Building a website isn’t a simple process, and there are various factors that go into the design/development of one. Think about making the perfect cheeseburger. There’s the obvious ingredient, the burger itself. But it wouldn’t be the same without the cheese, bun, and, depending on your preferences, ketchup, pickles and other add-ons. Now think about removing all that stuff that makes the cheeseburger taste good. Not so tasty anymore, right? Consider a website with just the bare minimum—like that plain burger, it’s dry—bo-ring.

Here are a few things to consider when building a site that may spice up your web presence and make it less run of the mill.

• Think about mobile-first/responsive. Responsive sites are easily viewable on any device, whether it’s a desktop computer, tablet or smartphone. Is this important to you? Take into account the rise of mobile use, especially smartphones. Consider that your audience may not always be sitting at a desk, and that many people are often on-the-go and access the Internet from a variety of devices.
• Consider building your site on a Content Management System (CMS). Using a CMS enables you to easily go in and make small changes to your site (i.e., a typo) without worrying about making a drastic change or messing something up. This is especially useful if you don’t know much about web development or if you aren’t especially tech savvy.
• Mobile is big, but don’t forget about social. Today especially, this is a big one. If you’re on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or other major social platforms (which you should be), think about the potential reach you could have if your posts were integrated right onto your website.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of having a blog. If you have stuff to say about your industry, blogging is never a bad idea. And one of the best ways to get your blog out there to the world is, you guessed it, via your website. A well-maintained blog can provide a fresh spin on your business and keep your customers in the loop. It also helps with organic SEO!