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One of the first steps in starting a business is determining your target market. This step alone can be the basis for what products you create, how you brand your business and ultimately who you market to. With that in mind, you’ll need to develop assets that resonate with your target market. Start by creating a business website that represents your business and uses language and visuals relatable to your audience. Consider what niche you can fit into and what separates your business from the competition. From there you can create messaging, branding and advertising designed for your target market and convert more leads into customers. Keep reading to learn more about defining your target market and gain expert tips on how to implement this targeting throughout your business strategy. What is a target market? Your target market is your product’s primary consumer. Once you know who this is, you can tailor your branding and marketing efforts toward them. A target market can be composed of a broad group, such as married men over 40 in the US, or it can be quite narrow, such as urban, health-conscious, vegetarian women in Texas. Your market will depend on the particular consumer needs your product addresses. The three key aspects of a target market include: Demographics: Age, gender, income, education or employment status. Geographics: Primary location of your market. Personality traits: What they like and dislike, as well as where they shop and their favorite brands. To pinpoint your target market, you’ll need to analyze data about your product niche, your customers and your competitors. You'll also need to understand more about the specific types of target markets in more detail. What are the types of target markets? In general there are several ways business owners can categorize target markets. For the most part target markets are divided into the following four main types: demographic, geographic, psychographic, and behavioral. Demographic This type of target market is defined by a number of demographic variables such as age, gender, income, education, and family size. Companies might target specific demographic groups based on their buying habits and purchasing power. Geographic Geographic target markets are defined, as the name suggests, by geographic variables such as region, state, city and population density. Psychographic Psychographic variables such as lifestyle, values, personality, and social class make up the definition of this target market. Behavioral This type of target market is defined by consumer behavior, such as the benefits sought, usage rate, and customer loyalty. It's important to note that a business may choose to target one or multiple types of target markets, depending on their specific business objectives and marketing strategies. Why are target markets important? Understanding your target market is a crucial aspect of developing a successful business. Below we explore the main reasons why understanding your target market is so important in order to ensure a profitable business. Better customer segmentation : Understanding your target market allows you to segment your customers more effectively, which in turn helps you tailor your marketing messages and products to meet their specific needs and preferences. Increased focus and efficiency: Focusing on a specific target market allows you to be more efficient with marketing resources while avoiding wasting time and money on efforts that are not likely to reach or resonate with your target audience. Improved brand reputation: Understanding your target market can help you establish and maintain a positive brand reputation by allowing you to align your brand with the values and interests of your market. Increased customer loyalty : By understanding your target market and delivering products and services that meet their needs and expectations, you will foster a loyal customer base that is more likely to recommend your brand to others. Better decision making: Understanding your target market provides valuable insights that can inform important business decisions, such as product development, pricing strategies and distribution channels for marketing efforts. Target market vs. target audience? Often used interchangeably, target market and target audience are not the same thing. Your target market is the end consumer while your target audience is to whom your company advertises. While your target market might fall into your target audience, who you advertise to may not, in the end, be the one who consumes the product. To clarify, let’s look at an example: Kids toys, for example, have a very clear target market: children. In addition, toys are often marketed toward children who identify with a specific gender category. Nevertheless, kids don’t purchase their toys, their parents do. So toy companies must focus their advertising strategies on parents (the target audience) to sell toys for their kids (the target market). For example, Generation Alpha , kids born between 2010 and 2025 with millennial parents, play with much different toys than their parents did because millennials have different consumer preferences than their Baby Boomer parents. Rather than shopping in big-box stores for brightly-colored toy packages, millennial parents are more likely to purchase clean, minimalistic, and gender-inclusive toys from Instagram ads or Amazon. Therefore, toy companies are using Millennial preferences (the target audience) to sell toys to their Generation Alpha kids (the target market). How to determine your target market Gather consumer data Know your product’s benefits Investigate your competitors Segment your audience Write a target market statement Refine your research 01. Gather consumer data The first step in defining your target market is to learn more about your customers. Even if you’ve just started an online store and don’t have many customers yet, these practices will come in handy further down the line. Start by gathering information about current and past buyers and try to identify characteristics that they have in common. This data will help you market your product to people with similar interests. If you are still in the early stages of your business and haven’t started selling your product, look at competitor markets and use that information to determine your target market. Using website analytics tools, social media and email marketing analytics platforms, here are some data points you’ll want to consider: Age: Do your customers share a common decade or generation? Are they millennials, older adults, or something in between? Location: Where in the world do most of your customers live? Consider the different cities, countries, and regions. Language: Which languages do your customers speak? Remember that your customers’ language isn’t necessarily the dominant language of their country. Spending power: Consider socioeconomic factors that may be affecting your customers. How much money are they willing or able to spend? Hobbies and career: What do your customers enjoy doing? What are their professions, and what do they do in their spare time? Stage of life: Where are your customers in life? Are they college students? New parents? Retirees? If your company is B2B rather than B2C , you’ll want to look for characteristics of companies, rather than individual consumers. These traits include: Business size: Are the businesses that buy from you small, medium, or large? Location: Where are these businesses physically located? Vertical: Which industries are most of these businesses in? Budget: How have these businesses raised money ? Consider how much they’d be willing or able to spend on products like yours. Be sure to track this information in an orderly manner so that you can keep your findings organized and easily identify trends. Analyzing these trends will allow you to identify shared characteristics within your customer base. These characteristics will inform your inbound marketing efforts and steer your strategy toward your target audience. 02. Know your product benefits The next step is to understand your consumers’ motivation behind purchasing your product, rather than a competitor. You can learn this information by speaking to your customers directly, asking for testimonials, and by doing in depth competitor research to understand the difference between your product and theirs. Get to know the benefits—and not just the features—of your product or service. The features are your product’s characteristics. For example, if your business sells suitcases, you might describe your product as being small, compact and having multiple compartments. Your product’s benefits, on the other hand, are the advantages it brings to your customers. Think about how your product makes someone’s life better or easier. The compact, multi-compartment suitcase offers the benefits of being easy to carry and pack as a carry-on. It’s vital to understanding how your product fulfills its target market’s specific needs. For the suitcase company discussed above, for instance, the target market would be people who benefit from a lightweight, carry-on suitcase—such as business travelers who take short, frequent trips. 03. Investigate your competitors Hone in on your target market even further by taking a look at which your competitors are targeting. Of course you won't have access to their customer analytics data, but you can understand their customers with a SWOT analysis . Take a deep dive into competitor websites, blogs and social channels. Consider who their target market is based on their website content, content marketing strategy, and social media branding. You’ll likely be able to infer details about their audience based on their brand language and tone. You can also check for comments on their social media pages to see which types of people are engaging with their posts. Take an especially close look at their most successful social media and blog posts. Do these pieces of content have anything in common in terms of their offering or branding? Which interests or needs do they address? Use this information to consider what kinds of qualities or advantages appeal most to consumers within your industry. 04. Segment your audience At this point, you’ve gathered some information about the characteristics and interests of your target audience. Now, it’s time to use that information to clearly define your customer types. This is going to form the basis of your target market. The best way to do this is through market segmentation. This involves dividing your customers into different groups, or segments, based on their shared qualities. You can divide your customers based on: Geography: Physical location, whether it’s your own city or a different part of the world. Note that if your customers are located around the world, you may need to create a multilingual website, as well as localized ads and marketing materials. Demographics: Characteristics such as age, gender, race or ethnicity, income level, or marital status. Psychographics: Inner qualities such as personality, lifestyle, or personal values. These are often a product of geographic and demographic factors such as location, generation, or stage of life. Behavior: Perceived qualities based on online behavior, such as buyer readiness or frequency of use. If you’re a B2B company, use similar characteristics but apply them to business. Consider firm demographics—known as firmographics—such as industry, location, customer size, business structure, and performance. To gain a deeper understanding of your segments, you can also create buyer personas. Also called user personas, buyer personas are imaginary characters with traits and behaviors similar to those of typical customers. Ultimately, these fictional characters represent your target market, helping you gain insights into the needs, desires, and lifestyles of your actual customers. 05. Write a target market statement Now that you’ve determined the defining features of your audience, it’s time to put your findings on paper. Write a target market statement that focuses on the most important audience characteristics you’ve identified in your research. Your statement should include: Demographic information about your target market, such as gender and age. Geographic location of your target market. Key interests of your target market. Then, sum it up in a single sentence. For example: “Our target market is women in their 30s and 40s who live in the United States and enjoy casual, comfortable fashion.” Doing this will keep your brand identity and marketing efforts consistent. It will also come in useful as you adapt your company’s mission statement to be as relevant as possible for your audience. 06. Refine your research Defining your target market is based on thorough research, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be perfect the first time around. Even after you identify your market, you’ll still need to continually test and experiment to get an increasingly precise picture of your customers. Staying on top of your market research can also help you keep up with the times, as consumer interests change over the years with technological developments, generational attitudes and passing trends. To narrow in on your audience, you’ll need to assess your business success and test your targeting efforts. Take a look at who is actually buying from you and which specific products or services they are purchasing. Try to understand how you can adapt future product development or modify your branding or marketing efforts to better fit your customer base. Use A/B testing with your marketing efforts to test the same ad on different audiences and see which version performs better. Alternatively, you can develop two different creatives, each with their own look and language and compare your audience’s responses. Based on the results, you might need to either adjust your business strategy or revise your target market statement. The bottom line is to build a brand that resonates strongly with your audience. Remember, the more targeted your content, the more effective your lead generation strategies—and the more customers you’ll bring to your brand. What are examples of a target market? These website examples clearly cater to their target markets. Take note of the phrases and visuals these websites use. 01. Amanda Darby Let’s take a look at how nutritionist Amanda Darby appeals to her target market. She aims to address people looking to make healthier food and dieting choices. To do this, she’s created a website that fosters a sense of joy and personal empowerment around food. The light and airy background, coupled with the cheerful images of cooking and eating, instantly makes it clear that she targets people looking for a healthy lifestyle. She also hones in on her audience even further, using phrases that directly appeal to middle-aged women. In the section of her homepage that discusses her nutrition coaching: “You will be the mom who loves food, her body, and knows life isn't perfect, but is perfectly happy living the life she has vs. waiting for the life she will have when she reaches her goal weight.” By directly addressing the concerns of her target market, Amanda helps her audience feel heard and understood. This strengthens their trust in her brand and persuades them that she is the right coach for their needs. 02. Curtinsmith Guitars From the very first image that appears across the top of this website, it’s clear that Curtinsmith Guitars is crafting something unique. By displaying photographs of their workshop and describing their guitars as “custom” and “handmade,” they directly single out a target market of those looking for unique, one-of-a-kind guitars. This target market is likely musical, appreciative of craftsmanship and not afraid to spend their money on their passions. The About Us section of the site confirms this targeting. The owner, Paul, writes, “I find it quite profound to create something which, in itself, will continue to create. It is an absolute joy crafting these instruments and it is my prayer that they continue to be a joy for those who play them and listen to them, for many generations.” In this statement, the brand makes it clear that it targets musicians who value the creative process. They also allude to the quality of their product, portraying them as long-lasting heirlooms with sentimental value. 03. Lima Cakes Sona Karapetyan uses her artistic vision to create showstopping celebratory cakes. The About section on her website says that Sona “was always experimenting with graphic art & design” and, “When Sona decided to embark on the cake art journey, she experimented with different textures, shapes and architectural elements to create a unique design language.” It also states that she never creates the same cake twice so each cake is unique to each client. Her neutral-colored web design and sophisticated copy narrow her target market down to mature individuals who appreciate art. Her website also features images of her cakes, clearly displaying her skills to her potential customers. The prices of her custom-made cakes will reflect the effort that goes into each one. These details show that she likely targets an educated, older, affluent crowd with an appreciation for modern art and design. What are market segments? Market segments are subgroups within a larger market that share specific characteristics and needs. These characteristics can include demographics, lifestyle, interests, behavior and purchasing patterns. By identifying and understanding these segments, businesses can tailor their marketing messages, products and services to better resonate with each group. This allows for more targeted and effective marketing efforts. Learn more: Image file types Digital design Color theory Target market FAQ How detailed should a target market be? The level of detail for a target market depends on your specific business and goals. However, it should be defined enough to create targeted marketing campaigns and avoid wasting resources. Consider including demographic information (age, gender, income, etc.), psychographics (lifestyle, values, interests), and behavioral factors (purchasing habits, media consumption). While details are important, avoid over-segmentation, as it can limit your reach and marketing effectiveness. What is an example of a target market? Example: A clothing company targeting "young professionals" could further define their target market as: Demographics: Ages 22-35, urban residents, college-educated, professional jobs, annual income $50,000+ Psychographics: Ambitious, career-oriented, fashion-conscious, value quality and sustainability Behaviors: Shop online frequently, read fashion magazines, active on social media What is the purpose of a target market? Defining a target market serves several key purposes: Focuses marketing efforts: It helps you identify your ideal customers and tailor your marketing messages to their specific needs and preferences. Improves resource allocation: By understanding your target market, you can allocate your marketing budget more efficiently and avoid wasting resources on ineffective campaigns. Increases marketing effectiveness: Targeted marketing campaigns resonate better with your target audience, leading to higher engagement, conversion rates and sales. Informs product development: Understanding your target market's needs and preferences helps you develop products and services that are more likely to succeed. What is the best target market? There is no single best target market. The best target market for your business depends on several factors, including your product or service, industry, competition and marketing budget. The key is to choose a target market that is large enough to be profitable, but specific enough to be reachable with your marketing efforts.

Whoever coined the term, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” obviously never heard of a little thing we like to call the Internet. When it comes to your brand’s online assets like  creating a website  and social media pages, the images that you choose to represent yourself in your marketing strategies can make or break whether or not a customer decides to engage. One of the most important (yet often overlooked) aspects of your visual marketing is none other than the good ol’ Facebook cover photo. More than a complimentary image to your profile picture, a good cover photo ties together your brand’s story and can be the most vocal part of your page. We went on the hunt for how brands use this valuable social media marketing asset and summed up some of the best practices that you too can apply to your business. Oh, and we threw in five awesome free tools that you can use to create your own cover photo – on the house – don’t thank us. Generate the perfect Facebook cover photo idea in minutes. The basics of a great cover photo: First things first, when it comes to Facebook marketing, the size of your images most certainly matters! According to Facebook , your cover photo is displayed at: 820 pixels wide x 312 pixels tall on desktops and 640 pixels wide x 360 pixels tall on smartphones. Of course, it’s best to test how your image looks on both desktop and mobile devices to ensure that no elements are cut off based on screen size. You don’t want your masterpiece to be chopped – oh crop! How to choose your cover photo: Unlike the limited space allotted in your profile picture, the ample size of your cover photo is where you can go the extra mile to describe what your brand truly stands for. Ask yourself what that means for your business; is showing your product in action the best way to showcase its use? Maybe quick slogans or a quote that connects with your brand’s messaging is the route you should take. Not sure where to start? Check out these five interesting ways to use your cover pic: Promote your products: Ahhh yes, a classic choice indeed. Brands everywhere use their cover photos to show off current and upcoming products that they have to offer. One of our recent  Facebook  cover photos showed off the versatility of our product; a stunning website for just about anyone. Other brands like MTV  use the space to showcase their most popular shows, while Samsung Mobile and BMW utilize the space to show off their latest product release and automobile, respectively. Cool new feature alert! Recently, Facebook has allowed brands to add videos to their cover photos. See how Netflix and Walmart took advantage of this cool new feature. Change with the seasons: If there’s one thing that we can always count on, it’s the changing of the seasons. Update your cover photo to celebrate upcoming holidays or other calendar related events. It’s no surprise that Starbucks does this beautifully. Known for their holiday cup designs, Starbucks also keeps their Facebook page up to date according to the time of the year. Each season, the brand does an excellent job at finding the perfect beverage to feature on their Facebook cover. Urban Outfitters is another example of a brand that rides on seasonal changes to show off new fashion trends. Call attention to your latest campaign: If you’re running a promotion or special giveaway, you want to make sure your community is in the know. The best way to do that? Use your cover photo as a promotional tool. UNICEF  is often first on the scene for some of the world’s most important causes. To match the initiative that they’re focusing on at the moment, the charity changes their cover photo to help raise awareness. Redbull is a brand that has become synonymous with the extreme sports scene. They often use their cover photo space to proudly promote their current sponsorship. Pro tip:  Don’t forget to utilize your cover’s description by adding a link or more details about your current campaign. Highlight your users: You’ve worked hard to build a loyal community so why not show them off? Use this spot to showcase your proudest clients/users. Community-focused brands like Deviant Art and Reddit do just that. They’ve been known to use their cover space to highlight users’ submissions and initiatives Go loco with your logo Brands that are closely associated with their logo have the luxury of using their cover photos to reinforce their branding. Louis Vitton and Target are great examples of how to use a logo in a playful and smart way. Free tools to create your own cover photo: For the Photoshop-challenged among us, there are a plethora of design tools that are made to assist in our design adventure. Below, you’ll find our favorite (free) five: Fotor: www.fotor.com/features/facebook.html Fotor is a design tool made with social media images in mind. Start with a pre-set size depending on your social needs (like creating an awesome Facebook cover) and use their design features to drag and drop your way to a gorgeous photo. As an added bonus, Fotor also has cover photo templates ranging from event invites to holiday greetings. PicMonkey: www.picmonkey.com Wish your cover photo looked more like your favorite Instagram image? Upload it to PicMonkey to easily add cool editing effects to it. While PicMonkey has some neat features, be aware that many of its offerings are only available with the paid plans. Picscatter: www.picscatter.com One image not enough to get your point across? Use Picscatter to easily create a collage. But before you get started, come ready with the exact size that you want your cover photo to be, as this tool does not have pre-set social sizes. Timeline Cover Banner:  www.timelinecoverbanner.com Don’t be put off by this website’s old school design, this super simple service lets you upload any image and convert it into a perfect looking cover photo. Customize your pic with text or doodles just like you would on that old Paint program you know and love.

The goal of marketing is to get people to buy your product, right? Well, not always. Unlike acquisition and retention marketing which aim to generate sales, you shouldn’t overlook another crucial objective: building brand awareness and engagement. This includes influencing consumer brand perception, establishing your business as a key player in the industry and building a community of fans. Marketing strategies that target these goals are known as brand marketing. Brand marketing starts with strengthening your brand identity, making sure to create a website to put your business online and promoting your branding on various channels. These activities pique your audience’s interest and build your company’s reputation. Let’s go over the ins and outs of effective brand marketing: What is brand marketing? Brand marketing comprises the campaigns that a company uses to message its brand and vision to consumers. Unlike other types of marketing, these campaigns focus on changing or maintaining brand perception. Key performance indicators for brand marketing include measurements of increased brand awareness and engagement with a target audience. Unlike standard marketing practices, the goal of brand marketing isn’t to make sales. Instead, the main objective is to spread the word about your brand while amassing an army of devoted fans and followers. This makes it different from referral marketing which has similar goals in terms of increased brand awareness but which does want to generate sales. What are the main pillars of brand marketing? There are generally believed to be five main pillars of brand marketing. Brand identity This is the visual and emotional representation of a brand, including its logo, colors, design and voice. It defines how a brand wants to be perceived by its audience and differentiates it from competitors. A strong brand identity creates recognition and fosters a connection with customers. This is the pillar most people associate with brand marketing and it is essential although by no means the only crucial one. Brand positioning Positioning is about carving a distinct space in the market by highlighting the unique value a brand offers. It involves understanding target audiences, identifying competitors and articulating what sets a brand apart. Effective positioning ensures that customers know exactly what a brand stands for and why they should choose it over others. This can be what makes or breaks a brand in competitive markets. Brand communication This includes all the ways a brand communicates with its audience, from advertising and social media to customer service and content marketing. Consistent, authentic communication builds trust and reinforces a brand's values and promises. This can be difficult and time consuming to get right but once done well it stands at the center of great brand marketing. Brand loyalty Building and maintaining loyalty is crucial for the long-term success of a brand. It means delivering consistent value and fostering a relationship based on trust and reliability. This can include your customer service and support. Brand equity Brand equity is the value added to a product or service due to its brand name. It influences customer perceptions, experiences and associations, often meaning higher sales and pricing power. Branding vs. brand marketing A company creates its brand at the outset of its journey. It decides on the color palette, logo, brand voice and messaging it will use to distinguish itself in the marketplace. Brand marketing, on the other hand, are the tactics and campaigns a company uses to reinforce its brand to consumers. Brand marketing is a long-term strategy that requires repeated efforts and investment to grow loyal customers and brand affinity overtime. Learn more: Small business marketing and lessons from 16 years of marketing (feat. Wix CMO Omer Shai) How to create a brand marketing strategy To build an effective brand marketing strategy, you’ll need to build a strong brand identity and use strategic messaging to reach your customers. Here’s how to get started: Write a vision statement Determine your target audience Define your brand identity Promote your brand strategically Make sure your product reflects your brand 01. Write a vision statement A vision statement declares company’s aspirations for the future. For instance, Amazon’s vision statement is “to be the world’s most customer-centric company.” Ikea’s vision is to create better everyday lives for as many people as possible. And Google’s vision is “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” As you can see, a company’s vision statement is the broad business equivalent of “What are your dreams for the future?” The broadness helps ensure consistency across your messaging, anchoring your entire brand strategy. If you haven’t already written a vision statement, here’s how: Explain what your business sells or does Communicate your long-term goals Tie in your brand values Keep it short and concise Once you define your vision, keep it top of mind as you build brand awareness and spread the word about your product. Whether it’s the font color on your app or the language you use in an ad campaign, every brand aspect must align with your company’s aspirations. 02. Determine your target audience The next step of brand marketing is to define your target audience—those you’ve identified as potential customers of your brand. Your campaigns should resonate with them and make them excited about your company. To determine your target audience, answer the following questions: What needs does your product address? What kinds of people would benefit most from your product? Do your existing customers have any shared characteristics? For example, are most of them in the same demographic? Do they have any common hobbies or careers? What kinds of people do your competitors target? (Hint: You can learn this by looking at the marketing campaigns and brand messaging of other companies in your industry.) Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll understand the people who receive your brand campaigns and can tailor your marketing materials to them. 03. Define your brand identity What’s your company’s brand identity? If you can’t immediately answer this question, you probably need to refine it. Brand identity is the framework that underlies successful brand messaging. You’ll need to incorporate it into every piece of material you create, whether it’s your website, a print ad or an influencer marketing campaign. Here’s everything you need to establish a strong brand identity: Logo: Creating a logo is the first step in brand marketing development. Think about McDonald’s golden arches or Nike’s swoosh. These images have become synonymous with the brands themselves and appear in all of their marketing and branding campaigns. If you don’t have one yet, try out this logo maker to get started. Slogan: If your logo acts as your brand’s face, your slogan encapsulates its personality. “I’m lovin’ it” exudes friendliness and cheer, while “Just do it” motivates and inspires. Write a slogan based on how you want others to perceive your brand, and use it as the foundation for your brand marketing efforts. Imagery: This includes both your brand’s color palette and the types of images you use. Just like your logo and slogan, you’ll want your images and colors to exude your business’s personality. Are your colors vibrant or pastel? Are your images dark and edgy or bright and upbeat? These choices shape your brand in poster ideas , ads, social media and more. Consider the ways different image file types and choices would influence consumer perception of your company. Voice: Every piece of marketing has a voice. Your personality shines through that voice, whether written or spoken. As you craft your marketing materials, think about how a different sentence structure, word choice or tone might affect the way people see your brand. Once you’ve defined your different brand identity elements, remember to stick to them in every piece of marketing material you create. Overtime, consumers will come to recognize them as a key part of your brand and market. 04. Promote your brand strategically Once you’ve established your overarching goals, determined your target audience and built a strong brand identity, it’s time to start promoting your brand. For your brand marketing to be effective, you’ll need to send the right message to the right people on the right channels. In terms of messaging, remember that the main goal of brand marketing is to drive brand awareness and engagement rather than make sales. That means you should design your campaigns around getting people to know, love and interact with your brand. Start by creating a website so you can put your company’s presence online. Then, think about the relevant types of marketing for your audience. If your audience is in their teens and 20s, you might want to try promoting on Tik Tok. If you’re marketing to passionate foodies, you may want to try an influencer marketing campaign with a well-known food blogger. You can also consider offline channels, like print, billboard, radio and TV ads or PR. In addition, make a plan not only for spreading brand awareness, but also driving brand engagement. Digital marketing efforts—and email marketing and social media campaigns in particular—allow you to constantly interact with consumers and get them talking about your brand. Use your website to get people to sign up for email newsletters and then send them curated content that they’ll look forward to every week. Come up with creative social media ideas that will encourage people to comment, like, follow and share. Remember that brand marketing is an ongoing effort. If you truly want to position your brand as one of the best in the field, you’re going to need to create campaigns on a consistent basis. Whether you work alone or on a team, use a calendar to track your brand marketing efforts and ensure that you never miss a day. Learn more about how to create a landing page.   05. Make sure your product reflects your brand Finally, don’t forget that every marketing message you create is a promise to consumers. If you say that your product will function a particular way or that your company has a particular set of values, you need to follow through on these promises to maintain your reputation. Otherwise, customers may lose trust in your company, doubt your authenticity or abandon you for a competitor. At the same time don't be afraid to lead with a strong product differentiation strategy, this is what's your brand stand out best. As an example, a sustainable lifestyle brand could create a guidebook with eco-friendly tips and customer stories to reflect its values. Learning how to make a book cover  that visually communicates those values also helps deliver on the brand’s promise. For instance, using recycled paper textures, earthy color palettes or including illustrations of nature can instantly signal sustainability. Adding a minimalist design approach can further emphasize the brand's commitment to reducing waste and clutter, reinforcing its eco-conscious ethos. Continually evaluate your product and make sure it’s high quality and works as intended, without any glitches or bugs. Depending on the good or service you offer, consider testing it out with a UX team, offering a Beta version before launch or sending out a sample to family and friends before large-scale production. Read more: The art of cringe marketing , plus examples of when cringey is a good thing. Applying brand marketing to your business Think about how you can apply these brand marketing practices to your own company. How can you create marketing content that reflects your company’s personality, values and aspirations? What can you do to prove your commitment to high-quality products and stellar customer service? How can you tie your brand into big-picture values that make consumers care? 5 examples of brand marketing done right Take inspiration from top companies like these to build your own brand marketing strategy. When you create compelling campaigns that communicate your brand identity and resonate with your audience, you’ll be well on your way to shaping a successful brand. 01. Zappos Thanks to effective brand marketing, the Zappos brand has become well-loved for its trustworthiness and customer service. The company has crafted an image that centers strongly around its vision statement : “To inspire the world by showing it’s possible to simultaneously deliver happiness to customers, as well as employees, vendors, shareholders and the community, in a long-term, sustainable way.” They’ve made this the core of their marketing campaigns. Their “ Keep What You Love ” commercial, for instance, emphasizes an effortless shopping experience and a generous return policy. They also have a history of surprising shoppers to let them know how much they’re valued—whether that’s by sending flowers to a customer or overnighting a free pair of shoes to a best man at a wedding. In doing so, they haven’t just established a great brand identity; they’ve also built their reputation by going above and beyond on their promises. 02. Colgate Oral care brand Colgate is committed to being a “caring, innovative growth company that is reimagining a healthier future for all people, their pets, and the planet.” As a leading global brand, people all around the world trust them to keep their teeth clean. How did Colgate gain this trust? Its brand marketing strategy involved educating their audience about oral health. Using a technique called inbound marketing , the company draws in people with a blog rather than pushing their product. The Colgate blog shares important information about dental hygiene, making it a go-to online resource for consumers. As a result, the brand simultaneously positions itself as an authority in the field while showing customers they care about their health. 03. Tesla Tesla, best known for its high-end electric cars, promotes its brand loyalty by honing in on its purpose. The company’s mission is “to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.” By tying the brand to a greater cause, they give people a compelling reason to engage with the brand. For that reason, they’ve been hugely successful with word of mouth marketing and referral programs. They get people to believe in the brand and its mission, give customers great experiences, and then encourage those customers to share their brand love and belief in the cause with the people around them. 04. Harley-Davidson Motorcycle company Harley-Davidson has a strong brand marketing strategy that focuses largely on brand personality. Their campaigns have built a community of dedicated customers who believe in freedom, travel and exploration. They reinforce their brand personality and keep their community engaged with special events and social media posts that emphasize travel and adventure. Read more about event marketing , and find out how to promote an event in 9 actionable steps. 05. Trader Joe’s Most people see grocery stores as places of necessity rather than leisure. Trader Joe’s element of fun, however, has drawn a dedicated customer base. They position themselves as a “national chain of neighborhood grocery stores,” a place where smiling staff members wear whimsical Hawaiian shirts and creative, one-of-a-kind treats line the shelves. The intentionally quirky company fills their magazine the Fearless Flyer, with banter and jokes. Customers love them for their free samples and comparatively low prices, which compels people to drop in for a taste and spread the word. Learn more about other types of marketing, including affiliate marketing , mobile marketing and others.

When we click on a website, most of us are used to being met with sleek and modern designs. But every once in a while, you may come across a site that harks back to an era of classic design—featuring retro typography and/or vintage imagery. Ironically, embracing vintage aesthetics can breathe new life into your web projects. Case in point: check out these 13 retro websites and learn how they use retro web design to tap into a sense of nostalgia to leave a lasting impression. Just getting started with your website? Create a website with Wix for free today. 13 retro websites for inspiration When we think about retro aesthetics (a.k.a. “Y2K aesthetics”) in website design , we typically imagine the era from the early 90s till the mid-2000s. Websites created in the early days of the internet—when web designers faced a lot of technical constraints—naturally developed a unique style. It's important to mention that retro website design isn’t appropriate for all categories of websites. For example, if you’re designing a corporate website , then a retro design may feel too flashy or off-brand. Retro aesthetics generally work best for personal sites like portfolios, graphic design websites or illustrator websites because it allows their site owners to unleash their creativity. Now without future ado, here are 13 of the best websites to draw retro web design inspiration from if you think a vintage-style website could be a good fit for you. Learn how to make a website that embraces the best aspects of vintage website design. Aroke1 Kurt Champion Shiqian Pan Ayelet Raziel Kevin Ward Jamus Andrest Good UX designer Jenny Nguyen Essi Rub Bluemonday.tv Timeless Pieces Julia Trindade Iris Sun 01. Aroke1 Pale yellow color paired with large content blocks with pixelated typography and underlined links were perhaps the most popular style decisions in the early 2000s. Many websites were created with that retro web design aesthetic, including large eCommerce platforms like eBay (eBay was redesigned only in 2011). Tal, the creator of the website Aroke1, embraced this Y2K web design aesthetic, creating a website that is sure to resonate with anyone who experienced the early days of the web. The website manifests this retro style not just on web elements but also on images. Explore the world of eCommerce design examples for further inspiration. 02. Kurt Champion Kurt, a graphic designer based in London, puts his works front and center of his portfolio site , using a visual style of web design that offers a nostalgic charm. The underlined blue links and large blocks of text in sans-serif typeface create an impression of a strangely familiar design. 03. Shiqian Pan Back in the day, web designers often experimented with visual form. Some early design decisions may seem a bit awkward now. For example, it's nearly impossible to imagine a modern website mixing handwritten fonts with sans serif fonts in the same paragraph or using more than three colors in the same content block. Unless, of course, the designer intentionally wants to convey the feeling of vintage web design, just like Shiquian Pan did on her website. 04. Ayelet Raziel Another popular design decision in the early 2000s: creating linear gradients from vibrant colors. Designers liked to use gradients to create visual interest and get visitors to linger on the site. Gradients, of course, still work great for modern websites. Below you can see how Ayelet Raziel relies on gradients and retrofuturistic elements, like simple geometric shapes, to create a memorable experience with her take on retro web design . 05. Kevin Ward Along with linear gradients, simple geometric patterns were also popular among web designers in the late ‘90s. Geometric patterns can help to introduce dimensionality in visual design and make it more interesting for visitors. Here you can see how graphic designer Kevin Ward nicely pairs a simple grid with content and imagery. Interestingly, a grid in this example serves a clear functional purpose—it directs the visitor's attention to the imagery. 06. Jamus Andrest The 90s were the era of exploration of three-dimensional textures. From motion pictures to popular games, designers experimented with 3D forms to create new and more immersive experiences. No wonder 3D objects were incorporated into websites, too. Back in that time, web designers often used pseudo-3D objects (not pure 3D but rather 2D isometric objects) to create fresh looks. Jamus Andres contextualizes pseudo-3D elements within a minimalist website design. The result: a distinctive visual style and retro web design that’s hard to forget. 07. Good UX designer When designers are on the hunt for a unique visual style that can help them stand out of the crowd, some over-rely on complex animated effects to impress visitors. However, it's possible to achieve the same goal using simple graphic elements. Miko proves that bold, vibrant colors paired with simple typography can create a unique visual identity. 08. Jenny Nguyen Jenny Nguyen expertly uses design queues to create a clear hierarchy of content. She uses a limited number of graphic details (one typeface and a color palette of a few colors) to achieve this, also adapting a retro web design style that feels familiar to the early days of the web, when designers had to deal with many visual constraints. 09. Essi Rub It’s rumored that green and red colors don't work well together, low-resolution images create bad impressions and rotating objects are a no-no. But Essi Rub proves that it's possible to create cool designs by breaking the rules. In fact, this website is one of the most notable examples of early 2000s retro web design —it's both fun to browse and features a unique visual language. 10. Bluemonday.tv Vintage styles and retro web design look even more gorgeous when paired with modern flair. Creative studio Blue Monday nicely bakes vintage elements into modern design. Their site imitates the aesthetics of the late 2000s websites while making the most of modern techniques, such as animated transitions and embedded videos. 11. Timeless Pieces Is it possible to trim down design elements to the absolute minimum without making the site too boring? Yes, according to Timeless Pieces. The site uses a monochrome color scheme, and its homepage features simple text against a single-color website background . But rather than making the site look boring, these design decisions help the site look fresh and modern. 12. Julia Trindade Low-resolution images and pixelated icons are attributes of the early days of the web. Nowadays, it's possible to use these attributes to create a fresh and unique visual appearance. Julia Trinade does precisely that on her website. A black-and-white Polaroid photo is used as a background and nicely accompanies the text block. A pixelated icon of the sun and cloud at the top left corner of the screen nicely reinforces the design. 13. Iris Sun Iris Sun's website is another example of minimalist-design-done-well. The site only features essential content and functional elements. It uses ample white space to guide the viewer's attention to individual sections and functional blocks. Enlarged typography and a color palette with a limited number of colors reinforce this retro web design, making it truly timeless. How to bring the retro aesthetic to your own web design Looking to experiment with vintage web design? Try these tips on for size: Choose a retro-inspired color palette:  One of the most defining features of a retro aesthetic is the use of bold and vibrant colors. Consider using a color palette generator to find colors that were popular in the 90s, such as mustard yellow, burnt orange, or baby blue. Use vintage typography: Look for fonts that were popular in the era that you’re trying to draw inspiration from, such as Futura or Garamond. Check out the article best fonts for your website to learn more about font selection. Incorporate retro graphics: Retro design often features stylized illustrations and graphics, such as grainy textures and geometric shapes. Use a minimalist layout: Many retro designs are characterized by clean, simple layouts with plenty of whitespace. It can help draw attention to your graphics and typography. Consider incorporating vintage-inspired animations: Retro animations can add a touch of whimsy to your retro web design design. Look for examples of vintage cartoons or advertisements for inspiration. To help you with this we've put together specific design tips by era: Designing a retro 1920-30s inspired website? Go with geometric and serif fonts like Futura or Broadway. For your color palette think art deco luxury — black, gold and ivory. For this style keep your layout minimalist and structured. Designing a mid-20th century inspired website? Opt for script fonts like Pacifico or Lobster . Use a diner color vibe to complement it, something like pastel pinks, mint greens and soft blues. Grease who? Rounded button and colorful buttons will cement your retro design for these decades. Designing a retro groovy site, think 1960s-70s? You need funky, bubble fonts like Cooper Black. You know with this retro style, groovy is the name of the game — earthy tones, mustard yellows and burnt orange for your color palette. You'll also need psychedelic, asymmetrical designs to complete the look. Designing something neon and arcade from the 1980s? Choose pixelated or bold futuristic fonts. Then you'll need some sort of cyberpunk color theme to go with it, neon blues, purples and hot pinks. Use pixelated or bold grid layouts to make it r

When it comes to capturing leads, the "one size fits all" landing page is long dead. Today, with the help of a landing page builder , any marketer and business owner can choose from varying types of landing pages to fit their campaign goals and sales funnel. There are many business cases where one type of landing page would be much more fitting than another. For example, you might be looking to get subscribers while others want to sell a product right away. By getting familiarized with the most commonly used types of landing pages, you will be equipped to make the best choices for your business needs. You'll also be able to make the best decisions when it comes to planning the design of your landing page . Ready to create a landing page? Get started with Wix today. What is a landing page and how does it work? First, what is a landing page? In simple terms, a landing page is a web page visitors reach after they've clicked a paid search engine result, banner ad, promotional email or link. The purpose of a landing page is to drive conversions which can be attained with clear CTA's such as "free trial," "contact us," and "subscribe." Compared to other web pages, the main benefit of a landing page is that it includes only relevant information about your offer. Because of this, they're much less averse to "leaks" than other web pages, as visitors are presented with a targeted CTA and don't have the option to navigate to different sections. Learn more: Website vs landing page Depending on your goals, you can build different landing pages. This will allow you to optimize conversion depending on the intent of each traffic source. Pro tip: Check out some of the best best landing page builders to help you get started. Most common types of landing pages Lead capture landing page Click-through landing page Splash page Squeeze landing page Thank you landing page Long-form sales page Unsubscribe landing page Coming soon landing page Product page Event landing page 01. Lead capture landing page Lead capture pages are one of the most common types of landing pages. On them, a marketing message is shown about your promotion and an email address is required to receive the offer. Ebooks, white papers, guides and webinars are popular assets used on lead capture landing pages. Pay-per-click (PPC) ads often use lead capture landing pages as their destination point, as they have no exit path other than submitting information - leading to higher conversion rates and better ROI. As you customize your lead capture landing page template , remember to include strong headlines that explain your offering's benefits. Try to be visual, add CTAs and ask for the exact user information you need (name, email, company name, job title, etc.) to qualify the lead. Alternatively, check out some of the best AI landing page builders to get started even faster. Company use: Capture leads and build lists for email marketing, newsletters, prospecting and inbound sales. You can also consider using squeeze pages for a similar purpose. 02. Click-through landing page A click-through landing page provides detailed information about an offer to persuade the visitor to "click-through" to a transaction or conversion page. These types of landing pages usually act as a bridge between an ad and the online store you built using an online store maker . They allow users to explore a service or features in detail without immediately prompting them to make a purchase. Instead, businesses offer free trials, coupons or add value that will make a visitor continue in their buyer's journey by clicking-through to the next stage. You can customize any of these landing page templates with your message and click-through button. Company use: Elaborate on an offer and get a user to click-through to a purchase page. 03. Splash page A splash page is there to grab a site visitor's attention as it appears on your screen before arriving at the expected end destination. After all, "to make a splash" means to attract a great deal of attention. Unlike most other types of landing pages, splash pages are not focused on conversion but rather to fulfill a specific goal. They’re commonly used as an intermediary page to make an announcement, such as to inform about a conference, event or promotion. Other times, a splash landing page is used to ask a visitor's age or language preference and then proceeds to let the visitor enter the site. These pages have little copy, use a background image, and often don’t ask for too much information. Company use: Set a language preference, enter an age, or make announcements before the visitor enters your site. 04. Squeeze landing page Sometimes it’s good to be straight to the point and “squeeze” the information you need right out of a visitor. Wait, isn’t that a lead capture landing page? Not exactly. Squeeze pages are typically shorter and smaller and don’t use images or a lot of text. While both types of landing pages have no exit and clear CTAs, squeeze pages are less about educating about an offer and are more about driving transactions. Also known as an “opt-in page,” they usually offer ebooks and other downloadables. Other common uses of the squeeze landing page format include appointment booking for services such as consultations or open house inspections. Furthermore, this page style is especially popular among those who are just learning how to create a landing page , as they allow for great results with minimal time investment. Company use: Collect users’ email addresses on a brief and short page in exchange for a free offer. 05. Thank you landing page We all know that saying "thank you" shows good manners, but when it comes to a thank you landing page, these two simple words can also benefit your lead nurturing efforts. Evidently, this is an interested customer, so don't waste an opportunity to get more engagement from this lead. Once a customer fills a form or makes a purchase, thank them and then suggest additional offers, products and services to your visitor. Other business ideas for using thank you landing pages include: Showing social proof Offering discount code Linking to your blog Asking the user to follow you on social media Company use: Nurture customers or leads with additional offers and strategic content. 6. The long-form sales page Have you ever watched an infomercial on TV and thought, “I would never buy such a product,” but the longer you listened and the more information you got, you suddenly started to consider making the purchase? Well, one could say long-form sales pages are the online version of an infomercial. This type of landing page is used in the lowest part of the funnel as you typically ask for payment instead of just an email. Your goal is to pitch your product with convincing testimonials, quotes, videos and CTAs to persuade the visitor to buy. It might require adding a discount code to your long-form sales landing page template to help them make the final commitment, but urgency and good copywriting can also do the trick. Just make sure to add as much important information as possible. Company use: Close the sale with convincing long-form content that will lead customers to check-out and pay. 07. Unsubscribe landing page An unsubscribe landing page is a lot like a break-up. And when you really love and cherish someone, you don’t let them go so easily. Similarly, in business, you don’t let a valuable subscriber leave without giving it one more chance for it to work. There is room to be witty on this type of landing page and provide them with a compelling reason to stay. If users are trying to unsubscribe from your email marketing campaigns , try to keep them by allowing them to customize their email preferences to stay up to date with your brand in a lower capacity or frequency. For unsubscribe landing pages aimed at users who are canceling a paid subscription, you can showcase your products or services one last time or find an incentive such as a discount to get them to engage with your business again. If they insist on cutting the tie, you can ask them to follow you on social media as a parting gesture. Company use: A last chance to keep a user interested in your business by adjusting your cadence or giving them an incentive to stay subscribed. 08. Coming soon page It's never too early to hype up your upcoming product or business launch, and a coming soon landing page is the perfect place to do so. Using a coming soon website template , you can give a sneak peek of the exciting things you're working on without providing a full reveal. Consider adding a launch date or countdown so that people know when to come back to experience your offering. Most importantly, add a "notify me" email form fill so that you can send them a message with a link back to the landing page once you've hit launch. Furthermore, having a relevant email list before your page is live will set you up for success for future marketing campaigns. If you’re not launching a new line but rather revamping your site, you can use a website under construction template instead. Company use: Tease an offer and collect warm leads for an upcoming launch or website update. 09. Product page Most website homepages allow visitors to navigate and explore several products and offerings. But what if you want a user to see a specific product when they land on your domain? For that, you have product landing pages. Common in retail and tech, this type of landing page will give a complete breakdown of what the product is, how it works, its features and the problems it solves. To help you decide which products to create product landing pages for, review your website analytics to see which of your products is researched the most and gets the majority of visits. As for the landing page design , we recommend adding many images and rich media to your product landing page template . You know what they say, a photo is worth a thousand words. Company use: Showcase a strategic product. 10. Event landing page In this day and age, we're always stretched for time and have a million places to be. Therefore when you're hosting an event, conference or meet-up, people want to know why it's beneficial for them to invest their time and attend. To do so, create an event landing page that includes all relevant details and information, as well as a registration form. You can do this with the help of online scheduling software . When using the event landing page template , consider adding a countdown to the event date and including videos or photos from past events you’ve hosted. By doing so, you can give people a taste of the event or even create a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) if they don't sign-up. Additionally, in order to increase your submission rate, ask only for the most important registration information. Company use: Provide event information, drive more event registration and attendees. How to choose the best type of landing page and which is most effective To choose the right type of landing page for your business, you should consider a few factors. First, which goals do you want to achieve? Is it more newsletter subscribers, sales or event sign-ups? Then, ask yourself - who is your audience, and where are they in the buyer's journey? To find this out, think about what you want them to do after they fill a lead form. Many marketers and business owners use Wix Analytics to understand which previous page or channel the visitor came from. By paying attention to the visitor's source, you can better determine their motivation and intent on your destination page. Meaning, a passive click from an email newsletter vs. an active product Google search can indicate a different motive and hence needs another type of landing page. Furthermore, it's best practice to research your competitor's landing pages, run A/B tests and utilize a heatmap when making landing page decisions. Using the A/B testing method in conjunction with a heatmap, you can get data on your visitors' behavior on the site, make design changes and increase your overall conversion rate. If you'd like a little more help before getting started, take a look at our landing page examples and review these landing page best practices . You can also delve deeper into dynamic landing pages and when to use them. Then start counting your many leads.

After using a website builder to create a website for your business, consider starting a Facebook Business Page to grow your online presence. For starters, you’ll find many potential members of your target audience there: With nearly 2.93 billion monthly active users in 2022 , Facebook, whose parent company is now called Meta, is the most used social networking platform in the world. Facebook also offers social media marketing tools to create and distribute valuable content that forms strong online relationships with your existing customers. In this article, we’ll show you the ropes of setting up a Facebook Business Page to attract an online following. We’ll also give you tips on what to do after you get an uptick of “Likes” to keep followers engaged. What is a Facebook Business Page? Before we dive into what goes into your Facebook Business Page, let’s first go over some basic terminology. Unlike creating a personal Facebook page , a Business Page is meant to represent your company or organization, connect with your target market and strengthen your brand online. To help achieve your Facebook marketing goals, Business Pages are equipped with special features that are not available on regular personal accounts, such as: Creating ads and promoting paid posts Scheduling posts Targeting specific user groups for specific posts Allowing multiple admins and editors to manage the Page Collecting and displaying reviews from customers Analyzing of your page’s activity and tracking the success of your social posts But these capabilities are not the only thing differentiating Business Pages from personal profiles. The nature of your content and the tone you write in, need to distinguish themselves from the casual social media interactions that you might engage as a private individual. How to create a Facebook Business Page 1. Do the prep work 2. Create engaging visuals 3. Write an 'About' description 4. Coin the right username 5. Post right away 6. Use pinned posts 7. Customize your CTA 8. Set up Messenger 9. Send invites 10. Grow your followers base 11. Get verified 01. Do the prep work As you approach creating your Facebook Business Page, start with some research. Study your target audience to find out how to efficiently entice them: What captivates your intended demographic groups? How do they communicate on social media? What type of lingo and visual language do they prefer? You can answer these questions by reviewing Facebook pages of industry competitors that are similar to yours. With this information, you can start developing a posting and communicating strategy. Prepare a list of social media content ideas for future posts that have strong engagement potential and figure out what frequency of posting will be most effective for your audience. 02. Create engaging visuals When it comes to social media, you cannot underestimate the power of good did you find historically that blog rankings would increase in line with traffic jumps? In addition to a captivating cover photo and the business profile pic, prepare a handful of professionally shot products, workspace, and event photos. Use an image resizer to make sure social media image sizes are set to the right dimensions for Facebook. Depending on your type of business, you may want to prepare video marketing content. Great ideas for social videos include a demonstration of your product or service in action, tips and recommendations you can share as an expert, a testimonial interview with a client or a behind-the-scenes look into how you work. 03. Write an ‘About’ description When you visit any successful Facebook Business Page, you’ll notice the ‘About’ tab. Brands use this space to portray a brief description of what they offer and why they are the best in their field. Facebook will prompt you to enter this description as part of the process of creating your Business Page so have it ready to go beforehand. This short text needs to be both inspiring and to-the-point. Check out the ‘About’ sections of Wix for an example. You should use the ‘About’ section to include a link to your website, as well as your contact information and possibly a business address, if relevant. These details appear in your page’s main tab and are often used by visitors looking to get in touch. They also demonstrate your brand’s trustworthiness by showing that you run a real and approachable business. 04. Coin the right username The username you select for your Facebook Business Page is important for two reasons. For one, it will determine your Page’s URL, which according to best practices should be short and memorable. That’s because your username will show up when all of your current and potential fans search for your company on Facebook’s search engine. Thus your Facebook Business Page needs to be recognizable among the many other search results to show up. Second, fans use your page username when they want to tag you in a post or comment. If your name is not intuitive enough, they won’t be able to locate your page and you could miss out on the opportunity to increase your social media engagement . 05. Post right away Once your Facebook Business Page is ready to go live, it’s time to post. Publish several posts, at least three, that include engaging titles and images that represent your brand. You can begin with a Welcome post, introducing yourself to the Facebook community and inviting people to get in touch. Since these posts will be published before you gain a real following, it’s probably wise to reserve your strongest ideas for later posts. 06. Use pinned posts Past posts decrease visibility with time because they get pushed down your main timeline as new ones are published. If you have a particular message that you want to highlight to visitors, you can publish it as a post and then pin it to the top of the page. This way, the post stays in a prominent position on your Facebook Business Page and remains as the first thing that visitors see. You can always unpin the post when you want to, and even rotate between different posts that you want to emphasize. 07. Customize your CTA Calls-to-action are short phrases that prompt your online audience to take immediate action. When it comes to your Facebook Business Page, tailor your CTAs to the platform’s particular culture as well as your specific social media branding language. Whether you are asking followers to subscribe to your email newsletter, comment on or share your posts, visit your website or purchase products, you want to leverage Facebook’s strengths as a visual and social platform to make your CTAs more effective. Use captivating images and strong active verbs to motivate your followers to immediately act. Give them a clear incentive that shows that they have something to gain. Integrate trending topics, special occasions or holidays to make your CTA relevant to the here and now. 08. Set up Messenger Small businesses, entrepreneurs and self-creators can use Facebook’s Messenger to communicate with followers and customers privately and directly. This is an effective marketing tool for companies and brands to hold one-on-one conversations with their target audience and potential clients. With Messenger, you can answer questions on the spot, complete reservations and bookings and offer personalized social customer care. You don’t need to be online 24/7 to offer Messenger as a contact option. Facebook lets you set up your operating hours , so that the Messenger appears active only when you are available. You can even use the Facebook chatbot for basic questions and answers to satisfy your followers’ need for immediate support. 09. Send invites One of the most effective ways to launch a followers base is to send invitations to your Facebook Business Page from your personal profile. Especially at the early stages, when your page is still young and fresh, mobilizing your Facebook friends can give you a great boost to the page ‘Likes’ number. Ask colleagues and friends to help spread the word and invite their own friends to ‘Like’ your Facebook Business Page. 10. Grow your followers base As the owner of an emerging Facebook Business Page, you can’t expect people to just show up and engage. You need to be proactive about promoting your page and increasing your page ‘Likes.’ On your website, you can add a Like Box to help your visitors interact with your Facebook Business Page. Additionally, Facebook offers a variety of other ways for page admins to attract new followers: Regularly post engaging content: Design posts according to what will make your target audience want to see more of what you have to offer. Whether you move on to Facebook Live, or create interactive campaigns, excellent content will attract people to your page. Incentivize followers: Facebook’s greatest advantage for business owners is that it can convert followers into promoters, just by clicking ‘Share.’ Encourage this transformation by offering special promotions, gifts, and deals to those who share your post with their own networks. Give your fans a good reason to become your promoters. Create virtual community: Seek out other brands, artists or organizations that are relevant to your own work, and ‘Follow’ their pages. Joining a relevant network will help increase your social media presence. Consider paid promotions: Control how much you will spend to expand your reach. You can also define which groups get to see your promoted posts, giving you access to a highly-targeted audience. To learn more, check out this guide outlining the best practices for Facebook advertising , along with some of the best Facebook ad examples for inspiration. 11. Get verified Ever noticed the little checkmark you see next to the username of some Facebook Business Pages? That icon signals to followers that Facebook has verified the page as authentic and reliable. Getting your page verified will add to your trustworthiness. Read Facebook’s guidelines to get your Page verified . Pro-tips for your Facebook Business Page: Be an attentive admin: Treat your Facebook Business Page as a channel to communicate and engage with your audience. You should frequently respond to comments, visitors’ posts or private messages. Explore Facebook’s content options: Your Facebook Business Page offers you various ways to publish content, from Live video broadcasts and Polls to special Events and Offers . Take the time to learn how these features work, what new Facebook features are available, and how they can help to promote your Page or increase engagement. Analyze your page stats: A constant part of running a Business Page is measuring and tracking the performance of your content. Facebook’s analytics tool, Insights , lets you know what’s working and what’s not so great about your page activity. For example, monitor your page view number and your popular sections alongside your likes, shares, and comments on a post level to refine your content strategy and set new goals.

In our own lives, we all belong to a community, whether that’s family, a neighborhood or a workplace. These strong relationships thrive on being mutually beneficial. Today’s online communities are a way for businesses to be part of that equation and give consumers that same sense of connection. While every business needs to plan how to make a website and build a social media presence, they can also use those platforms as a meeting place for people interested in their brand. This article will focus on all the essential steps to creating an online community around your brand, from finding the right niche to creating a comfortable space for all group members. What is an online community? An online community is a group of people whose members, connected by a shared interest or purpose, interact with one other via an online platform. For many, being part of an online community may feel like a social occasion among friends, colleagues and even family. In fact, you’re probably already partaking in an online community like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or Twitter. These public social networks are just one of several types of online communities, proving that there’s lots of variation in how we choose to associate with other like-minded people. A second form of online community is known as a branded community . This lets businesses bring people together under an overarching theme that’s related to their product or service, whether that’s vegan food, fitness or art. Customers get to reinforce a bond with their favorite brands. Take the example of Stakiwi Colours , an international company that sells handmade artisanal watercolors and that uses an online forum to engage its audience. Upon entering its forum, visitors will immediately find guidance for choosing the right pigment, ink and every tool needed to start watercolor painting. Stacey Dodd, creator of Stakiwi Colours, notes: “Wix Community Tools encapsulates everything I need from managing orders, listings, generating newsletters, establishing a safe, and interactive forum supported by a blogging platform . Community is an integral part of what I promote and it is a valuable resource to have a website where customers can purchase products, learn about their product and make new connections with fellow artisans. " Benefits of an online community As a business owner, starting an online community can bring plenty of advantages. Beyond helping you expand your reach beyond physical boundaries, it can serve as a direct line of communication with your customers. More specifically, here are some benefits that you can look forward to gaining: Builds trust and credibility: Think about the people you trust. They are family members, best friends and long-time colleagues. That’s because they listen to you, understand who you are, and are honest and transparent with you. These same characteristics make up an online community. With the right platform, a business can earn the highest levels of consumer trust, knowing their needs and delivering on that promise. Boosts engagement: In order to encourage engagement, a brand must be able to connect with their audience on an emotional level. That comes easily when businesses are able to identify and learn as much as possible about their target audience through conversational spaces like online communities. Real-time notifications and alerts: By utilizing a platform like Wix, you can effortlessly transform your online community into a mobile app. By offering a convenient and immersive experience, mobile apps empower community members to engage with their communities at any time and from anywhere. The instant accessibility of apps ensures that community members can stay connected and active, contributing to the overall vitality of the community. Free focus group: You can conduct market research via your online community and collect feedback from members. With this direct line of communication, you can pose specific questions to the group, and ask for their opinions, preferences or ideas on any given topic of interest. Using polls and discussion boards, you’ll be able to conduct qualitative research on multiple participants at once. Return on investment: Online communities can lead to higher ROI . A study conducted by the University Michigan shows that customers are more likely to spend more after they join a company’s online community. Let's take a look at a recent example: Wix analyzed websites and found that sites with an online community have 2x more traffic on average than those without one. Furthermore, websites with an online community can earn 3x more revenue. A company-sponsored online community is a great tool for driving revenue. Reduced support cost: Having an online community can help decrease support ticket volumes. In one case study , a software company saw a 28% drop in ticket volume after launching their community. That's because customers can find the information they’re looking for in an online community and get their questions answered faster than ever before. Brand awareness: Due to the nature of the closed-knit environment, your community members will be inclined to spread the word about a brand that they so wholeheartedly support and trust. Word-of-mouth marketing vis-a-vis personal recommendations by clients are extremely effective when it comes to improving sales. How to build an online community 01. Find a niche All successful online communities share one thing in common: they are able to serve a particular niche. This allows them to show expertise in their area and provide valuable content to their members. To find your niche, think about your audience and what topics are the most relevant, useful or engaging to them. For example, if you have a fitness business, you'll definitely need to cover a topic like gyms. Not only are gyms a major focus for fitness enthusiasts, but once you narrow down further to sub-niches, like how to plan and structure a workout, metabolism boosting exercises and hydration tips, you’ll be creating ample opportunities for all types of members to chime in. 02. Define your goal Without a clear purpose or vision, your community won’t be able to give members a real reason to join. People need to know what they are getting into and whether their participation will give them something in return. Your online community is built around your brand, but ask yourself, “What can I offer people that no one else can?” If you sell cosmetics, for instance, then your purpose could be helping members learn the best tips and tricks for doing makeup like a pro. That way, you’re not just providing a product, but also giving customers access to a valuable experience. This is the time to look back at your mission or vision statement and review your company’s core values. Whether the focus is on diversity, excellence, creativity or independence, you can use any of these fundamental principles to guide your community as it grows. 03. Choose a structure There are two different types of structures for an online community. You can choose between creating a forum or a group . Before you make a decision, you’ll want to know the advantages of each one. We’ve provided a breakdown of what to expect with a forum versus a group-based community: Forums are spaces that host content-driven discussions and are also more organized than those in a group. That’s because posts are divided into categories so that users can search by specific topic. By adding the Wix Groups to your business website , you’ll be able to create such categories, making it easier for members to search and find information that they need. It also gives them a way to connect with one another and compare ideas. Groups can be more personal than forums. Along with writing posts, members can upload their own photos and video, making the form of communication more media-heavy. At the same time, group content proves to be extremely relevant since the feed is organized by most recent posts. Members can also assign tags to their posts so others can easily find them. Additionally, they can create their own subgroups within the broader community, allowing them to narrow down on specific issues and increase overall engagement. Note: With Wix, group owners can also monetize their groups by requiring a subscription plan (or other pricing plan) to access an exclusive community. Bonus: You can screen people before they can become members with Wix Groups . Create questions for prospective members to answer when they request to join using your Wix website. You can also include the rules and norms as part of your screening process and admit only those who agree to abide by them. 04. Build a member profile Your members will further help you define your online community. That means you’ve got to know who you’re trying to reach. Creating a member profile will give you an idea of who your community needs to serve, so that you can provide an experience that will be valuable to them. Start building a profile by asking questions like, “Are your potential members female, male or both?” and “Where are they located geographically?” Remember that these types of demographics want different things. Most online communities are diverse. Once you have insight into your members, you might want to create inclusive engagement strategies. This will ensure everyone in your community is on the same page. For instance, set ground rules that enable participants to be respectful of one another. You’ll want to monitor the content so that it’s accurate, comprehensible and unbiased. 05. Create guidelines Your online community is part of your corporate image. Just like any branding asset, you’ve got to protect your online community using guidelines to uphold its quality and values. Members need to feel safe, respected and welcomed at all times. With this in mind, you’ll want to write a set of ground rules defining appropriate versus inappropriate language and behavior. You’ll also want to consider adding consequences to the list in the unfortunate case there are rule breakers among the audience. Afterwards, you can simply pin the rulebook to the top of your forum or group page. Alternatively, you can add the rules to the About section, where it will be readily accessible for members to find. 06. Set up management In order to run a vibrant online community, you’ll need to set up management behind the scenes. As you may already know, launching a community requires a lot of work and effort. But over time, your members will grow confident and engage more, creating their own posts and answering one another’s questions. First, you’ll want to define the roles of moderators and admins. These people will help you maintain the integrity of your community and encourage participation among members. They are also responsible for responding to comments and helping new members feel welcome so that your community continues to operate smoothly. In a forum, you can assign a moderator status to any of your forum members. Choose someone with excellent judgment and social intuition who you can trust with the keys to your office door. They will be able to delete and disable commenting on posts, move posts between forum categories, pin posts and help with answering questions. Furthermore, you can incentivize and even reward those members who are engaging and really contributing to the community’s success with customized member badges . For those who have a group, you can appoint a member to serve as Group Admin. This should also be someone possessing the right credentials and whom you trust. They will be able to moderate discussions, pin posts, approve new member requests and even revoke membership. Finally, stay connected with your online community wherever you are using the Wix app . With it, you can invite people to join your community space and give them an app of their own, Spaces by Wix. That will enable them to join in the conversations on mobile, too. 07. Add a members area You can further enhance the community spirit by adding a members area to your site and giving members an account of their own. This way, members can send private messages to each other and keep the conversations flowing one-on-one. With this feature, each community member gets their own profile page where they can keep track of all their interactions on the platform and check out which members are following them. Using a specialized members chat setting , you’ll help reinforce the bonds that form between members around your brand. 08. Select privacy settings At this point, you’ve got another major decision to make about the direction of your community. Will it be public, private or a mix? Either way, it’s got to maintain a high sense of integrity. People trust branded online communities that are secure spaces for meaningful conversations. With that in mind, you can create private categories with your Wix Groups that lets you give access to selected members. This provides them with a highly intimate space where they know the crowd and may even share exclusive content with each other. Group members can actually design their own secret group with invite-only membership. These subgroups are only visible to their members. 09. Write your first post When writing your first post and future posts, always keep in mind who your audience is. Think about their needs, interests, concerns and what makes them engage. All of this will help you develop topics that are not only relevant to them, but that is also original and ticks all the boxes. Let’s take a look at quick tips to create a great post in an online community: Have a descriptive title. A strong headline will capture the attention of your readers and get them to click. Use correct formatting. Break up longer posts into different sections, using either bulleted or numbered lists. Check your font size, colors and typography to make sure there’s consistency throughout. Also remember to proofread everything you write before publishing to avoid any spelling or grammatical mistakes. Add visuals. They can make your post look more interesting and eye-catching, plus people will be more likely to share it with others. Use tags. This is an effective tool for readers to find related content. Tags can also give admins a sense of what the most searched topics are. This is crucial when building a content strategy for your online community. Post in the right category. Organization is key to helping readers quickly find what they’re looking for. 10. Schedule events Aside from engaging community members in an online forum, look for ways to engage them in a more dynamic environment. Host events—either virtual or in person—that appeal to your members’ interest and encourage potential members to learn what your community is all about. With a platform like Wix, you can easily set and promote community events on your site. Offer an event schedule, event details and a signup form in one place. If applicable, accept admission fees and set recurring events from your site. By offering events, you can reap benefits like: Build connections and encourage networking : Just like trustworthy individuals in your life, events in online communities provide a platform for members to connect, interact and build relationships with like-minded individuals. Provide opportunities for knowledge sharing and learning : Events within online communities offer opportunities for members to learn from one another. Through workshops, webinars and panel discussions, community members can engage in a lively exchange of ideas. Showcase community achievements : Host an event, like an end-of-year party or awards ceremony, to recognize outstanding members and projects within the community. Finding time to celebrate achievements can inspire other members to take action, while helping others feel appreciated. It's all about shining a spotlight on those who deserve it, motivating and energizing the entire community. Generate excitement and momentum : Fuel active participation and maintain a dynamic community atmosphere. An online event is similar to throwing a big party that everyone looks forward to, creating a buzz that keeps the community vibrant and alive. Strengthen the community's reputation : Enhance your community’s visibility in key markets. Attract new members, partners and sponsors through your events while establishing your community’s reputation as a trusted and valuable resource. Monetize your online community Offer access to your community via subscription plans. Your most devoted fans will want to pay money to access more of your valuable content.By offering a pricing plan, you can monetize your group and create a VIP-like experience for your community members. Think of it as granting exclusive access to premium features and content that go beyond the standard offerings. Create a variety of priced packages, giving your members options to choose from and tailor their experience based on their preferences and needs. This approach not only allows you to generate revenue but also enhances the sense of exclusivity and value, making your online community even more enticing to your passionate and dedicated supporters. Sell merchandise to your community vi a your online store. You can design branded products, from t-shirts and totes and mugs, that will appeal to your members. Charge an admission fee for group events and meetups. Invite members to attend your meetups for a small fee. Make sure to justify this cost by giving your members a strong reason to attend. Will you have a guest speaker? Will your event include free food and entertainment? Make the offer enticing and appeal to your members’ expressed interests. Examples of online communities Airbnb With over one million members, Airbnb shares its infinite knowledge on hosting, from tips and tricks to more technical issues about the platform. Airbnb helps local hosts connect with one another, offers meetups and encourages them to share their stories. The online community also provides customer support and is a database of information and important questions concerning cancellation, payment and pricing. Trip Advisor As one of the web’s most popular travel communities, Trip Advisor’s forum offers relevant topics for its members based on destination. There’s a search bar at the top and a help center that features user guidelines, technical support and even a private area with exclusive benefits for paying members. HP The Hewlett-Packard Company’s online community stands out among the rest. On its first page, HP offers a warm welcome to new members in this memorable post titled, “First Time Here? Learn How To Post And More.” Non-members can also ask questions to this community, which is made up of over 3 million and growing. In the past, HP has hosted meetups with experts in attendance as promoted in its community posts. You can even browse the online community to view quality photos of their events. Visa Before you start browsing through Visa’s online community, there’s a popup cookie notice that lets you know the site is using cookies and trackers that process personal data. This is a best practice by most business websites. Once you click Accept, you can access an array of community topics, questions, answers and even webinars at no charge.

No matter if you are planning to create a free website or already have one, promoting it is probably a priority for you. Because of this, digital marketing should be at the forefront of your thinking. It’s a field that’s always changing, which is why it’s important that you stay in the know and up-to-date on the latest tools available to you. If you’re searching for the right mix to add to your website, look no further than this list. With Wix marketing integrations, you have everything you need to get your site out into the world, from measuring the results of your online campaigns to collecting information about your visitors’ behavior and so much more. 10 Wix marketing integrations Here are the best Wix marketing integrations to add to your website: HubSpot Omnisend Google Analytics Meta Pixel Mailchimp Google Ads Privy VWO Crazy Egg Hotjar 01. HubSpot HubSpot is an inbound marketing and sales tool that allows you to handle your digital marketing strategy , including social media marketing, content management, website analytics, SEO and so much more in one place. Now it’s easier than ever to implement the HubSpot tracking pixel on your website to start tracking visitor activities and receive an array of other useful customer-based insights. One perk of using Wix and HubSpot together is how easy it is to generate leads with HubSpot Popups and Livechat, as well as Wix Forms - all without a single line of code. Furthermore, your contacts are automatically synced to HubSpot’s CRM . This exposes you to in-depth knowledge about your current and prospective customers: what pages they viewed, which forms they submitted, and what products or services they looked at. To get started, create a HubSpot account if you don’t already have one. Then, install the app. Finally, with just the click of a button, add the HubSpot tracking code to your Wix website using the link provided below. Get started: Add HubSpot to your Wix website 02. Omnisend Omnisend equips your eCommerce business with powerful marketing tools designed to turn shoppers into lifelong fans. With features like customizable email and SMS automations, pre-built workflows, and smart segmentation, the platform makes it easy to create campaigns that speak directly to your audience. Its intuitive analytics deliver actionable insights, helping you optimize campaigns on the fly and drive real growth—all while keeping your marketing personalized and effective. Getting started with Omnisend on Wix is seamless . In just a few clicks, you can connect your store, sync customer data, and start building targeted campaigns without hassle. With Omnisend’s easy-to-use dashboard, you’ll have everything you need to engage customers across multiple channels — all from one integrated platform. 03. Google Analytics With Google Analytics , you can track everything related to website traffic with the expansive amount of useful visitor insights it provides to you. By specifically connecting it to your Wix website, you’ll be able to see the total number of site visitors and page views you’ve obtained, where they are coming from, how long they are sticking around, and what keywords they used to get to your site. Imagine the possibilities available to you after retrieving this data. Before you add it your website though, you’ll need to create a Google Analytics account and retrieve your tracking code. Afterwards, paste that code into the ‘Connect Google Analytics’ section under ‘Marketing Integrations’ in your Wix website manager. Get started: Add Google Analytics to your Wix website 04. Meta Pixel If you have an eCommerce website , one of the best ways to perfect your advertising efforts is through Meta Pixel . Even before you schedule an ad campaign, you should start using this marketing resource. Why? Because it begins collecting intelligent data about your website visitors immediately. This information will allow you to build your best possible custom audience and a smart remarketing audience, track general or specific conversion events, and perform ad retargeting. By connecting it your Wix website, you’ll also see when a site visitor has viewed a product page, added a product to their cart, and completed a purchase. In order to do so, first create a Facebook Pixel, then follow the guided instructions here . Get started: Add Meta Pixel to your Wix website 05. Mailchimp This marketing automation platform is one of the best tools out there for email marketing . Mailchimp easy-to-use, customizable, and provides top insights for you. One of its most remarkable features is the ability to turn an email campaign into a social post. Another one is the segmentation of your campaigns to target only specific people based on their behaviors. We have good news too: It works hand in hand with your website. This Wix and Mailchimp duo begins when you connect Mailchimp to your website’s contacts, as you’ll be able to start sending even better targeted emails. All you have to do is click ‘connect contacts’ within the Mailchimp Marketing Integration of your Wix site. This action will pull the first name, last name, and email address of each of your site’s contacts. Get started: Add Mailchimp to your Wix website 06. Google Ads This is a remarketing tool, meaning that it allows you to target an audience who has already visited your website in the past. With Google Ads , you’ll be able to start reaching that audience better through advertising to them based on their location and other requirements you set. You can also completely customize your ads starting from your message in the text and photo down to the budget you choose to spend. In summary, by connecting this marketing tool to your website, you can start reaching customers who are actually searching for what your business offers. Begin the process by retrieving your Google Ads tag ID, then simply integrate Wix and Google Ads by adding it to your site under ‘Connect Google Ads’ in the ‘Marketing Integrations’ section. Get started: Add Google Ads to your Wix website 07. Privy For online store and website owners, this marketing resource is a must to drive sales. Their promises include growing your mailing list, reducing cart abandonment rate, and driving repeat sales. This is achieved using highly targeted onsite popups, banners, bars and more, as well as triggered email marketing campaigns. To start turning your site visitors into customers, create a Privy account. Then, you’ll be able to retrieve your Privy code and add it to your Wix website under the ‘Marketing Integrations’ section. Get started: Add Privy to your Wix website 08. VWO VWO , or ‘Visual Web Optimizer,’ is a marketing resource used for improving your engagement, discovering insights about your customers, and testing out ideas. This is the result of many experimentation processes you can utilize such as A/B testing. For your website, A/B testing refers to comparing two versions of a webpage to see which one performs better. VWO specifically uses this information for tracking sales, conversions, and more. Add this feature to your website and start understanding your visitors’ decisions and behaviors. Begin by creating your VWO account, then add and verify your ID in the ‘Marketing Integrations’ section of your Wix site. Get started: Add VWO to your Wix website 09. Crazy Egg Here’s another website optimization tool that does an excellent job of diving deep into a user’s experience on your website. Through heatmaps, session recordings, and A/B testing, you’ll be able to make sure that your CTAs are actually working, reorganize and prioritize content, identify website glitches, and the list goes on. The process is the same as the other marketing tools listed above when it comes to combining Crazy Egg and Wix. Create your user account, than easily add your account ID to your Wix site under ‘Marketing Integrations.’ Get started: Add Crazy Egg to your Wix website 10. Hotjar Visualize the behavior of your site visitors with Hotjar . This is another marketing resource offering heatmaps, along with many other analytical components. For heatmaps, see deep insights such as how far along the average visitor scrolled on your site, split the records by device type, and even download them to share with others. Hotjar also has a conversion funnel allowing you to have access to which pages are causing visitors to leave or convert to customers. Also analyze your website forms and more. The list of extensive opportunities for analysis and improvement are available once you connect Hotjar to your website. Begin by creating a Hotjar account. Then, obtain and save your tracking code. Enter this code into the ‘Connect Hotjar’ area of the ‘Marketing Integrations’ section on your website. Get started: Add Hotjar to your Wix website

Get started by: Creating a website → | Getting a domain → If you're passionate about providing exceptional hospitality and managing a range of services, starting a hotel business could be a good fit for you. This guide will walk you through the steps of initiating and operating a successful hotel business, including the advantages and challenges involved in starting a business , how to go about creating a business website  to support your hotel business and how to generate revenue in the hotel industry. What is a hotel business? A hotel business is a service-oriented business  that offers a variety of accommodations, amenities and services to guests. Hotel businesses typically provide services such as: Lodging services, including room reservations and check-ins Dining options, such as restaurants and room service Event hosting and conference facilities Recreational facilities, like gyms, pools and spas that can be used both by hotel guests and visitors Why start a hotel business? The US hotel industry is on a steady climb, projected to grow by a healthy 5.5% per year through 2033 . That translates to big bucks for savvy hospitality entrepreneurs – travelers are spending billions annually on their stays, with the average US hotel room topping $212 per night, according to Hopper's Q1 2023 data . This market presents a ripe opportunity for anyone with a passion for guest experience and a knack for creative ideas.  How to start a hotel business in 7 steps Decide on your hotel business niche Create a business plan Select a business structure Obtain business financing or capital Set up accounting and bookkeeping services Source specific hotel equipment Register your hotel business 01. Decide on your hotel business niche Various types of hotels cater to distinct preferences and market segments. When starting a hotel business, think about the target audience you wish to attract and what amenities can best suit their needs. Some of the more popular hotel business niches include: Luxury hotel chains : Starting a luxury hotel chain or a resort hotel can provide guests with high-end experiences and upscale accommodations, emphasizing luxury amenities and personalized services.  Resort hotels : Resort hotels focus on providing guests with enjoyable and luxurious experiences, often situated in scenic locations with extensive amenities like spas, recreational activities and fine dining options. Boutique hotels : Boutique hotels are characterized by their intimate settings, unique themes and personalized services, appealing to travelers seeking distinctive hospitality experiences. Extended stay hotels : Targeting guests with longer accommodation needs, extended stay hotels like Residence Inn by Marriott or Homewood Suites offer spacious rooms and kitchen facilities that are designed for extended visits. Budget-friendly accommodations : Motels and economy hotels cater to cost-conscious travelers, providing amenities at affordable rates while maintaining a level of quality and cleanliness. Class A hotels : Class A hotels include well-known brands like Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Courtyard by Marriott that offer comfort at competitive rates, appealing to a broad range of travelers. 02. Create a business plan Develop a comprehensive business plan  that covers key aspects of your business planning such as your target market, executive summary, marketing strategy  and financial projections. This plan serves as a roadmap for your business and aids in conveying your vision to potential investors when seeking funding. It should also include other important business information such as the type of business  you plan to start and your choice of a business name .  Here’s a hotel business plan template to get you started: Hotel business plan template Executive Summary  Business Name:  [Your Hotel's Name]  Business Structure:  [Sole Proprietorship/Partnership/LLC/Corporation]  Location:  [City, State]  Founding Date:  [Month, Year]  Founders/Owners: [Names]  Mission Statement:  [Concise statement of the hotel's purpose] Business Description Overview:  Briefly describe your hotel, including its key features, amenities and services.  Unique Selling Proposition (USP): Clearly define what sets your hotel apart from competitors. Target Market:  Identify your primary customer demographic and market segment. Services and Amenities  List and describe the accommodations, services and amenities your hotel will offer.  Include room types, dining options, event spaces, recreational facilities, etc. Market Analysis  Industry Overview:  Provide an overview of the hotel industry, including trends and growth projections.  Competitor Analysis : Identify key competitors and analyze their strengths and weaknesses.  Target Audience:  Define your target customer profile and their preferences. Marketing and Sales Strategy Marketing Plan: Outline your strategies for promoting the hotel, including online and offline channels. Pricing Strategy:  Detail your pricing structure and any promotional pricing. Sales Tactics:  Describe how you will attract bookings and increase occupancy rates. Operational Plan Location and Facilities:  Describe the physical location and facilities of your hotel. Suppliers:  List and describe key suppliers for goods and services. Staffing:  Outline your staffing plan, including roles and responsibilities. Financial Plan Startup Costs:  Detail initial investment requirements and startup expenses. Revenue Projections:  Provide realistic revenue projections for the first 3-5 years. Operating Costs:  Outline ongoing operating expenses, including utilities, maintenance and staff salaries. Funding Requirements:  Specify any funding needed and potential sources (loans, investors). Funding Proposal Purpose of Funding: Clearly state how the funds will be utilized. Amount Needed: Specify the amount of funding required. Repayment Plan:  Outline the proposed repayment plan for loans or investments. Risk Analysis  Identify potential risks and challenges that may impact the success of your hotel.  Develop strategies to mitigate and manage these risks. Appendices Include any additional documents or information relevant to your business plan. Examples: Market research data, resumes of key team members, mock-ups of marketing materials. Conclusion  Summarize the key points of your business plan and highlight the potential success of your hotel.  Conclude with a call to action or next steps. Note: This template serves as a general guide. Adjust and expand sections based on your specific business model and goals. 03. Select a business structure Choose an appropriate business entity  or structure for your hotel, such as a sole proprietorship , partnership , limited liability company (LLC ) or corporation . Each structure has its own advantages and disadvantages, so select the that algins with your business goals. Learn more: How to start an LLC , How to start an LLC in New York 04. Obtain business financing or capital Starting a hotel business involves substantial start-up costs. You’ll need to secure considerable financing through methods like bank loans, grants or investments from stakeholders to launch and sustain your business. Costs that you’ll need to factor in when securing financing for your business include: Purchase or lease of land or existing property Renovation or construction costs for the hotel building Fees for obtaining necessary licenses and permits for operating a hotel Interior design services Furniture, fixture and equipment for guest rooms, common areas and facilities  Installation of reservation systems and hotel management software Purchase of computers, servers and other technology infrastructure Recruitment and training costs for hotel staff Initial salaries and benefits for employees Marketing and advertising campaigns to promote the hotel Making a website  and its maintenance — best hotel website builders Initial inventory of linens, towels, toiletries and other guest supplies Setup and stocking of restaurant, bar, or catering facilities Licensing and health inspection costs for F&B operations Property insurance to protect against fire, theft or natural disasters Payment of applicable taxes, including property taxes and business taxes Ready to get started? Learn how to make a website with this easy guide. 05. Set up accounting and bookkeeping systems Establish robust accounting and bookkeeping systems from the outset to track income, expenses and ensure financial viability. This includes managing corporate tax obligations if applicable. 06. Source specific hotel equipment Acquire the necessary equipment for your hotel, ranging from room furnishings to kitchen appliances, based on the services you plan to offer. Some more specific examples of this include: Front office systems:  Computers, POS systems for check-in/out, reservation management software, and key card systems. Payment and communication:  Cash registers, credit card processing terminals, and telephone systems. Guest room essentials:  Beds, mattresses, linens, towels, wardrobes, dressers, bedside tables, lamps, desks, chairs and room safes. Room comforts:  Air conditioning/heating units, mini-fridges, minibars, televisions, irons, ironing boards and hairdryers. Cleaning and maintenance:  Cleaning carts, vacuum cleaners, carpet cleaners, laundry equipment and basic maintenance tools. Kitchen and dining facilities: Commercial ovens, stoves, grills, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, utensils, dining tables, chairs, tableware, and flatware. Technology and entertainment:  Wi-Fi, internet connectivity, audiovisual equipment, gym equipment, pool/spa equipment and game room equipment. Security and safety:  Surveillance cameras, monitoring systems, access control, alarms, security lighting, fire detection and suppression systems. Operational supplies: Cleaning supplies, toiletries, guest amenities, staff uniforms and waste disposal systems. Meeting and event facilities: POS systems for restaurant transactions, conference tables, chairs and catering equipment. 07 . Register your hotel Choose a unique hotel name  that matches your business vibe and is easy to remember. For inspiration, try a hotel name generator  and make sure it’s available in trademark databases, domain registrars and local listings to avoid legal issues. Once you’ve picked the perfect name, trademark it to protect your brand. Next, make your hotel business official. Get the necessary business licenses, zoning permits and tax registrations in place. Don’t forget hospitality-specific requirements like health inspections, fire codes and liability insurance. Decide on a business structure like an LLC, corporation or sole proprietorship to protect your assets, simplify taxes and manage risks like property damage or guest liabilities. Learn more: How to register a business , How to get a business license How much does it cost to start a hotel business? Starting a hotel business requires a substantial financial investment to cover various expenses such as property acquisition or lease, renovations or construction, operational costs, furnishing costs, staffing, amenities, marketing and contingency funds. The amount of money needed to start a hotel business can vary significantly depending on factors like location, size, target market and level of luxury. Starting a small boutique hotel could require anywhere from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, while larger upscale hotels may require multi-million dollar investments. It's crucial to conduct thorough financial planning, including budgeting for both initial startup costs and ongoing operational expenses, to ensure the successful launch and sustainable growth of your hotel business. Tips for managing your hotel business for profitability Once you’ve got your hotel off the ground, you’ll need to understand how to properly run and manage it in order to make sure it’s profitable. Here are some general tips on how to achieve that:  Research your industry Gain a deep understanding of the hotel industry, including market competition, target demographics and financial requirements. If you lack experience in the hotel industry, consider working for an established hotel or volunteering at a local hospitality agency to acquire valuable insights and experience. You might also choose to partner with someone who has that experience and industry connections. Create a financial plan Create a financial plan that includes detailed projections for startup costs, operational expenses, revenue forecasts and a profitability analysis. It should also include a thorough market analysis to determine the feasibility of starting your hotel business, considering factors such as target market demand, competition, pricing strategies and potential ROI . Your financial plan should also outline capital sources, whether through personal investment, loans, partnerships or investors and establish a clear budget allocation for areas like property acquisition, renovations, staffing, technology implementation and contingency funds. Effectively managing resources and startup capital , you can proactively mitigate risks. Promote your hotel Develop a robust marketing strategy from the beginning to proactively promote your hotel. You’ll also need to make a hotel website , for hotel bookings  and promotions. Emphasize customer service Exceptional customer service is crucial for success in the hotel industry. Ensure a positive experience for guests from booking to check-out. Invest in well-trained staff and establish clear customer service protocols to handle any hotel issues that may arise. Hotel businesses to inspire (all built on Wix) Coda Hotels This boutique Williamsburg hotel offers unique rooms as well as a beach club, nightclub, dining and other great facilities for their guests.  Chateau de Fontlozier This alps based hotel offers luxury stays from its historic building. Their large lawns offer a number of popular activities for hotel guests, including a children's play area.  Casa Agave This Mexican holiday rental villa includes 5 bedrooms and a stunning pool, for the perfect getaway. And is proof that you can start a hotel business with a vacation rental and build from there.  Stay Gainesville This furnished local accommodation for all lengths of stays also proves that a hotel business can be started with all types of properties.  Benefits of starting a hotel business Operating a hotel allows you to be your own boss, set your own hours and make independent decisions. At the same time the demand for hotel services is consistently high, particularly in areas with a substantial tourist or business traveler presence. For business owners who enjoy interacting with people, a hotel business can be rewarding on many levels.  Challenges of running a hotel business Hotel management requires diverse skills in areas such as customer service, event planning and facility maintenance. You’ll either need to become an expert fast in all of these areas, or invest in people who can do them.  Coordinating bookings, managing client expectations and ensuring timely service delivery can be challenging. Working with an online booking system or scheduling software  is crucial for managing this effectively.  Hotel occupancy rates can vary, leading to fluctuations in workload and revenue. With these challenges comes also the fact that the hotel industry is competitive and standing out requires a unique value proposition and effective marketing. How profitable is a hotel business? The profitability of a hotel business depends on factors such as location, market demand, competition, pricing strategies and operational efficiency. For example, high population density and tourist-centric areas often offer more potential customers but may also mean increased competition from other hotels. This intense competition may be applying more competitive rates and diversified services in order to compete and make a profit. In general, regardless of the type of business, streamlining business processes can contribute to higher profitability by reducing costs and enhancing service delivery. How to start a hotel business FAQ How much does it cost to open a hotel? Hotel costs can really vary. Renovations might cost anywhere from $8,000 to $150,000+ per room depending on the hotel's class. New builds range from $160,000 for budget options to over $1 million for luxury. Things like location, materials and keeping up with regulations all impact the final price tag. How can I start a small hotel business? Secure a great location that meets zoning laws and get the permits you need. Create a solid business plan that covers financing, operations and marketing. Starting with a boutique hotel, bed and breakfast or themed lodging can help you stand out and attract a specific audience. What is the monthly income of a hotel owner? A hotel owner’s monthly income depends on factors like hotel size, occupancy rates and pricing strategy. Small hotel owners might earn between $5,000 and $50,000 per month, while large or luxury hotel owners can bring in six-figure profits each month. Of course, expenses like staffing, maintenance and loan payments will affect the final take-home earnings. Is a hotel a good investment? A hotel can be a great investment if managed properly, bringing steady income through room bookings, events and services like dining or spa treatments. Success often comes down to location, market demand and economic conditions. While startup costs can be high, a well-managed hotel in a high-tourism area has the potential to deliver solid ROI over time. Other business ideas you might be interested in How to start an eCommerce business How to start a dropshipping business How to start a box truck business How to start a construction business How to start a car detailing business How to start a DJ business How to start a dog walking business How to start a catering business How to start a real estate business How to start a lawn care business How to start a food truck business How to start a landscaping business How to start a pressure washing business How to start a cleaning business How to start a tutoring business How to start a coaching business How to start a pool cleaning business How to start a food business How to start a painting business How to start a handyman business   How to start a nail business   How to start a trucking business   How to start a farming business How to start a flower business How to start a medical supply business How to start a gaming business How to start a sports card business How to start a frozen food business How to start a courier business How to start a laundromat business How to start a wedding business How to start a dance studio

The debate between one-page vs. multi-page websites is ongoing, with each design offering distinct benefits and challenges. This is because when it comes to learning how to make a website for your business, its structure plays a central role. A single-page or one-page website is essentially a lone page that houses all of your content, whereas a multi-page website has multiple pages under its domain. As you consider which to build, it's important to understand how these structures can impact not just the user experience but also your site's SEO and conversion rates. In this article, we'll dive deeper into what each type of website entails, their advantages and disadvantages. Plus how a website builder can help you create a website that aligns perfectly with your business strategy. Whether you're looking to tell a compelling story through a seamless single-page design or aiming to build an extensive site with robust navigation options. What is a single-page website? A single-page website is a website that condenses all of its content into one long scrollable page. It's designed to provide a linear journey for the user, where everything from the about section to contact information is accessed by scrolling rather than clicking through to different pages. For example, a local bakery might use a single-page website to display their menu, location, opening hours and a contact form for special orders. This format can be particularly effective for storytelling or presenting information in a sequential order. Creating a single-page website can be straightforward and user-friendly. Use a website builder with a wide range of customizable website templates and drag-and-drop features that allow you to design your website without needing extensive technical knowledge. You can easily include images, videos and other media to create an engaging user experience all on one page. Advantages of single-page websites Single-page websites offer a range of benefits that can be particularly appealing for certain businesses and projects. Here are some of the key advantages: Enhanced user engagement : With all content presented on one page, users enjoy a continuous flow of information without the interruption of loading new pages. This can lead to a more engaging and immersive experience, especially when the website's design tells a story or guides the visitor through a narrative. Simplified storytelling : A single-page layout is ideal for storytelling, allowing you to control how visitors consume your content. You can guide them through your message in a predetermined order, which can be very effective for branding and marketing purposes. Ease of maintenance : Managing a single-page website is generally less complex than maintaining a multi-page site. With only one page to update, you can ensure consistency across your content and design elements with minimal effort. Get started with these one page website templates. Disadvantages of single-page websites While single-page websites have their perks, they also come with certain limitations that might affect your business's online strategy. Here are some disadvantages to consider: SEO drawbacks : Single-page websites can face challenges with search engine optimization (SEO). With only one page to index, you have fewer opportunities to target multiple keywords and may struggle to rank for a variety of search terms. Limited content scope : Due to their nature, single-page sites are best suited for simpler, more focused content. If your business requires extensive information or multiple sections, a single-page design might not be sufficient to cover all your needs. Potential user overwhelm : A single page crammed with too much information can be overwhelming for visitors. It's crucial to strike the right balance between content and whitespace to keep users engaged without overloading them. What is a multi-page website? In contrast to their single-page counterparts, multi-page websites consist of several pages under a single domain, each dedicated to a different aspect of the business or topic. This standard website structure allows for a more extensive and detailed presentation of content, with a clear hierarchy and navigation system. For instance, an e-commerce website will typically use a multi-page website to separate product categories, provide detailed product pages, offer an about us section and host a blog. This separation helps users find specific information quickly and efficiently. Learn more: Benefits of a website Advantages of multi-page websites Multi-page websites are the go-to structure for many businesses due to their ability to handle complex information and provide a detailed user experience. Here are some of the advantages they offer: Improved SEO opportunities : With multiple pages, you have more opportunities to target a variety of keywords, which can improve your site's visibility in search engine results. Scalability : As your business grows, so can your website. Adding new products, services, or content sections is straightforward with a multi-page design. Content organization : A multi-page layout allows for better organization of content into categories and subcategories, making it easier for website users to navigate and find what they're looking for. Learn more: Small business website statistics Disadvantages of multi-page websites compared to single page sites While multi-page websites are advantageous for various reasons, they also present some challenges that need to be carefully managed: Complex navigation : The more pages your website has, the more complex the navigation can become. It's crucial to have a clear and intuitive navigation structure to prevent users from getting lost or frustrated. Higher maintenance : With multiple pages to manage, updating content and ensuring consistency across your site requires more time and resources. Longer design and create time : Building a multi-page website typically takes longer than a single-page site due to the increased amount of content and design elements that need to be created and organized. However, using an AI website builder, a multi-page site can not be build in minutes. Single-page vs. multi-page: the SEO When it comes to SEO, the structure of your website can significantly influence your online visibility and search rankings. Here's how single-page and multi-page websites stack up in the realm of SEO. Single-page sites and SEO A single-page website consolidates all its authority onto one URL, which can be beneficial if that page earns backlinks and social shares. With fewer pages to load, single-page websites can offer faster loading times, which is a positive signal for search engines. However its difficult, if not impossible, to rank for a wide range of keywords when all content is on one page. Multi-page websites and SEO Having multiple pages allows you to target different keywords and topics, increasing your chances of ranking for a variety of terms. If you start a blog you can potentially create. andrank hundreds of pages, in order to generate organic traffic to your site. Search engines tend to favor comprehensive content that provides value to users, which is easier to achieve with more pages. A multi-page structure offers ample opportunities for internal linking, which helps distribute page authority throughout your site. This creates a better user experience and helps you rank better too. Choosing between a single-page or multi-page website for SEO purposes depends on your specific goals and the breadth of content you wish to present. If you aim to target a wide array of search terms and provide detailed information, a multi-page website might be more advantageous. However, if speed and a focused narrative are your priorities, a single-page design can be the better option. Single page site vs. multipage site: the user experience The user experience (UX) of a website is crucial in keeping visitors engaged and converting them into customers or followers. Both single-page and multi-page websites offer unique UX benefits and challenges. Single-page websites and UX With a one page website, users enjoy a seamless journey without the need to navigate through multiple pages, which can be particularly effective and a better experience on mobile devices. The linear format is conducive to storytelling, allowing you to guide visitors through your content in a specific order. Multi-page websites and UX With this type of website, users can easily understand the structure of the site with clearly defined sections and a familiar navigation system. Visitors can quickly find the specific information they're looking for by clicking through to the relevant page. The impact on UX will vary depending on your audience's preferences and your website's purpose. It's important to consider how your visitors will interact with your content and what kind of journey you want them to have when choosing between a single-page or multi-page website design. Learn more: How much does a website cost Best one-page website builders A designer's guide to selecting the right website template

Imagine going to a shopping mall and discovering that there’s no rhyme or reason to the building’s layout: only one way in and out, no shortcuts, plenty of dead ends, and no directory at the entrance to help visitors make sense of it all. Now imagine what would happen if you create a website that way: Your visitors’ initial curiosity will quickly give way to confusion and stress, and they’d likely leave the page—never to return again. This is why the principles of information architecture form such a critical part of website design. In this guide, we’ll break down what information architecture is and the steps and tools you’ll need to accomplish it. What is information architecture? Information architecture (IA) refers to the structure, organization, and labeling of information within a product or website. In UX design , designers conduct extensive research and testing to plan how to best organize information so users can easily complete their goals. Information architecture includes: The design, organization, and labeling of the sitemap The relationship of pages within the sitemap and the corresponding hierarchy The layout of content on each page The flow of users from page to page The users’ goals and the steps that take them there The way in which users search for information on the site IA design uses user research, psychology, and your business’s overarching goals as the foundation for your website design. Peter Morville and Louis Rosenfeld ’s simple tool can help anyone designing a website to strike this balance: Your information architecture strategy sits at the center of this Venn diagram. By accounting for your users, your content, as well as the context within which your website operates, you can craft a well-balanced website. What are the benefits of information architecture design? With a well-researched and user-centric strategy, you can architect a foundation for your site that benefits everyone involved. Users get a better website experience Consumers head to a website to find something they need or want, but all too often a site built without the foundations of information architecture can prevent them from accomplishing that goal. When you build a website with the foundations of IA in mind, you base decisions off of user research and testing instead of assumptions or biases. Because of this, the site is easier to understand and navigate, and consumers are less likely to bounce and more likely to engage or convert. The content will be more useful Information architecture design informs content strategy because it helps define the following details: Who copy is written for for Which pages will be on the site How the pages relate to one another What the ideal layout and hierarchy is for each page How and where users should move from one page to another Since every piece of website copy should serve a purpose—from the headline in your home page’s hero image to the smaller bits of microcopy scattered around the site—writing to this foundational research can ensure each word and sentence executes on its intended purpose. Your website will easier to manage Once you map out all your website’s information, you’ll have a crystal-clear game plan for implementing and maintaining your website. Websites always need updating down the road, whether it’s adding pages and blog posts or updating services and launching new products. With a solid, organized foundation for your site, changes can be made in a cost-efficient and timely manner, too. How to design your website with information architecture No matter your website size, taking the time to include principles of information architecture in your website design will ensure a better experience for all. Here are the basic steps to follow: 01. Define your website goals Visitors should be able to glance at the navigation and know within seconds what your brand does and what they can get from the website. Irrelevant and poorly organized content will only lead to confusion. For that reason, the first step in designing a website with information architecture principles is to define your goals to ensure your design delivers what you aim to accomplish. Take, for instance, a website for an accounting firm. Let’s say the owners would like their primary goal to be signing new clients, while their secondary goal is getting subscribers. If the navigation and homepage prioritize the blog over the accounting services, the information architecture will likely push more visitors towards the secondary goal instead of the primary goal. Completing a goal on your website should be as intuitive as possible for your users, from using the navigation, reading content, taking steps to convert, and so on. To do this, you need to base your site’s architecture off real data tied to your site’s unique goals rather than what other sites have done or on assumptions about your audience. 02. Conduct user research Your goal is to figure out who your users are, what sort of problems they experience, and what they need from your website. While market and competitive research will help you learn more about your target audience, you’ll need to go directly to the source for the rest. You can use a variety of methods to conduct user research: Online surveys : You don’t need anything fancy to create online surveys. An online survey tool will help you generate surveys to send to your target audience. User interviews : You can host one-on-one interviews in person or over videochat to get real-time input and feedback from target users. Focus groups : If you want to gather insights directly from your users, consider going the focus group route. This may give you a broader sense of what they need from your brand or website, and will allow you to more easily follow up on topics you want their input on. 03. Create user personas The first thing to do with your collected user research is to create a user persona from it. A user persona is a fictional user that represents the real users you’re building your website for. Why bother with this? After all, you already did the research to figure out who they are and what they want from your site. A user persona isn’t just a vague description of who they are. For instance, “moms-to-be shopping for baby clothes.” A user persona provides you with a complete description as well as a face and name to that fictional user. Your user persona (or personas if you have different users) will: Show you who your users are Provide a background for them Explain what they do for a living List their hobbies Describe their problems Explain what their goal is in engaging with a business like yours Offer quotes that lend insights into how they think and behave 04. List out your pages Now it’s time to figure out how many pages your website needs to help your visitors accomplish their goals. Anything more than what’s necessary might overwhelm visitors—anything less and they might not feel confident about staying on your website. To determine what pages you’ll include in your website, complete the following: Write down all the web pages you plan on building: If you’re creating a large eCommerce site, you don’t need to write down every product page (unless you have that list handy somewhere). Just the broad categories will do for now. Include a one-line description of each page: If you’re struggling to concisely describe a page’s purpose, then that is a sign you may need to break up the content into multiple pages. Classify the page based on its purpose: A page’s purpose dictates what content appears on it and what the users’ ultimate goal or action will be, whether its navigation, education, search, interaction, and so on. For instance, the homepage is a navigation page. While visitors might learn a lot about your brand from the homepage, it’s an important navigational tool that will guide them towards their next step. A blog post or services page, on the other hand, would be considered educational pages. There are also interaction pages, like contact and checkout. 05. Organize your pages through testing and analysis Now it’s time to establish relationships between your pages and determine the best way to organize them. The exercises included in this section will help you decide the best website structure as well as how best to categorize or group your content. To do this, you would ideally engage with your target users once more—however, you can always run through the exercises on your own or use a colleague or friend. Just make sure to review the user personas you’ve created before beginning any of these exercises and approach it from their point of view: Card sorting (open) In this exercise, you’ll give participants a stack of cards with topics on them. You can do this exercise in person with paper cards or an online card sorting tool. You’ll then ask the participants to organize the cards in a way that makes the most sense to them. They will also need to assign a label to each category. This is a useful technique if you’re designing a business website and are curious about how users would want to see the pages grouped together. For instance, would the FAQs page belong under About or Contact? Or should it be a top-level page? Card sorting (closed) Unlike an open card sort, all the participants do in this exercise is organize their cards of topics under already established labels. This exercise is helpful for large sites, like those in eCommerce or media. For example, you wouldn’t really need to know how to label eCommerce categories like “Womens” and “Home,” but you would be concerned how the individual product pages should be categorized and sub-categorized, for example where “Travel accessories” and “Handbags” belong. Tree testing Tree testing is a useful exercise to complete after card sorting. Again, you can do this in person or online. In this experiment, provide participants with a simplified version of your website structure, forming a map connecting all your pages in a tree-like structure. Ask them to complete certain tasks using this, and note if they struggle when trying to complete a task. If they do, this exercise will give you the opportunity to ask them where the issue is in real time. For example, they might say there are too many links in the website menu, or that some labels don’t make sense. This invaluable information will ensure that you design the most user-friendly website navigation . 06. Finalize the sitemap By this point, you’ve started to gather up all the pieces for your sitemap. And if you did tree testing, then you should already have a working sketch of it. Now, you’re going to create a formal sitemap that represents what your menu looks like. While you can draw it out by hand or create it within design software, it’s easier to use a digital visual sitemap tool. One thing to keep in mind when creating a sitemap is that consistency is key. Before you start laying down the pages and other navigational elements, create a legend for your sitemap. Use the same types of shapes, lines, arrows, and other symbols to signify certain types of content and relationships within your website. 07. Create wireframes and user flows With the navigation settled, focus on nailing down the architecture of your pages. You’ll do this by creating wireframes for them. Wireframes help create a consistent structure for your site—to establish the layouts, patterns, and visual hierarchy rules for your pages. You can sketch out your wireframes by hand if you’re building a smaller website. You also have the option of using digital wireframing software. In terms of how you create your web page structures, the data you’ve gathered throughout this process will come in handy. However, don’t forget to reference the principles of design , too. Deviate from them and you risk creating a website that feels unfamiliar, unpredictable, and unusable to your visitors. One other thing to consider at this stage is building user journeys based upon your wireframes. You can make these as simple or complex as you want. Regardless of what level of detail goes into the flow chart, this type of diagramming can help you identify dead ends, convoluted pathways, or confusing link systems on your website. Start by adding interaction points to show how certain pages connect to other pages within the IA.

The perfect domain is just a click away: claim your domain →   The terms URI and URL are often used interchangeably, but, when it comes to creating a website and choosing a domain name , they have distinct meanings and applications that can be important to understand.  What is a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI)? A URI is a string of characters that uniquely identifies a resource on the internet. It consists of several components, including the scheme, authority, path, query and fragment. Each part plays a role in identifying and interacting with online resources and assets. What is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL)? A URL is a specific type of URI that not only identifies a resource but also provides the means to locate it. It includes information such as the protocol (e.g., HTTP or HTTPS ) and the domain name, which directs users to the resource's location on the web. These are often referred to as the parts of a url. For businesses figuring out how to create a website , understanding these concepts is vital . It helps in creating effective web strategies and ensures that resources are easily accessible to users. Proper use of URIs and URLs can improve your site's user experience, navigation and branding. Learn more: Domain vs URL URI vs URL — what exactly are the differences The terms URI and URL are often confused and used interchangeably but they serve different purposes when it comes to website creation. While all URLs are URIs, not all URIs are URLs. A URI can be a name, a location or both. URLs specifically provide the means to access a resource by describing its primary access mechanism. A URN is another type of URI that serves as a unique identifier without providing the means to locate the resource. It focuses on the identity rather than the location, making it distinct from URLs. This can be a tricky comparison to understand so let's lay it out like this: URI (Uniform Resource Identifier): A generic term for all types of names and addresses that refer to objects on the web. URL (Uniform Resource Locator): A specific type of URI that provides a means to locate a resource by describing its primary access mechanism. URN (Uniform Resource Name): A type of URI that identifies a resource by name in a particular namespace, without implying its location. All URLs are URIs but not all URIs are URLs. Buy a domain name  today. What is a URL syntax with examples? URL (Uniform Resource Locator) syntax refers to the structure and components that make up a URL. A URL typically consists of several parts, each serving a specific purpose. Here’s a breakdown of the syntax and components of a URL, along with examples: Scheme: Indicates the protocol used to access the resource. Common schemes include `http`, `https`, `ftp`, etc. Username:Password (optional): Authentication credentials for accessing secure resources. But this isnot commonly used in modern URLs due to security concerns. Host: The domain name or IP address of the server where the resource is hosted, `www.example.com` Port (optional): Specifies the port number on the server. If omitted, default ports are used (e.g., 80 for HTTP, 443 for HTTPS). Path: The specific location of the resource on the server, `/path/to/resource` Query (optional): A string of key-value pairs that provide additional parameters to the resource. It begins with a `?`. Example: `?key1=value1&key2=value2` Fragment (optional): A reference to a specific section within the resource, starting with `#`. URL examples 1. HTTP URL - `http://www.example.com` 2. HTTPS URL - `https://secure.example.com` 3. FTP URL - `ftp://ftp.example.com/resource.txt` 4. URL with Path and Query - `https://www.example.com/search?q=URL+syntax` 5. URL with Fragment - `https://www.example.com/articles#section2` What is a URI syntax with examples? The syntax of a URI is defined by several components, which are similar to those in a URL but a URI's primary purpose is to identify a resource rather than to locate it. The basic structure of a URL looks like this: scheme:scheme-specific-part. Its components are: Scheme: Indicates the protocol or method of access (e.g., `http`, `https`, `ftp`, `mailto`, etc.). Scheme-specific part: This portion varies based on the scheme and can include authority, path, query and fragment components. Authority (optional): This includes the user information, host (domain) and port. Path: The specific location of the resource. Query: A string of key-value pairs providing additional parameters. Fragment (optional): A reference to a specific section within the resource. URI examples 1. HTTPS URI - `https://www.example.com` 2. URN - `urn:isbn:0451450523` (Identifies a book by its ISBN) 3. Data URI - `data:text/plain;base64,SGVsbG8sIFdvcmxkIQ==` (Encodes a string in base64) 4. Mailto URI - `mailto:info@example.com` (Used to initiate an email) File URI - `file:///C:/path/to/file.txt` (Identifies a file on the local filesystem) URI vs URL examples in action To grasp the practical applications of URI and URL, it's helpful to explore real-world examples of both. These examples illustrate how these concepts are used in different programming environments and platforms. Consider a web page with the URL https://www.example.com/index.html . This URL specifies the protocol (HTTPS), domain (example.com) and path (index.html) to locate the resource. In contrast, a URI might be urn:isbn:0451450523 , which identifies a book by its International Standard Book Number without specifying how to access it. Java: In Java, you can use the java.net.URI  class to create URIs. For example, URI uri = new URI("http://www.example.com");  allows you to manipulate and parse the components of a URI. Python: Python's urllib.parse  module provides tools for parsing URLs. You can use it to break down a URL into its components or construct URLs from individual parts. Android: In Android development, URIs are often used in intents to specify data or actions. For instance, Uri.parse("tel:123456789")  can be used to initiate a phone call. Get started with a domain name generator. Specific use cases for each URI: Used when you need a broad identifier that can be either a name or location. Useful in applications where flexibility is required. URL: Ideal for situations where the exact location of a resource is necessary, such as linking to web pages or resources. URN: Best suited for identifying resources by name within specific namespaces, like ISBNs for books or ISSNs for periodicals.