Okay, I’m not going to claim that the technical side of your website is the most thrilling thing to think about, but it is important. In fact, those technical details are crucial to the overall success of your business, and understanding what it all means can make a world of difference.
But, we still have to get past the fact that it’s all a little… dull. So let’s find a way to make it a little more exciting! Try picturing your whole website as a party, and you’ve invited a bunch of people you’d like to make into clients or customers! ! 🥳
Let’s explore what makes that party a success:
🪩 The platform you use to build your website is like the venue of the event.
When you’re planning a party, you have to pick a good location. There will always be options that are better suited to your event than others. You may need outdoor space, or room for a buffet, or a dance floor; it all depends on what you’re planning to do and how you want the party to feel. Your venue is going to serve as a backdrop for everything that happens and everything that people remember, so the decision is crucial.
Just like parties, websites have to happen somewhere. Sure, websites appear on the internet, but they need a place to be built, where you, as the host, can set the party up just the way you like it. There are a lot of options for website platforms, but they are not all equal, even if they look impressive or easy to use at first. The companies are also good at advertising, so they often make themselves sound like exactly what you need, but once you’re in, you might find that you’re really limited with what you can do. We’ve seen a lot of people get stuck when they chose a platform and then find out that it can’t make their website vision a reality.
We’ve built a lot of websites over the years, and we recommend WordPress. It’s incredibly robust, flexible, and easy to use, making it the obvious choice for the websites we create.
🕗 Hosting is like the schedule for your party.
Knowing the schedule for an event (and sticking to it!) allows your guests to arrive on time and enjoy the festivities. If the schedule is unclear, it can make people nervous about showing up at the wrong time or being unprepared for what’s going to happen. And I think we can all agree that there’s nothing worse than walking in late to an event and having everyone turn and stare at you. 🫣
Your website can garner that same kind of negative attention when the hosting isn’t up to par. Hosting defines when people get what they’re expecting. You wouldn’t expect guests to arrive on time for an event and then have to sit around and wait for the first thing to happen, so don’t expect your website visitors to stare at a blank loading screen. Your home page shouldn’t ever be late to the party.
You may have heard of the 3-second rule when it comes to websites. This rule states that when someone visits your site, you have 3 seconds to catch their attention before they lose interest and navigate away, probably forever. A lot of time the 3-second rule gets brought up during a discussion about copy, especially headers and heroes, which are incredibly important. But get this: your website’s load time—the time it takes for your website to come up after someone has clicked on a link or hit enter after typing in the address—counts toward those 3 seconds. 😱 That means reliable hosting can have a significant impact on the success of your website.
💐 Routine maintenance for your website is like providing excellent amenities to party guests.
A convenient coat check, a clean bathroom, a well-stocked bar: these are important parts of hosting a memorable event. Sometimes, it’s the little finishing touches that stick with people after an amazing event.
Similarly, your website requires a little attention to serve up all the things it promises to your visitors: contact forms, purchase options, and information security. The world of the web changes rapidly, and websites need consistent updating to keep up and to prevent things from breaking or malfunctioning. An error message or inability to submit a form can elicit the same reaction as an overflowing sink or undercooked meal: “Let’s get out of here!” 🚨
A lot of people want their website to be a one-and-done deal, but that just isn’t the nature of the internet. Things are always changing and people come to expect companies and businesses to keep up. It’s recommended that you update the content on your website regularly, but if you don’t want to do that, you’ll still want to make sure that your website keeps up with the technology.
🔑 Website security is like, well, security.
Imagine hosting a huge party where everything is going swimmingly when a troublemaker walks in and starts stealing purses or taking keys from the valet, but you didn’t hire a bouncer to get rid of uninvited guests. People would certainly remember your party, but not for the right reasons. 😅
Just like you’d want to protect your party guests from people who mean them harm, you also want to protect your website visitors from hackers and those who would steal their information. Even if you decide not to collect information or sell anything on your website, people will notice that little “unsecured” warning in the address bar and it will unnerve them. 🔓
Going the extra mile to ensure your website is as secure as it can be helps to boost your reputation and inspire trust. Especially in the online world, a sense of security is crucial to attracting and keeping customers.
💃🕺 As for the rest…
The rest of the party is up to you! The entertainment, the events, the music: that’s all the content you choose to put on your website. And that’s a whole other metaphor for another day. 😉
