Webwej is a professional full-service website development company that specializes in creating websites for small businesses in Charlottesville, VA. Webwej has provided innovative website solutions to dozens of successful clients. Our customer-focused attitude and exceptional drive for excellence sets us apart from other website development and search engine optimization firms. We set the bar high for creative design and development practices and always take pride in our work.
We also place a lot of focus on marketing websites and businesses. That’s because we know that having a great website isn’t enough. You have to be able to market that website so that internet users can find you. That’s why we don’t just create a good-looking website. We ensure that the website has the latest search engine optimization principles integrated into the design.
Professional Website Developer Located in Charlottesville
Professional website development requires a lot more than a flashy, brightly colored animations and stock photos. It takes knowledge of accepted design principles, usability studies, and new web development technology that’ll help your company deliver to more potential customers. We know professional website design and development inside and out. We don’t accept all clients, but instead focus on small companies with small budgets that need a new or improved internet presence. Webwej focuses on creating brochure type websites that encompass high quality, clean website development. We create only the best!
Take a look at some sites I’ve created for other clients to see the type of sites we make for small service businesses like yours.
If you’re ready to have me get started on making your small service business website, get in touch now for an estimate. Half of the cost is due upfront and half is due upon project completion.
WordPress Website Development Best Practices
WordPress is one of the most widely used content management systems and continues to grow in popularity. With loads of plug-ins and themes with various capabilities, WordPress has enough robust functionality to work as a solution for almost any type of website.
WordPress is designed to be user-friendly, has a long history and is very popular, and has limitless customization possibilities. Below are some WordPress website development best practices that we use to create a dynamic and efficient WordPress website.
Create a Test Environment
Your website is almost like a living space that grows and changes as your business and interests evolve. You’ll most likely be making changes to your site regularly whether it’s updating inventory, editing information, or adding new features.
If you make changes or updates to your live site, you run the risk of causing your site to crash, or inadvertently breaking one part while you try to fix another. One of the easiest ways to avoid this is to make fixes in a test environment. To do this, we essentially create a clone or staging site. Many third-party web site hosts offer staging site features that easily allow you to migrate information from the test site to your live site.
If you do not use a third-party website host, there are a few different ways to create a test site. One of the easiest is to set your site to “coming soon,” but you could also use WordPress’s restore and backup options as well.
Take Advantage of the Comprehensive WordPress Library and Tutorials
Another advantage to using a popular website builder like WordPress, is that you will find tons of help available from WordPress experts and enthusiasts. You can be sure that the problem or issue you are encountering is not unique to you nor your website. Within the WordPress ecosystem, you have access to FAQs, user forums, and WordPress help articles.
However, outside the WordPress ecosystem, there are also many tutorials and articles created by other WordPress users that can be invaluable. Take the time to explore “how-tos” and when you encounter a problem, seek help instead of wasting hours trying to figure it out on your own.
Update. Update. Update.
WordPress regularly updates their various themes, plugins and widgets which is why it is essential to run regular checks to make sure you’re using the latest versions. Sometimes these updates are for added security, to fix bugs and increase efficiency, or to add mare functionality.
As a result, ensuring you are running the latest updates, will help your site speeds and provide you the highest security available. Using outdated versions of WordPress can leave your site vulnerable to malware and other bugs.
Be Sure Your Website Looks Great on Mobile Devices
More and more people access web content from their mobile devices, and it seems that this trend will only continue to increase. Therefore, we pay close attention to how your website appears and performs on mobile devices.
Because WordPress does frequently roll out updates, many of their newer themes, plugins and widgets are designed to be mobile-friendly but it’s always important to check to be sure. Although it’s easier to make changes and improvements to your site on a desktop with a large screen, spend some time exploring your site from your mobile devices as well to see how it appears and functions, as that is how many users will access your website.
Get an SSL Certificate
SSL stands for a Secure Sockets Layer. While it is not required for websites to operate, an SSL certificate is highly recommended for any type of website —both eCommerce sites as well as business websites. An SSL certificate adds an extra layer of security to your site and shows users you value security and are operating a professional website.
Furthermore, search engines like Google now flag websites without SSL certificates to warn users those sites may not be secure. If you use a web hosting service, an SSL certificate is usually included (even in the most basic packages). SSL certificates are included on all websites that we make. If you are unsure if you have one, check your URL. If it starts with https, you are secure. (You’ll also see a lock icon next to the domain name.)
Make a Website That’s Simple and Useful
Just because WordPress offers you a ton of plugins and customization tools does not mean you need to become an expert at using them all. Spend some time thinking about the tools and features you you most and get good at understand and tweaking those.
As professional website developers, leave understanding and tweaking WordPress features to us. Most customers prefer a clean and simple website for your Charlottesville business. And that’s exactly the types of website me make – clean, simple, and useful.
Make Use of Caching for Better Website Speed
How caching works is complex but luckily you don’t need to know how it works, you just need to know that we enable caching on your website to improve your websites speed and performance.
Caching is like a memory tool that helps your website remember who has visited your site and what parts of your website were accessed. Instead having to calculate each visit as a new request, caching helps your website remember the first request and thus, operate faster.
Be Mindful of Third-Party Themes or Plugins
Although WordPress offers a huge variety of themes and plugins, we use only tried, true, and tested ones that will not hurt your site. They are developed by reputable companies and are updated frequently. One way to differentiate your site from others will be its ease of use and consistent functionality.
We’ll Develop a High Quality WordPress Website for Your Charlottesville Business
Developing a website can be equal parts rewarding and frustrating – even for the most tech savvy among us. Take advantage of our wisdom and know-how. We’ve created and maintained hundreds of successful WordPress websites and employ these helpful tips and best practices.