Building a website is a pivotal step for businesses looking to establish a significant online presence. HubSpot, a leading inbound marketing and sales platform, offers a collection of free themes to help users get started on their website creation journey. In this guide, we will walk you through the process of building a HubSpot website using these free themes.
Step 1: Pick a Theme
Begin by exploring HubSpot's Theme Marketplace to identify a theme that aligns with your brand and business needs. With an array of free themes available, you're sure to find one that speaks to your brand's essence. When choosing a theme, consider:
- Layout: Does it have the right balance of text, images, and white space?
- Functionality: Does it offer features that cater to your specific requirements?
- Responsiveness: Is the theme mobile-friendly, ensuring a seamless experience across all devices?
Step 2: Update Theme to Match Brand
Once you've selected your theme, customise it to reflect your brand's identity. Adjust:
- Colour schemes to align with your brand colours.
- Fonts to match your brand's typography.
- Logo placement to ensure it's prominent yet tasteful.
- Images and icons that resonate with your brand story.
Step 3: Identify Main Pages and Pillar Pages
Determine the structure of your website by identifying:
- Main Pages: These are the primary pages, like Home, About Us, Services, and Contact.
- Pillar Pages: Comprehensive pages that provide detailed information on a specific topic and serve as a foundation for clusters of related content.
Step 4: Build Menu
A clear and intuitive navigation menu is key to a positive user experience. Structure your menu based on user journey and importance. For example:
- Home
- About Us
- Services
- Service 1
- Service 2
- Service 3
- Pillar Pages (if any)
- Blog
- Contact
An intuitive and user-friendly navigation menu is crucial for any website, as it dictates how visitors interact with your content and can significantly impact user experience and conversions. Let's delve deeper into the techniques, tips, and tricks to craft an optimal menu for your HubSpot website.
Hierarchical Structure
Begin with a top-down approach:
- Primary Pages: Start with your most essential pages like Home, About Us, and Contact.
- Secondary Pages: These could be drop-down items under primary pages or services/products you offer.
- Tertiary Pages: Deep dive sections or articles that fall under secondary pages.
Limit Primary Navigation Items
Overloading your primary navigation can overwhelm visitors. Aim for 5-7 primary items to ensure clarity and focus. Any additional items can be incorporated as sub-menus or footer links.
Use Clear and Concise Labels
Avoid using jargon or vague terms. Stick to universally understood words for primary pages. For instance, "Blog" is more instantly recognisable than "Insights" or "Musings."
Prioritise Items
Position the most important or most-clicked items towards the beginning and end of the menu, as these spots tend to attract the most attention.
Responsive and Mobile-Friendly Design
With a significant number of users accessing websites via mobile:
- Ensure the menu collapses into a 'hamburger' menu or similar on smaller screens.
- Check the touch-friendliness; make sure the items are easy to tap without misclicking.
Sticky Navigation
Consider making your menu 'sticky', meaning it remains at the top of the page as users scroll. This ensures that navigation is always accessible, enhancing user experience, especially on long pages.
Utilise Icons and Visual Cues
Small icons next to menu items can provide quick visual clues about the content. For instance, a small envelope icon next to 'Contact' or a magnifying glass for 'Search' can enhance usability.
Highlight the Current Page
Use visual indicators like bolded text, color changes, or underlines to show users which page or section they're currently on.
Incorporate Search for Larger Sites
If your website has a vast amount of content, consider integrating a search bar in your menu or header. This will help visitors quickly find the information they're seeking.
Test and Iterate
Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of your menu:
- User Testing: Observe how real users interact with your menu. Do they find what they need quickly?
- Analytics: Use tools to monitor which menu items are clicked most frequently and which might be causing confusion or drop-offs.
Step 5: Build Out Pillar Pages (if required)
If your content strategy includes pillar pages, focus on:
- Comprehensive Content: Ensure the page covers the topic thoroughly.
- Internal Linking: Link to related sub-topic articles or blog posts.
- Engaging Media: Incorporate relevant images, infographics, and videos to break up the text and enrich user engagement.
Step 6: Complete Content Strategy and Build Blogs
Content is the backbone of your website. Create and curate:
- Quality Blogs: Produce engaging and informative blogs that offer value to your audience.
- Optimisation: Ensure each blog post is SEO-friendly, with appropriate keywords, meta descriptions, and optimised images.
Launch:
Once you've executed the aforementioned steps, it's time to launch your website. However, remember that building a website is not a "set and forget" endeavour. For optimal results:
- Review regularly to ensure content remains relevant and accurate.
- Update any outdated information or visuals.
- Optimise for performance, user experience, and SEO.
Expect to invest a minimum of 20-40 hours in the initial creation of your website. With time, patience, and attention to detail, you'll have a HubSpot website that effectively serves your brand and its audience.
Whether you're a startup or an established business, taking the time to build a well-structured and visually appealing website on HubSpot can significantly enhance your online presence. By following these steps and committing to regular reviews and updates, you'll be well on your way to creating a site that not only looks great but also performs exceptionally.