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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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How do I find a niche for my online store?

Asian woman using smartphone with happy mood smile face in shopping mall niche market

An online store can help you make some cash on the side, or it can be the start of a great new business venture. Either way, to make the most of your online store, you’ll need to put some research in at the beginning to make sure that you are supplying a product that will sell! If you’re still looking for a website builder, make sure you do your research and choose one like Go Sitebuilder that doesn’t have any hidden fees for selling products online. 

What is a niche?

Choosing a niche can mean several things, but the aim remains the same; providing a product or service that is different from others. Choosing a niche in general means deciding on the area you want to specialise in; that is, instead of DIY products in general, choosing kitchen DIY products, or painting products. This comes down to the old adage of being a jack of all trades and a master of none; if you specialise in an area, then people are more likely to trust you and your knowledge than if you sold many different products. 

This concept applies to a niche product – where you choose a specific type of product to specialise in (think leather shoes rather than all shoes) and to a niche market. A niche market is when you design a product for a specific market and then focus your marketing efforts on that small community. 

Why do I need a niche for my online store?

If you don’t choose a niche then you’re setting yourself up to disappear among the thousands of other online stores that are selling the same things as you. In 2020, competition is fierce in the ecommerce industry, product markets are saturated and consumers are becoming more and more demanding in terms of the convenience and speed of service. 

Choosing a niche product means that you won’t be in direct competition with huge competitors, who will be able to provide a faster, more convenient service. Because of their infinitely larger resources, this is not a competition you will be able to win. If you have a niche, however, you are more likely to appear higher up on a search engine results page when a user is looking for a specific product. More clicks – more revenue!

How to choose a niche product

Many niche products are unique, handmade products that cannot be replicated, so if you make jewellery or ceramics then this is a good area to move into. You’ll still need to focus on a niche though – in handmade industries it’s a good idea to focus on your brand to help you with this. Is your jewellery made with precious stones from a certain area? Do you have a certain glazing technique that makes your ceramics stand out? This is what you’ll have to rely on to set you apart from others. 

Other niche products are designed due to personal experience. Is there a gap in the market that you think needs to be filled? For example, Hatch is a clothing brand that was created by a mother who was looking for dressy maternity wear for events such as weddings and parties, but couldn’t find anything she liked. This company focuses on two niches; maternity wear and formal wear, making it a great example of a niche product. 

How to choose a niche market

A niche market, on the other hand, focuses on the consumer rather than the product itself. This makes your marketing easier, but also gives you more freedom in the items that you want to stock and sell. A niche market can be defined by its own unique needs, identity or preferences in comparison to consumers in general. 

A good example of this is conscious buyers. These are people who want to make less of an impact on the environment by reducing their waste and plastic use, and are looking for more sustainable solutions. Once you’ve decided on a niche market, it can help you decide on other things that are important for your ecommerce strategy. 

For example, how much would you charge for your products and how old are your audience likely to be? People are more likely to spend more on sustainable goods rather than traditional ones, and Gen Z and millennials are more eco-conscious than baby boomers. Once you’ve decided on a niche market, everything slots into place. 

Other considerations when choosing a niche

Make sure you carry out research when deciding on your niche; you don’t want to spend ages elaborating your ecommerce plan and then find out someone has already had the same idea! It’s also a good idea when you’re starting out to choose a product that will have high profit margins, as otherwise you might not make any profit at all after subtracting your time, website builder costs, delivery fees and potential return fees. 

There are lots of things to think about when choosing a niche for your ecommerce business, so why not have one less thing to worry about? Choose Go Sitebuilder as your website builder; we’re one of the cheapest website builders with a free integrated ecommerce platform, and no limits on the number of products you can sell. Try our 14-day free trial today to see how quick and easy it is to get your website up and running. 

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How do I make images load faster on my website?

A male and a female business owners stood in a shop looking at a tablet device. Both are wearing aprons and smiling

Everyone hates a slow website – according to an Akamai Technologies survey, 47% of customers expect a page to load in less than two seconds. When it comes to the internet, we’re used to getting results quickly, and we don’t like to be kept waiting. If the images on your site don’t load quickly, it’s likely that traffic to your site will simply click off, potentially preventing you from making a sale. 

Not only is this bad for business, but it is also bad for SEO – if high numbers of people are clicking off your site, Google will pick up on your bounce rate and deem your content to be of low value, consequently lowering your ranking on its search engines. Don’t worry – speeding up the load time of your images isn’t as complicated as it seems. We’ve broken down some of the best ways to make your images load faster when building your site.

1. Remove unnecessary images 

According to a report from the HTTP Archive, a typical website should request between 28 to 32 images when it loads the page. Of course, some images are necessary, as if you have an ecommerce site you’ll want to display the products you’re selling. However, if you have multiple images of the same product, or added in unnecessary images simply for web design purposes, you might want to consider removing these. 

When considering what images you want to keep on your website, ask yourself the following to help you form a criteria of what to keep and what to remove:

  • Does my image send out a message?
  • Does it evoke any feelings?
  • Will it help sell my products?
  • Does it emphasise a point?
  • Does it add to my brand?

Pictures of text, or stock images, should be on the first of your list to remove: even if you think they really add something to your site, the likelihood is that they are of little value, and actually lower the impact of your images by slowing down their load time.

2. Size matters

When building your site, you need to be conscious of the size of the image file you’re uploading into your website builder. Whilst an image might seem relatively small on your website, it could have an unnecessarily large file size, meaning it can slow down not only the load time of the image, but also your website’s. 

Compressing your images is a good way to save bandwidth and improve site speed: running your image through a free image compressor, such as compressor.io, reduces the file size and is a good way to speed up the load time of your page.

3. Don’t focus too much on image resolution

OK – so you don’t want to be uploading pixelated, blurry images onto your page when you’re building your site. Clear, good-quality images are important as they add to your web design, and also show site visitors that you’re a highly professional business. 

Nevertheless, you don’t want to overcompensate on image resolution: most computer monitors display a maximum of 72 dots per inch (DPI- a measurement of an image’s quality). Anything over this and your image is taking up unnecessary space without really making a difference to the quality of your image, consequently slowing down the speed of your site. 

To check the resolution of your image on Windows, we’ve broken down the steps you need to take to ensure your image resolution isn’t higher than it needs to be.

4. Build a website for all devices 

When building your website, you’ll need to make sure your site is responsive so that users can access it from any device. Considering that 57% of site traffic is now from smartphones and tablets, you’ll want to make sure that your images are responsive: even if it looks great on a desktop, if it isn’t responsive then the image can be slow and of low-quality on a mobile device. 

If you aren’t using a website builder, or your website builder doesn’t include a responsive web design in its bundle, you can make your images responsive yourself. If you’re a whiz at coding, you can provide the browser with a list of variants for a single image and you can tell it which image size to use for different screens. The browser will then load the right image size for  a particular device, based on the layout and device dimensions you’ve provided it with. 

However, if you don’t have the time or the intricate knowledge needed for coding, you might want to consider using a website builder that offers a responsive site. Go Sitebuilder provides ready to go sites which are already responsive on any device, meaning you don’t have to worry about your images loading slowly on different screens.

Our website builder offers fully optimised sites, meaning you don’t have to do all the hard work in ensuring your site loads quickly. Our free 14-day trial lets you experience just how easy-to-use our website builder is – try it today!

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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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What should you put on your personal website?

Young Asian man using the laptop in the living room thinking about what he should you put on his personal website

A personal website is a great tool to help you present yourself on the internet. Invaluable if you’re job hunting or if you’re a freelancer (or just starting out as one), a personal website is potential clients or recruiters’ first port of call when they start researching you – so you want to make sure you stand out. 

Website builders like Go Sitebuilder can help you have a beautiful and professional-looking website out in minutes, but when you’re customising your website, there are certain things you need to make sure you include. 

The most important thing to bear in mind is the goal of your website. Are you looking for a job? Or on the hunt for clients for your next freelance project? Either way, focus on your personal website so that it will help you achieve this goal, rather than uploading swathes of information about your cat and your favourite pair of socks. Now, let’s talk about what you should include in your personal website. 

Your elevator pitch

This is paramount! Your elevator pitch should be one of the first things a visitor sees when they reach your website, and should say what you do, and what makes you different. Imagine that someone arrives on your website and only reads your elevator pitch; will they have a good idea of what you do and why you’re better than the competition?

Things you could include in your elevator pitch are your most important career moments, what you’re most proud of, and what you’d say is your “superpower” as a professional. It shouldn’t be any longer than two to three paragraphs – shorter if possible, but make sure it shows a little of your personality – you want to hook them in!

Your bio 

You can put this on an “About Me” page, and is longer and more informative than an elevator pitch. Give details of both your education and your expertise in work; if you have a long work history, it might be a good idea to visualise it in a timeline to make it easier to digest. 

Make sure that you are showing a bit of your personality here as well. The main aim is to highlight your professional achievements but you also want to humanise yourself, making yourself both more likeable and more memorable. Many companies screen potential candidates for company culture fit, and this is a way you can show your personality. 

It’s also a good idea to have a downloadable CV in this section, for recruiters who have stumbled across your page. Normally you’ll optimise a CV for a particular job, but for this general one make sure you include a wide range of your skills and achievements so it could work for multiple different roles. 

Samples of your work

It’s very easy to think you need to upload all the work you’ve ever done here, but in reality nobody is going to look at it. Only add your very best work to this section. You might find it difficult to do this if you aren’t in a visual industry, but if you work in marketing for example, you can outline the best campaigns you’ve created. 

One tip is to make sure you quantify your work. Saying that you’ve managed “multiple successful campaigns” is vague and open to interpretation, so it’s better to be clear and say exactly how many you managed, and what results it had. Why not use a free infographic creator like Canva or Venngage to make this more engaging? 

Blog

Creating and maintaining a professional blog does require a bit of time investment, but it is worth it. It shows that you are committed to your career path, that you’re knowledgeable about the industry and engaged in how it is evolving. You’ll need to update your blog at least a couple of times a month – there’s nothing more off-putting than an outdated blog that obviously hasn’t been added to in a while!

Be aware that this is also an opportunity for you to show off your communication skills and style, so make sure that you proofread your work for errors!

Contact information 

What is the point in having a beautiful personal website showing off all your skills if there is no way to contact you? Make sure your contact information is visible and easy to find, and give multiple ways for people to contact you. It’s also a good idea to link to other professional platforms as well; the more times you are mentioned on the web, the more credible you appear. 

Testimonials

Testimonials from people you’ve worked with are a great way to lend credibility to your online persona. Linkedin is a good way of sourcing these – if you don’t already have some, contact some former colleagues or clients to ask them to do so. Make sure they give details, not just saying that you’re a great person, but what exactly makes you good to work with and why? 

Now you know what are good things to put on your personal website, it’s time to create one! Go Sitebuilder has a simple website builder with professional web design in the form of hundreds of customisable templates. On the go? Our website builder can be used from a laptop, tablet or smartphone, so you can create a professional website from wherever you are. Why not try our free 14-day trial today? 

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What is a website FAQ?

How to edit the images you use for your website

When you’re building a website, there are a number of things you need to include on your site. One of the main features of a website is an FAQ – frequently asked questions – section. Although website builders provide ready to go sites for you to use, they don’t write FAQs for you, as it is up to you to make this personal for your business.

Put simply, FAQs are a set of questions and answers which tell site users important bits of information about your website and company, and guide users through your site’s content. So, why is a website FAQ section so important? Not only does it help people find specific questions about your product, but it also is good for SEO. We take a look at how to build a website FAQ section, so you can start building your site with all the necessary information.

1. Structure your FAQS right

Frequently asked questions tend to follow the structure of a question, followed by an answer. The questions – and answers, – need to be short and concise, using plain language that is easy to follow and understand. As people are likely to skim read your website – the average page visit lasts less than a minute – you’ll want to be able to quickly convey all the key bits of information about your website that the site user needs to know.

When writing your FAQs, you’ll want to include long tail key phrases (commonly searched questions on Google relating to your industry) in your questions, as well as high-ranking keywords in your answers. If you don’t know where to begin, look at other FAQ on site competitors to get a general idea of what people are searching for in your industry.

2. Don’t overlap with other areas of your site

An FAQ section is different to that of your landing page and your ‘About Us’ section. When building your website, imagine you’re selling a cake in a bakery. Your landing page is the main appeal – it should have an attractive website design, just as a cake should look irresistibly appealing, drawing people into the bakery. Your ‘About Us’ section should tell your story and add a personal touch, just as the design of the bakery might do. 

Your FAQ section is different to this – it needs to contain key bits of information related specifically to your website, just as a dietary note might tell customers what ingredients are used in the cake. Writing a clear list of questions, and titling it FAQ, shows site users that this is the section which can tell them everything they need to know about your services or products. 

3. Make your FAQ section visible 

Whilst you want your FAQ content to be different from that of other sections when building your site, you still want your FAQ section to be visible. This helps the site user navigate their way around your website, and answers any basic questions they might have quickly and efficiently.

Although you might decide to have a separate page entirely for your frequently asked questions when using a website builder, there’s no harm in placing your FAQs on the bottom of your landing page. This ensures that people can quickly find out useful information about your site without having to hunt for it.

4. Include internal links in your FAQs

By internally linking, you can direct site users to other parts of your website. For example, including a link to your ‘contact’ section in one of your answers prompts users to directly click on to this section. Not only is this useful for the user, as it helps navigation around the site, but it’s also good for SEO because it keeps people on your site longer, meaning search engines see your site as more relevant and useful.

When building your own site, internally linking the answers to your FAQs to other sections of your website helps Google index your pages. Frequently Asked Questions, which include links to other sections of your page mean Google can index these pages and list you higher on Google’s search engine results page as it’s more useful to the site user. 

5. Call to action 

Forgetting to add a call to action on your FAQ section is one of the main mistakes many people make when building your own website. Encouraging site users to buy your products, or register interest in your services, is paramount, especially if you phrase it to show that what you offer can answer their question. Calls to action are easy to add in, and can help increase conversion rates, turning visitors to your site into customers. 

Although they might be easy to add in when building your site, FAQs play a key role in the success of your website. If you’re using a website builder to build your own website, look at how easy it is to update and edit your FAQs when you’re on the go.

Go Sitebuilder is an extremely easy-to-use website builder, which lets you adapt your website on any device. Go Sitebuilder website builder doesn’t compromise on quality so why not try today: our free 14-day trial and explore all the benefits it has to offer yourself!

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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 much programming knowledge do I need to create my own website?

Male working on laptop from his home and hanging out with his dog pet finding out how much programming knowledge is needed to create my own website

Whether you’re planning on expanding your business model by setting up an ecommerce site, want to create a digital portfolio for your work, or simply want to start blogging, you’ll need a website to do this. 

If you’ve decided to build your own website without the help of a website builder, you’ll either need to already have some experience in programming, or be prepared to expand your programming knowledge. Whilst building your own website from scratch does have some pros, you will also encounter some setbacks. We take a look at the different ways you can build your website, depending on how much programming knowledge you have.

Customising your web design 

If you’ve enlisted the help of a website builder, but want to create your own custom web design elements – like a specific photo gallery or navigation bar – then you’ll need to have some knowledge of HTML and CSS:

HTML is the standard markup language of building website pages:

  • It describes the structure of web pages 
  • HTML elements tell the browser how to display content 
  • HTML tags label pieces of content, such as ‘heading’ or ‘graph’ or ‘table’
  • It allows you to embed images, videos and other media

CSS focuses on your document’s style:

  • Page layouts, colours and fonts are all controlled with CSS

So, in other words, HTML provides the materials for the structure of your website, whilst CSS gives you all the tools to decorate it, making your web design look attractive and appealing. 

If you already have a basic backbone of your site but want some specific tools or functionalities not provided with a website builder, then you’ll need some knowledge of HTML and CSS, or have the time available to learn more about it. This means you can have the freedom to edit and add to your site, giving you a final web design which is unique to you. However, learning this programming jargon takes time for those who aren’t familiar with it, making understanding web design a lengthy and complicated process. 

You could enlist the help of a website designer if you need help with the visuals element of your web design. However, hiring a website designer to work on your site could set you back anything from £400 to just under a thousand pounds. 

So, whilst building your own web design is ideal if you have the time, or skill, needed for programming, if you’re new to building websites and don’t have much spare time on your hands then using a website builder with ready to go templates might be the better option.

Building the skeleton of your website 

Of course, before you can even think about your web design, you must have a functioning website which doesn’t have any glitches or errors. To build this yourself, not only do you need to have programming knowledge of HTML and CSS – you also need to understand Javascript. 

Javascript is a sort of scripting language that allows you to create content which can update, control multimedia, animate images and much more. If HTML is the foundational structure of your website, and CSS is the interior design element, Javascript is the blueprint you use to build your website with. 

Building your own website from scratch is great if you have an exact image in your head of the final product, and are willing to spend the time needed to create your site. However, beware of the hidden costs you might not have otherwise considered – you will need to become SSL certified to ensure the details of your site users are protected from possible interception from malicious third parties. 

You will also have to buy your own domain name so that people can find your website, as well as creating your own contact form so that people can use your website to get in touch with you. If you’re setting up an ecommerce site then you’ll need to use an ecommerce platform to sell your items through, and if you want to upload high quality photos onto your site you’ll need to hire a professional photographer. 

So, whilst building your website might seem like the cheaper option to begin with, once you add up all the extra expenses it can become a lot more costly. If you’ve built your site to boost your business online, spending countless hours trying to get your head around coding might not be the best way to improve your business model. By turning to a website builder for help, you can create the right website for you, without the hassle and expense of starting from scratch. 

Using a website builder 

If you don’t have the time or inclination to learn how to code, then a website builder is the ideal choice. With a website builder, the chances are you’ll be saving both time and money, enabling you to redirect your energy into more efficient ways to grow your business.

Go Sitebuilder offers ready to go web designs which are completely customisable, an ecommerce platform, a selection of domain names, an SSL certificate and more, all for an incredibly low price, making us one of the cheapest website builders in the UK for ecommerce sites.

Want to try it for yourself? Our 14-day free trial lets you test out all Go Sitebuilder has to offer – try it today to build your dream website, within a few clicks!

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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!