When you're in the process of building your website, chances are all you can think about is launching your site and promoting it. But before you get that far, you need to make sure that your site is ready to be unveiled. You'll want to choose a domain registrar who makes it easy for you to find the domains you want, find similar domains with similar keywords, get them registered and your WHOIS info entered into the database, and then set the nameservers so that your registered domain points to your hosting account (hint: select a hosting company that can handle domain registration for you in order to make this process more efficient). Once your domain is registered and live on your hosting plan, you can utilize these five tips to help you along as you are preparing your website to go live:
Ingrain optimization.
Your website should be optimized for search engines as well as social media networks, and the easiest way to do this is to make optimization an integral part of your website. As you're creating images in your favorite image editor, save them with relevant titles - and then when you embed them within your website, use relevant keywords. All of your code-generated content -- including CSS, HTML, and XHTML -- should be compliant, or as compliant as possible. The more compliant your code, the less likely it is that you'll have an error somewhere within your website - and the more likely it is that search engine bots will have an easier time of navigating your website.
Be consistent with names, logos, and keywords.
Consistency is key to establishing yourself to both your customers and the internet at large. Be consistent with spelling, capitalization, and with the usage of any slogans or logos. 2+ word companies need to be especially meticulous with this, as "Jane's Flower Shop" and "Jane's flower shop" are different, and both customers and search engine bots will pick up on that.
Use an elegant, minimal logo.
When deciding what type of logo to use for your website, keep in mind that less is truly more. Your logo should be smooth and polished, never rough around the edges, and it should be eye-catching. Use smaller versions of this logo for social media profile avatars, so that your look is the same no matter where on the internet you're at.
Streamline your design.
Minimal is key for making the focus of your website be on its content. Similar to how the majority of magazines keep clutter away from content and margins, you'll want to keep to a simple header, navigation area, and sidebar, and leave the rest of the page free for your content.
Outsource when necessary.
If there's something you'd really like to have done to your website, but you don't have the time or the technical knowledge to get it done yourself, then outsource. Don't settle for an alternative design or a bandaged repair on poor code. Outsource your needs so that the job gets done correctly and professionally.