Planning a new website? Here is a checklist to get you started in the web design process:

1) Domain Name

Your domain name is the web address visitors will type into their browser in order to find your website. For example, www.roiessentials.com is our domain name. Your domain name should be easy to remember, easy to spell and reflect the work that you do. It's best to avoid numbers and dashes where possible.

If you haven't purchased your domain name yet GoDaddy and BlueHost are good domain registrars.

2) Web Hosting

A web hosting account is where your website files will be stored on the internet. This is required for all websites. The plan you select will depend on the requirements of your website. If you have not set-up your hosting account yet GoDaddy and BlueHost are both good hosting providers.

If you need a VPS or dedicated server we recommend LiquidWeb.

3)  List of Websites You Like

Before having any designer start creating your website it is always a good idea to provide the designer with a list of three to five websites you like. You should tell the designer what you like about these sites, for example, easy navigation, the color scheme, layout, etc. This helps the designer get an idea of your taste and what you are looking for. This can help save time in the design process.

4. Engaging Content

You want your customers to return to your website, right? Well then, you need to give them a reason why. Up-to-date engaging content will keep customers coming back time and time again. If you don't have the time to create your own content don't just forget about it, hire someone to create content and keep those customers and sales coming in.

5. Payment Gateway for E-Commerce Stores

If you will be selling products online you will need a way for customers to pay. If you are just starting out using one of PayPal's account options may be the cheapest and easiest to set-up. As your sales grow you may want to look into another merchant to meet your neds. You should look into various merchant accounts to see which one is best for you. You can start with looking into merchants such as: PayPal and 2CheckOut.

6. Site Layout

Before putting your site together spend sometime thinking about how to organize your website content. Think about the content you have now but also what you may like to add in the future. Take a look at other similar sites to see how they have their site organized and begin writing down a menu for the site. Common site menus have the following menus at a minimum: Home, About Us, Contact Us, Shop, Services, FAQs, Portoflio, etc.

7. Great Images

Whether you are selling a product or a service the images can make or break your site. If you are selling products it is worth the cost of hiring a product photographer to create stunning images of your products to display on your website. If you don't have the budget or provide services you can always consider using stock images to enhance your site.