You’ll need much more than a good looking website.
But it must start there.
So… straight off the bat…
Let me give you some good advice.
Unless you’re great at design, get a professional to design your website.
No, that isn’t an advert. I rarely do other people’s websites, anyway.
So why do I suggest you use a web designer?
Great Looking Websites
Because simply being good with HTML doesn’t guarantee a great looking website.
And a poor quality website gives you a bad image.
Just like seeing the doorman at the grand entrance of an expensive central-London 5-star hotel… wearing torn jeans and an old T-shirt.
It doesn’t work, does it?
Remember…
Your website is your window to the world.
Good Grammar
Also, remember that even good designers aren’t necessarily brilliant at English.
So either write your own content (if that’s your strong point) or get a good copywriter.
But at a minimum, to avoid any embarrassing mistakes, make sure you get someone to proofread your copy.
Good Lookin’
If you want to create your own website, I’d recommend investing in a premium quality WordPress theme.
The one I used for this website is a premium Genesis theme.
And for some pages, I also use Elementor to create special effects.
Websites and Steamy Windows
Your website is your window to the world.
As a young child, I remember going on caravan holidays by the seaside.
Funny, isn’t it… how simple things, like the smell of the sea air and the call of the seagulls, remind us of special childhood days.
But even back then, occasionally it rained.
So the caravan windows misted up.
“David!” – shouted my mother. “Don’t wipe that window with your jumper!”
Too late. My sleeve was wet.
And Mum was displeased that she’d have to clean that smeared window once again.
But at least I could see through it.
I could see the world.
Well… sort of.
The window was smeary. The view was distorted.
But I was able to know when the rain had stopped so I could go out to play.
In the 1960s, double glazing wasn’t the norm.
So windows often misted up on the inside.
But, there was worse to come 6 months later…
Websites and Frozen Windows
It was the first icy cold morning of winter.
I awoke to see ice on my bedroom window.
Symmetrical ice patterns were displayed on the panes of glass. It was almost like a frost-spider had been busy all night.
My imagination went wild, identifying shapes of animals and space-monsters.
But these weren’t pretty patterns or icicles hanging outside the window.
No! This was ice on the inside.
Inside my bedroom, for goodness sake!
I jumped out of bed, reached for my dressing gown, and ran downstairs to where Mum and Dad had made a warm coal fire.
Those were the days, eh?
Nowadays, fortunately, ice on the inside of your house is definitely a thing of the past, thanks to central heating, automatic timers, and cavity insulation.
And double glazing has put a stop to our children needing to wipe the window every few minutes.
Now, we can see out of the window very clearly.
See where we ended up there?
Your Website is Your Window to the World
Your website is your window to the world.
It’s how people see into your business from the comfort of their own home.
It’s your chance to capture the attention of those who have come looking.
On warm summer days and cold winter nights, your shop is open for business.
And thanks to modern technology, it’s always a clear window.
It isn’t iced up; it isn’t misted up.
It’s a clear view. All the time.
Your loyal customers, those new customers, the browsers… all can check you out – even at 3 o’clock in the morning if they want to.
And you know what…
Nowadays, many people who land on your website have already done their research.
They’re ready to buy.
Let me tell you another story. This time from 2016…
Whose Website Won the Business?
When our son and his wife-to-be were looking for a mortgage, they decided to look for a whole-of-market mortgage broker.
So they went to good old Google and searched for “local mortgage brokers”.
After they’d made a shortlist of potential brokers, they showed me their websites.
“Which do you think, Dad?”
I compared their services.
Then I looked at their “About Us” pages.
Next, I read the testimonials.
And then I looked at the website design.
What did each of those websites say about the company?
Did the website signify quality?
Or was it just thrown together?
One company’s website stood out.
It said to me: “We care about things”.
How?
The Website Design and the Detail
Without anything being written down, the company said: “To us, the small details matters too”.
It was a nice, clear design.
There was lots of helpful information.
And of equal importance was the good grammar, the correct spellings, and punctuation in the right places.
Clearly, someone had taken the time to proofread the text.
So I suggested they use that company.
And that’s the one who got their business.
So… if you want to be seen as a quality 21st-century business, charity, or individual…
- Make sure you get yourself a good website
- Add lots of really helpful content
- Take care of all the small details
Here’s to a sparklingly clean window that’s visible to the world, 24-7.
And lots of great success from it.
Am I the right fit for creating your website?
