Creating a new website is no easy matter. Well, perhaps nowadays just setting up a new website, be it a text content or media oriented one is easier than ever before, thanks to automated platforms like Blogger, WordPress or Tumblr but that hardly means that you can rest on your laurels, proud of the fact that you just ‘set up’ a site. In today’s competitive Internet environment design matters just as much as content and you can’t let your website just shrink back in the multitude of boring bland websites that are virtually everywhere on-line. Here’s how to create a more appealing site, one that draws in visitors and helps you hold on to them.
Design Matters
It doesn’t matter that you’re building upon the WordPress framework, you have no excuse for having an ugly blog, not with the multitude of exciting skins available today. You should picture how you would like your website to look in the end and then go online and browse through the hundreds of themes that are literally everywhere. You are more than likely to find something you like. If, however you are not a big fan of the on-line themes you can pay a professional to design one, or even a whole website for you. That, however, might get expensive.
Get Good Content
A website might look good but it has to have some good and articulate articles or relevant media content to draw in readers. Nobody is going to return to your blog if they don’t find something interesting on it, nor will they bother if the content on your blog looks cobbled together hastily or too short. Your content should be your primary concern, perhaps even more so than the site design. After all, really adamant readers will read your posts regardless of how they look if they feel about the site design whereas people drawn in by the design won’t read your posts if they don’t like them.
Be Sociable
Social Networking plug-ins, a quick and easy contact form, clear guidelines for guest posters and a (hopefully moderated) comments section for each post are amongst the things that you should consider adding. After all you should get the word about your website out there for everyone to see. Guest posting on high traffic websites is also a good way to get new readers, whether you do this yourself or outsource it to a SEO marketing agency. More importantly, always be polite to your readers even when faced with criticism. Nothing dwindles a readership like an impolite author.
A good website is a significant asset whether you own a business, are an independent practitioner or are just blogging for fun. Offering sound advice, pictures or videos related to your area of expertise proves to potential customers or fans that you know what you’re talking about and that they should keep following you.