In today’s business culture you must have a website. This is an essential part of business. Your website represents your company. It is in many times a prospective client’s or donor’s first impression of your business. It is very important to make sure your website is informative, accurate, current, and engaging. When starting a business with the IRS, there is an area where you include your website address as part of the application. Whether you are working on your website yourself or hiring someone else to work on it for you, here are several website tips to consider.

Take a look at several websites that you like. Make a few notes as you visit their webpages. Is it clear what the business/organization does? Is it clear how to get in contact with someone from the organization? Is the website aesthetically appealing? What do you like and not like about the website? This is just a little bit of homework to help you with design of your own website. Even if you do not have an eye for design, you probably still have some idea of what you like and prefer to represent your business. So peruse some websites and make some notes. These website tips will help you as you do your homework as well.

If you are planning to work on the website yourself and you do not have a technical background consider reading this post about website creation to help you. In it you will find links to tutorials and free WordPress themes as well as few more things to consider. Creating a website is both rewarding and challenging.

If you are planning to hire someone to work on your website, they will probably ask you to complete a form to help them know how to design your website. They will typically ask you for examples of websites you like,  your company logo, and any photos you want to include. They may also ask you the following questions.  So whether you are working on your own website or hiring someone else to do it,  answering the following questions will prove beneficial while you are preparing and reviewing your website design:

What is the purpose of the site?

• Giving inspiration?
• Providing information?
• Converting leads?

Who is the website targeting?

• What type of information will visitors expect to see?
• Is the information about your company and products/services clearly communicated and easy to locate?
• Do you know your audience’s needs so that you address those needs and they want to visit your website frequently?

What does your website say?

• Do the headlines on each webpage clearly communicate what is on the page?
• Is the content for each section written in bite-size readable chunks for easy skimming?
• How frequently are you updating information on the site?
• Does your site have any keywords that will help visitors to find your site through search engines?

Is your website compatible?

• Is your website easy to view and navigate on both desktops and mobile devices?
• For mobile devices, does your website provide information for the “on-the-go” type of visitor?

Is your website aesthetically pleasing?

• Are your photos and graphics clear and nicely sized?
• Is there enough white space for easy viewing of content?