eCommerce Blog | IronPlane

Website Development Services: From Basic to Advanced

Written by Donna Hawkins | December 17, 2018

Whether your business has a physical establishment or is an online entity, a dedicated website is essential.  People today get most of their information from Google and the internet.  Without skilled website development services, many potential customers will never find out that your company exists.  From building a basic eCommerce site to incorporating more advanced features, professional help can make a huge difference in any stage of website development. An experienced website developer can help you avoid glitches, bugs, slow loading times, error pages, and other issues that could drive potential customers away.

Even if your business is already doing very well, investing in a responsive, well-designed website can help you reach a wider audience and improve your sales volume.  Read on to discover the advantages of using a professional website development service like IronPlane.

A Custom Design

Image via Flickr by YoLoPey

 

Many customers will form their first impression of your business based on your eCommerce site. If you try to build your website with nothing but an inexpensive template or theme, it will look cheap.  Customers may take one look and click away, assuming your products or services are as lackluster as your website design.  Beyond that, cheap templates are often vastly overused.  A design that strongly resembles hundreds or thousands of other sites can make it difficult for your business to stand out from the competition.

Professional website development services can help businesses establish their brands.  They also make implementing changes for new products or seasonal promotions easier, and they’re more affordable than many other types of marketing or advertising. An attractive, custom website will separate your company from its competitors.  It can also meet all of your customers’ needs and work to attract your business’ target audience.  This is the group of people with ages, occupations, and personalities that make them likely to become customers.

An excellent website sends a message to customers that your company cares about their experience.  It looks much more trustworthy than a site full of errors.  Your social media, email advertising, and marketing campaigns will also attract more customers if they link to an interesting eCommerce website with lots of information about your business and its services.

Outstanding ROI

With a professional-looking website, you can increase your profits without a huge investment.  You’ll get a much higher return on investment (ROI) than you would by building a site yourself.  You also won’t need to worry about unexpected expenses or maintaining your website without help.

Your business’ website development budget will vary dramatically based on the number of pages and the capabilities you want to add.  No matter what, you’ll need a domain name and website hosting. Your site’s host provides storage for all the images, files, and content that appear on your website, and costs tend to rise as your traffic increases. Managed hosting through a full-service website development agency like IronPlane may be more expensive, but included in the price are additional support, services, and features.

If you run an eCommerce website, you’ll also need a secure socket layer (SSL) certificate to protect the data of customers, particularly credit card information and other details that could be susceptible to hacking.  Paying for your SSL certificate and web hosting in advance through a professional website development agency is often more cost-effective and easier than paying for these services individually month-to-month.  Working with an agency also makes it simple to redesign your company’s current website and transition quickly and smoothly to your new site.

If your funds are limited, focus on the elements and features that are most important to your customers.  You can always start with a smaller site and then expand and update it over time.

Skilled Marketing

The right marketing will help you maximize ROI for your business’ website development services.  In fact, it can have a significant impact on the amount of traffic to your eCommerce site.  The costs often vary based on the size of your website and the amount of content, but using the same company for both marketing and designing your website will make the process more efficient.

Among the most effective marketing tactics are the following:

  • Search engine optimization (SEO) can help your site get high rankings from search engines when people search for specific keywords.  It can attract more visitors and help establish your brand as an authority in your industry.
  • Conversion rate optimization focuses on implementing features that encourage website visitors to interact with your brand.  Calls to action at the ends of blog articles can encourage conversions.  You can also increase engagement with sign-up sheets, landing pages, email newsletters, and many other interactive options for gathering customer information.
  • New content creation is a critical part of SEO and building brand loyalty. By regularly updating and expanding your website’s content, you can ensure that your site stays fresh and relevant. Additional elements like illustrations and videos can enhance your website even more.  You can also attract visitors by marketing on social media sites like Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

A Versatile, Responsive Website

The average phone has more computing power than many desktops or laptops did just a decade ago. People are doing more of their web surfing on the go instead of waiting until they come home to their computers.

To take advantage of this trend, you need a website that’s compatible with all of the latest mobile technologies. Your website should look just as good when viewed on a tablet or phone as it does on a laptop or desktop computer. As new ways to browse emerge in the future, professional website development services can adapt your website and ensure that it’s compatible with the latest devices.

IronPlane specializes in smart, responsive eCommerce website development services with outstanding customer support.  We offer website development on the Magento platform, and our developers are Magento-certified.  We’re proud to sponsor the Magento Imagine conference and serve on the board of the Meet Magento Association.  Let us help your business build a new website or optimize your existing site to better accomplish your goals.