Career Build a website

Keen to make your mark in the digital space? Website creator KATE DAWES shares savvy tips

It’s easier than ever to have your own website. Whether it’s a space to sell your delicious homemade goods, write a blog or share family recipes, going online offers a platform for just about everything. But where do you start? After developing and producing her own e-commerce site, Dirty Pretty Gems (dirtyprettygems.com.au), Kate Dawes reveals tips for first-time website creators to help make the process as seamless as possible.

KNOW YOUR OBJECTIVES

Before getting into the nittygritty of actually building the technology, Kate says there’s one question you need to ask yourself. “Form an idea of what you want first,” she says. “Are you writing a blog, selling products, showcasing your art or something else?”

CONSTRUCT YOUR DREAM

The process of creating your site will vary depending on if you are using a website builder (see breakout for suggestions) or having a professional web developer build it for you.

“Most website builders do the hard work for you and give you a simple step-by-step format to fill in and can have your site up and running in minutes,” says Kate.

“They offer you tested options and are easy to use and customise. If you aren’t using a website builder, you will need to work with a web developer who will design to your specifications like colour and fonts.”

And speaking of web developers, while knowing how to build a website on your own is a handy skill, it’s OK to ask an expert for help.

“We all know someone who is good with computers but sometimes the best option is going straight to an expert who specialises in this,” Kate adds.

KNOW YOUR CODING

Coding is the process of entering specific keys into a computer to make it do what you want it to do. The codes make it possible for us to build software, apps and, in this case, websites.

“If you’re writing your own code for your website, there are tons of online resources,” says Kate. “If you’re new to coding or just need inspiration, you can refer to other projects on open web communities such as Github (github.com).”

Kate suggests looking at other online coding templates and similar websites for inspiration on how you want your site to function. Next step? Design!

KNOW YOUR CREATIVE OPTIONS

If you’d prefer to create your site using an online builder tool, there are plenty of options.

“Most website builders will offer a free or low-cost package with basic features,” says Kate. “So you’ll really only need to pay for more advanced options like e-commerce or a custom domain.” FYI, a custom domain refers to the name of your website’s URL or web address.

“If you do want to start from scratch with something custom, keep in mind this will be a more expensive option.”

Kate also suggests avoiding using the first web builder platform you come across. “Some quick research could save a lot of time if you find something better after you’ve already done all the work,” she says.

UP YOUR EXPOSURE

So you’ve completed your website and it’s accessible – how do you then attract more visitors? “The most common ways to increase web traffic are posting regular relevant content on social media, search engine optimisation (SEO), digital advertising or cross promoting with another site or business. For example, inviting another blogger to guest post to harness their following,” says Kate.

SEO is especially crucial to ensuring your site is findable on search engines like Google. You do this by using key words that relate to your site’s content. So if you have a recipe website, use words like “fast”, “easy” and “healthy”. They’re words people often search with online.