20 Things Your Website Needs
You want to create a website, but where do you start? How do you avoid pitfalls that you don’t even know about? I will attempt to distill over a decade web design knowledge by providing a checklist of twenty items that your website must have.
Hosting
Your website host is simply the computer where your website is stored so it can be accessed by the internet. Choose a reputable company to host your website. Keep full control and own your hosting account. Avoid the friend of a friend’s personal server.
Purchased Domain Name
Your website needs to have a domain name that you purchase. Doman names usually renew each year. Avoid using a free sub-domain. The domain name is the unique identifier of your website and is incredibly important for search engines to find you. For example, I opted out of using kayleemakes.squarespace.com. This is a sub-domain and it is tied to Squarespace. Instead, I have purchased kayleemakes.com as my unique domain name.
SSL Certificate (encryption)
An SSL certificate is tool that encrypts data input on your website so that malicious activity is minimized. Data is scrambled and garbled if hackers are trying to listen. Look for “https:” in the address bar and the little lock symbol next to your browser’s address bar.
Mobile responsive design
Your website needs to look great and work well on mobile devices from tablets, phones, TVs, and fridges. Regardless the size or format, the website needs to respond to the screen width, Content should adjust automatically to fit the screen size.
Editable
To use your website to its fullest extent, you must be able to make edits. You must be able to post and update content whenever you want, for free.
Clean URLs
The URL hierarchy is the organizational structure for the pages on your website. Humans should be able to read and comprehend web addresses. URLs must be free from seemingly random strings of characters. For example, kayleemakes.com/blog is meaningful. But using machine names in URLs like /bwo3521mc1/sa23 is not.
Analytics
Website analytics tools are used to understand how your audience interacts with your content. Tools like Google Analytics give valuable insights into user flows, traffic sources, and track popular content. Remember that analytics tools only track users who allow cookies. Understand the results may represent 50% (or less) of your visitors.
Contact Webform
Do not post your email address online. Bots scrape email addresses and will send you spam. Instead, use a contact page with a webform. This way people can easily reach you. Be sure to test the form out and make sure it’s going to the right email recipients at your organization. Add a CAPTCHA to help prevent spam submissions.
Terms and Conditions
Standard Terms and Conditions for website use are the ground rules. These documents take into account the services are you providing and what policies do you have. This is especially important with eCommerce sites. Make sure to prominently publish your return policies as well.
Backups and Security Updates
Unfortunately, websites crash, and servers can fail. Keep redundant backups of your website database and files. Backups should be automatically scheduled, and security updates should be applied ASAP on an ongoing basis. If possible, know how to re-start your web server remotely. Save a copy of your content offline.
User friendly design
Consider branding, colors, and fonts, but also pay attention to the layout of your pages. Make sure that things aren’t cluttered. Avoid jarring differences in the design. Your website should feel cohesive and self-explanatory. Users should not have to think when interacting with your website. Interactions should be effortless. Choose no more than 2 fonts. Make sure the type is large, legible, and has a high contrast ratio against the background.
Email address at the domain
Another benefit of having a dedicated domain name is the ability to pay for an email address that matches. Emails like name@gmail.com may be free, but they don’t add credibility. Branded email accounts are extremely valuable for marketing. They add authority when sharing your contact information. Be sure to verify your email address with any mail sending tools (like newsletters) to prevent bounces and getting flagged as a spam source.
Logo links to homepage
The logo needs to be in a prominent place on your website. Usually this is in the header or footer. Best practice is that the logo image links back to the homepage.
Menu has 5 to 7 items per level
Across the top, there should be no more than 5 to 7 menu items on your website. The same goes for the subsequent layers of dropdowns. More menu links than this and things get overwhelming. Site visitors will easily give up and leave.
Stacked Mobile Menu
The technical name for this is the “hamburger menu.” On mobile, your website needs a menu that expands allowing users to easily navigate to different areas. The stacked mobile menu overcomes the problem of links on screens being small and thumbs being big.
Search
To allow users to find content quickly, your website needs a search function. In order for the search to work, the site must be able to index content. Tagging content with relevant categories and key words also helps.
Web optimized images (with alt text)
Do not upload huge high-quality images. They are easily ripped off. Furthermore, giant files eat up data and can make the experience miserable for mobile users. Use web optimized images and video to minimize file size without looking pixelated. Also, accessibility matters, so use descriptive image file names and define alt text that screen readers use.
External Payment Processor (eCommerce)
If your website has a store, use an external payment processor to handle all the transactions and payment information. Choose a reputable 3rd party to keep all credit card information completely external to your website. Do not store credit card information on your website whatsoever.
Redirects (no 404s)
Make sure all the buttons and links on your website work. 404 errors mean “page not found.” These happen when links are broken or they no longer exist. Solve broken links by adding redirects to relevant pages.
Socials that match your domain name
Branding is best done with a cohesive identity. Check to make sure that major social media handles are available so they will align with your website name. Once you are using those accounts, export and save your social media data quarterly.
Bonus: Use a Content Management System
A content management system (CMS) is a tool that allows you to build a modern website. I use SquareSpace but Shopify and Wordpress are other examples of Content Management Systems. Tools like Squarespace will help you manage most items on this checklist. Do your future self a huge favor and start out with an intuitive content management system.
A website that’s easy to use is one that you will use. Happy content creating!
