These days, it is no longer reasonable to run a business, even a brick-and-mortar business, without a web presence - that is, if you want to stay relevant to your clients. In a world where over 4 billion people use the Internet, having a website is mandatory.

Even a simple website that's properly designed is enough to give you a boost in your niche. However, contrary to popular belief, you don't need to know how to code to develop a fully functional and attractive website. Website design software has evolved so much that even a regular business owner can now build their own business websites, with no coding or design knowledge required.

Regardless of whether you want to build your website from scratch or start with a template, website design is now easier and cheaper than ever. And with the WebDo free website templates, you are just a few clicks away from building your own business presentation website. So, what are you waiting for? Read on and discover some basic steps to building a website on a budget.

Define the website's purposes

A business website basically serves as a platform to provide potential customers with useful information about your brand, products, and services. Irrespective of the nature of the website you are building - be it a simple presentation website or a complex e-commerce site - the most important thing you need to do on your website's first page (homepage) is to describe exactly what you do in a few paragraphs. Do not build your website in such a way that it leaves potential customers wondering whether you can offer the services they need or not. In simple terms, clearly define your business' purpose.

Decide your website's name 

Your website name, otherwise called the domain name, is one of the most important features of your website. If chosen well, your domain name should be something that fits your brand and can be easily remembered by potential clients. The domain name is the URL you'll be promoting on social media, and sharing with both new and existing clients.

Therefore, you have to choose a name that is easy to remember, catchy, and descriptive. While choosing your name, steer clear of some common pitfalls like the use of acronyms, abbreviations, and if possible digits. But that isn't all; in order to complete your website naming, you will also need to decide on your top-level domain, which is the suffix at the end of your domain name. Popular TLDs include .com, .biz, or .net. Although nontraditional TLD names have emerged in recent years, .com is still the most widely used. However, once you've chosen your domain, you'll need to confirm whether or not it's available through a domain registrar.

Choose a web host

In order to make your website visible and accessible by the public (i.e., 'go live'), you will need a "host." A web host is a server where all the website data is stored so that everyone can access it anytime. However, web hosting isn't cheap and the cost usually increases with your bandwidth consumption and storage. However, if you run a small business, and you cannot afford the cost of hosting your website, don't worry. With just a few clicks on the WebDo website builder platform, you can host your website for free and get access to marketing apps and the website design tools as well! As your business grows, though, be prepared to upgrade your web host to an advanced one.

Build your web pages

A professional website is more than just a static home page. In order to keep your audience engaged and informed, you will need to create multiple pages dedicated to different aspects of your business. From the products/services page to the blog section, your website has to provide your audience with all the needed information. On each page, make sure to define your purpose correctly using the right CTAs (Call to Action, e.g., sign up, learn more, buy this). The "Contact Us" section is another page you cannot afford to leave out. It should contain all the necessary information your potential clients need to reach you, such as phone number, address, location guide, email address, and any other relevant info. In order to build a content-rich, attention-grabbing web page, be sure to check out the following tips:

• Be clear about your business's purpose (i.e. what you do).
• Place strategic calls to action. For instance, a 'Buy Now' action button would do just fine on a product page, while a 'contact us to learn more' makes more sense on the About Us section.
• Automate speed improvements.
• Avoid generic stock photos.

Set up your payment system

If you need to run an e-commerce website or a website that deals with the sales of products and services, you may want to build a payment system so that you can accept online payments. The easiest way to do this is through a third-party payment processor or e-commerce software.

Test-run and publish your website

Before going live, ensure that you've tested the website on all major browsers like Safari, Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Edge. Click through each page, links, image, video, and all features on the website before publishing it. The process may be tedious, but it will be worth it in the end.

Q-Bis Consult SRL - the "Cloud platform for software applications" project is co-financed from the European Regional Development Fund through the Operational Program Competitiveness 2014-2020. The content of this material does not necessarily represent the official position of the European Union or the Government of Romania.