses and drinking coffee

If you’ve recently completed building a website for your business, or you’re thinking about doing so, you might be asking “how do I start SEO for my website?” Search Engine Optimisation isn’t an easy (or fast) task, but there are things you can do to give yourself the best chance for success. Here are 4 steps to help you kick-start your SEO strategy.

Step 1: Perform thorough keyword research

Before you can start optimising your website for search, you need to know which keywords you’re targeting. Just ask yourself which word or phrase best describes your business, then use Google (or even the free Google Keyword Planner) to discover related key terms you could target at the same time.

Step 2: Optimise your text content for SEO

Now that you know which terms you’ll be targeting, how do you get your site to appear higher in the rankings? Well, a lot of it is down to your website’s text content. You need to write it in such a way that it appeals to your website visitors, but also to search engines. It can be a bit of a fine art, but it always pays off. You should also ensure your page titles and header tags are optimised, too. With a bit of practice, you’ll have this down in no time.

Step 3: Submit your website for indexing via the Google Search Console

Once you’re happy with the on-page SEO changes you’ve started with, you’ll want to make sure Google actually knows about your website. To do this, you’ll need to request indexing directly from Google. It will eventually find the site on its own, but registering your website can speed things up. Just sign up for the free Google Search Console tool and submit your website from there.

Step 4: Plan out your content strategy for long-term success

As we’ve discussed, much of SEO relies upon your website’s content — and lots of it. Content marketing isn’t just a buzzword, it’s fuel for the SEO engine. For this reason, it’s a very smart idea to develop and deploy a content strategy, or content calendar. This is essentially a roadmap you can follow to ensure your website is always publishing fresh content — which is something Google really loves!

These steps will form a great foundation for search engine success, but if you’re yet to build a website and you really want to make a splash, try out Go Sitebuilder free for 14-days. With SEO tools built right in, it’s the best way to get a running start for your business.

Posted on

Important first steps to make a new website SEO-friendly

Female small business owner sat on her sofa at home with a hot coffee planning her SEO strategy on her laptop. She is casually dressed and smiling

If you’re a new website owner, the whole world of SEO can feel intimidating. You don’t want to get lost in the buzzwords, conflicting advice, and confusing link-building strategies – it doesn’t have to be that hard! With a little bit of advice and planning, you’ll be an SEO in no time. We’ve put together a few simple key points to make your new website is SEO friendly, and we promise it’s easier than you think!

1. Produce good quality, highly relevant content

Your visitors are probably coming to your site to learn or buy something. You’re the expert at what you do after all. You have to make sure that what they see when they visit your site solves their problem. Google rewards relevant, information-filled content. So, produce plenty of highly relevant content such as blogs and articles, and you’ll see the SEO benefits quickly!

2. Keep images as small as possible

Site speed is a key feature of how well a website performs in an SEO audit. If the images on your site are too big (in terms of file size), it can slow a site down and see it rank lower than a faster site. Try to avoid uploading large file sizes, or shrink the images where possible – make sure they are still good quality, but keep them as small as you can get away with.

3. Keep the site design minimal

Websites are becoming more minimalist in design. Minimal design means the content stands out, the site will be easier to read for the visitor and more importantly, the site will load quickly, which is a big SEO benefit. The temptation could be to over-complicate your website design. Keep things clean and simple and your visitors will benefit. Our powerful website builder allows you to create simple, beautiful sites without the need for an expensive web designer or any technical skills.

4. Link strategically

Do you have friends in your industry who could provide a backlink to your site? Relevant backlinks are a big SEO boost, so speak to customers, friends, industry colleagues, etc and see if they’d be willing to give your new website a helping hand with a backlink from their site to yours! If a site has backlinks from relevant sources, it’s a big help.

5. Use relevant keywords in your content

This is very important – you have to write about what you want to be found for. An example could be an electrician wanting to be found by potential customers. They’d make sure they write about the services they offer and the locations they offer them in. Writing articles on previous jobs they’ve done or and where the jobs took place are relevant, keyword-dense content.

You don’t need to be perfect from the start, but it’s important to be consistent. Plenty of content, plenty of information and a few helpful links will all help! If you’re at the start of your website and SEO journey, why not take a look at a 14-day free trial with Go Sitebuilder? Our expert team are always on-hand if you have any questions – so, what’s stopping you from getting your business online?

Posted on

How do I get my new website noticed?

Male looking at mobile phone whilst holding reading glasses. He is working from home and his young daughter can be seen eating at a table in the background.

Building a new website is an exciting time for any business, and getting it live on the internet for people to see can be just as fun. But how do you make sure people are seeing it? If you want your site to really stand out from the crowd and achieve its greatest potential, it needs to be as visible as possible. We’ve compiled some tips to get your new website noticed.

Pay attention to keywords

Getting your new website noticed involves being easy to find when people are searching online. It’s helpful if your brand name appears as near to the top of search listings as possible. In order to achieve this goal, you’ll need to find out what keywords people would use to search for your business. There are different tools you can use online to get an idea of what these keywords might be. But, whatever keywords you choose to represent your business, try to find words that are as relevant and specific as possible. Use for keywords that are less frequently used and not just single words. Long-tailed keywords or keywords with more information will help you drive more traffic.

Once you’ve identified keywords, embed them naturally in your website. Keywords should be used within your content, along with your tags and picture titles.

Start blogging

Blogging about your business, your products, or subjects you think your website visitors will enjoy reading is a great way to get your new website noticed online. So, if you haven’t set up a blog already, now is the time to get writing! Including blog content on your site is also a favoured SEO strategy, which could help you to rank higher on search engines like Google.

Each time you publish a blog, let your followers know by posting a quick message on your social media pages. It’s also a good idea to send an email out to your mailing lists. In order to gain attention, and to keep attracting visitors to your website, provide unique content that puts a fresh spin on what might already exist online. Mix things up a bit and publish different styles of posts, such as how-to guides or even video tutorials. Encourage readers to like or share your content, so that it gets promoted even further.

Get listed

Get your name noticed by making sure that your website’s address and contact details appear on relevant online lists, directories and indexes. This is an especially useful strategy for those who rely on local custom. In particular, adding your details to Google Maps could also improve your local search ranking.

Think about relevant sites where your target audiences might search for a business like yours, or seek related information, and make sure your name gets added in those places.

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.

Posted on

What is crucial for effective website design?

A man and a woman standing over a table looking at a piece of paper. The male is wearing a casual denim shirt and holding a pen. The female is wearing a white t-shirt and is standing slightly in the background

A beautiful website will leave a great impression. There are a lot of different directions you can adventure into when designing a new website. We’ve put our heads together to give you this easy to follow list that will help you create the most effective website design.

Keep it simple

You could be forgiven for thinking that the more you add to your website, the better the experience for your audiences. But, there is a fine line between being informative and causing confusion or clutter. Simplicity is the way to go.

Use your space to say what you need to say, but don’t go overboard. Keep your colour palettes, fonts and other design elements clean, minimalist and simple. Not only will this create a sleek design but it will also make it easy for the viewer to digest the information. And, don’t be afraid of the white or blank spaces on your site. These are actually important design elements in their own right.

Use logical navigation

Try to view your website like taking a journey, in that there should be a logical path to follow to get from A to B. Straightforward navigation is a vital component of any website because it enables viewers to easily find the information they’re looking for. If your site lacks cohesion, some visitors may be left wondering where they’re supposed to go.

Your menu bars and page layouts are key to providing clear navigation, but you should also include easy-to-understand calls to actions so that viewers know what to expect or do next. You can easily lead them exactly where you want them to go!

Try out visual media

Cramming your website with text could be hard for your viewers, so think carefully about how you present your written information. Ideally, your text should be easily scannable, so time-starved viewers can still easily find the information they need.

Quick tip: Use lists and bullet points, for example, to break chunks of text up.

Another essential strategy to break text up is to include visual media on your site. Images speak louder than words so they’re a really important asset to your site to promote your products or services. Ideally, use your own photos, but whether you use originals or stock images make sure they’re of good quality – you don’t want a blurry, oversized image to be representing your business.

Responsive design

Effective website design involves enabling the site to be compatible for use on a range of devices, including smartphones, tablets and desktop computers. If you’ve already got a Go Sitebuilder website you won’t need to worry about responsive design as everything you create is instantly responsive!

Responsive design, in a nutshell, means that your website will adjust in size to suit a particular device. This leaves your content clear and easy to read no matter what device it’s viewed upon. With many internet users now relying exclusively on smartphones for web viewing, this is a design element that is nowadays a necessity rather than a luxury if you don’t want to miss a potential audience!

You don’t have to be a professional designer to build a website with Go Sitebuilder. Our hand-crafted, beautiful website sections will have you online within minutes – so what are you waiting for? Get online today with a 14-day free trial!

Posted on

How can I get my website on Google search?

How to get your website on Google

Submitting your website to the Google search engine is an important part of increasing your traffic. Once it is submitted, your site will appear on the Google search results page, but what you should be striving for is getting it to rank highly in your potential customers’ searches.

“Lots of my customers have commented on how easy it was to find and use my website – that wouldn’t be possible without Go Sitebuilder and my own domain name.” Polly Evans – pollyevanshypnotherapy.com

Here is a guide on getting your website to appear in Google searches:

Search Engine Optimisation

Better known as SEO, this is the process of optimising the content of your website to make it rank highly in Google search results without having to pay for it. It is good practice to optimise your website before submitting it to Google, but really it is an ongoing process that needs to be nurtured in the long run to see the best results.

Submitting a website to Google

Make sure you have covered all the basics of preparing your website to be indexed by Google. SEO is important, but it’s also essential to ensure there are no errors or broken links, and that content is ready to be shared on social media. When you’re good to go, you can submit your domain to the Google Search Console URL Crawler.

Every time they crawl the web, Google adds new sites to its index and updates existing ones. Tell them about your new URL through the link above. Please note that not all submitted URLs will be added to the index.

Google will also want your website sitemap. The purpose of this is to enable the Google robots to scan the structure of your site and index it to the search engine accordingly. If you’ve built your website with Go Site Builder, it will already be available to them and you won’t have to do anything extra to submit it.

Google Search Console

business owner with custom domain name

This service replaced the old Google Webmaster Tools to provide site owners with the means to monitor their site’s presence in the Google search results. Joining requires a Google account and a personal domain address. You simply add these as your property on the console and follow the steps to verify your site ownership.

The simplest method is to choose ‘URL prefix’, which should provide you with a code. Copy the code and paste it in into your website, and you should see a confirmation in Google Search Console shortly after.

The bottom line

Getting your website onto Google search should be a simple process. If you follow the steps in this guide, you will be up and running in no time. Go Sitebuilder provides the tools to make it even easier, and you can get started for free today.

Posted on

How do I attract customers to my website?

A small row of people all holding their mobile phones

Your beautiful website has been designed and published, and now you want to share it with your customers. We have some tried and tested techniques that will have you driving traffic to your website in no time! Here are some easy-to-follow strategies for attracting customers to your website:

Have a presence on social media

Let’s start with the most obvious one: social media. Creating pages about your business on relevant social media platforms can boost visitor numbers to your site. The beauty of making a name for yourself on social media is that it’s free. So, this is a worthwhile strategy for new or smaller businesses who may have limited advertising budgets. Include links on your social media pages to your website, and entice audiences to visit your site with offers, product information and updates.

Start a blog

Who doesn’t love a good read? Blogging is a great way to keep people coming back to your website. Writing a regular blog on subjects that you are an authority on will entice visitors back to your site again and again. It’s not only people that appreciate a well-written article, but search engines do too! Don’t forget to sneak in a few choice keywords into your content, as these can help send your site soaring on search listings.

When you give readers the option to comment or to share your blogs, this can also help you reach more people. Always make your blog content is relevant to your target audiences, offering them an insight into topics that they would find useful and interesting.

As well as blogging on your own site, consider providing a guest blog posting on another related and respected website, including a link to your web page so viewers can click through to your site.

Get SEO savvy

Using search engine optimisation strategies will allow your website to climb the ranks of search listings. This will help people find your site name easier. If your website makes it to the first page of search listings then it’s likely to be getting more clicks than if it were on any other page – that’s how important SEO is!

Some simple SEO tips that really make a difference include making sure you fill out the meta titles and descriptions on your pages and adding keywords that apply to your services throughout your site. It’s also important to keep your website’s information current, updated and relevant, as these are all attributes favoured by search engines.

If you’re new to SEO, we’ve created this easy guide for complete beginners. It’s honestly not as hard as it sounds!

Try Paid advertising

There are lots of free or budget-friendly strategies you can use to attract customers to your site, but if you want to get your website off the ground you might wish to consider paid advertising. Pay per click (PPC), for instance, is one commonly used option. By carefully selecting keywords relevant to your site, an advert for your website will appear online when people enter these keywords into a search engine. Clicking on the advert will then direct visitors to your site, helping to swell your audience numbers. It’s a quick and easy way to get people to you.

These are just some of the ways you can attract more customers to your website. Even if you try other ways of attracting customers, remember to use an analytics tool to make sure you know what works best for your business. There’s no point in repeating something that isn’t producing the results you want. Your time is precious so invest it wisely.

If you still haven’t created your dream site or you are thinking of starting something new, try Go Sitebuilder free for 14-days and see just how easy it is to build your own website – no pros or technical skills needed!