{"id":2783,"date":"2021-04-14T14:30:17","date_gmt":"2021-04-14T14:30:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entrepreneurship.asu.edu\/blog\/?p=2783"},"modified":"2022-06-01T22:47:19","modified_gmt":"2022-06-01T22:47:19","slug":"top-tips-for-creating-a-website-for-your-new-business-without-coding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entrepreneurship.asu.edu\/blog\/2021\/04\/14\/top-tips-for-creating-a-website-for-your-new-business-without-coding\/","title":{"rendered":"Top tips for creating a website for your new Business (without coding)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Traditionally, many entrepreneurs who were looking to develop websites or mobile applications were stuck if they didn\u2019t have some basic level of coding experience. This additional hurdle made digital creativity and entrepreneurship more difficult to engage with for many without the requisite coding skill sets. Yet today, with the emergence of the \u2018no code movement,\u2019 entrepreneurial participation is becoming more and more accessible. For example, creating a website for your next entrepreneurial venture has never been easier \u2014 free website builders<\/a> like Wix, Weebly, Webnode and Strikingly, among others, allow new entrepreneurs bring their brands to their audiences without any coding at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the ease of the experience, it is still important to ensure that your website is optimized to drive engagement. Below are a few top tips from the Center for Entrepreneurship at the W. P. Carey School of Business, that will allow everyone to create a website that their audience was hoping for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make Your Website Mobile Friendly<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While you\u2019ll probably create your website on a laptop or desktop computer it\u2019s important to remember that, as Host Gator<\/a> reported, many of your digital audience may be looking at your website via a mobile device. For that reason, we\u2019d strongly suggest that any website you create should be tested; thankfully, a free \u201cMobile-Friendly Test<\/a>\u201d is available. This tool helps you to ensure that your website’s mobile experience is user-friendly by pretending to be a customer and performing a practice run through each page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This mobile-first trend is set to continue throughout 2021 as Business Insider notes<\/a> the rise of \u201cm-commerce,\u201d or making purchases on mobile devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While most free web builders will help to optimize your website for mobile use already, when something is this important, it doesn\u2019t hurt to put a little extra time and effort to ensure mobile-functionality and ease of use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have Intention<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As you build your site, consider how each element will work to improve the customer experience and drive engagement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, in 2019 Peep Laja reported on cxl.com<\/a> that \u2018it takes about 50 milliseconds (ms) or 0.05 seconds for [a website visitor] to form an opinion about your website.\u2019 With such a short window to make a positive impression, your Landing page (the page that someone \u2018lands\u2019 on when they visit your website) isn\u2019t a place for generic statements or unplanned images \u2014 the information included should be intentional, demonstrating the specific value that your new business will provide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a world of quick decisions, the same intention should be taken for every single page, image, and link in your website. As you develop your digital presence consider what you\u2019re communicating to your audience, and optimize accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Include Testimonials<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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We\u2019ve noticed that before making an online purchase, we often check the product reviews to see what others think. In fact, we sometimes rely on product reviews more than the professionally manicured content that the business develops itself. This is one of the reasons that customer reviews are such an important part of digital marketplaces like Amazon.com<\/a> and Etsy.com<\/a>. If you think about it, you may find the same value of testimonials to your own personal web surfing and digital purchasing activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2013, Salesforce reported<\/a> that 89% of B2B marketers identified customer testimonials as one of \u201cthe most effective content marketing [strategies]\u201d along with case studies (88%), with that importance only seeming to increase in the last 8 years. You can provide this same opportunity to your users by including testimonials of highly engaged audience members and clearly satisfied customers. Showcasing this type of satisfaction can provide reassurance that your new business delivers on its promises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This overflows into your overall marketing strategy, where you should constantly be monitoring your audience interactions to find and bring attention to your natural promoters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take Advantage of SEO<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A great way to gain exposure for your site is to have a basic understanding of Search Engine Optimization (or \u201cSEO\u201d). Understanding the principles of SEO will help your website appear sooner when potential customers make an internet search, potentially leading to more audience transactions or conversions. To put it simply, including keywords that describe your business on your website is critical for those searching on Google to find you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When starting out, learning the fundamentals can go a long way. There are many guides online that can teach you more about SEO, this YouTube video<\/a> is a great place to start for beginners, and for those who want to continue their learning: Google\u2019s Skillshop<\/a> training platform is always a great tool. These fundamentals will help your website to draw in visitors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ensuring that you have a mobile-friendly, intentionally-designed, reviewed and promoted website will help to promote your new entrepreneurial endeavor digitally. While digital engagement has been a valuable tool in the past, new approaches are ensuring that this type of promotion is available to everyone, regardless of your level of experience in web development. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Double Check Your Critical Content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Surprisingly, a lot of small business websites are missing critical information like where a business is located or even what they actually sell. Before going live, double check to make sure that your website has the following components:<\/p>\n\n\n\n