Tips for building your business website

1. Company name as your domain name

You can use your company name as the domain name. Check with official Dutch domain registrar SIDN if the domain name you want to register is still available. Make sure to register your domain name with SIDN before you register with the KVK Business Register. When you register with the Business Register, your company name becomes public. So someone else can register 'your' domain name. This is something that happens regularly.   

2. Determine your target audience

Before you build your website, make sure you know who your prospective customers are. Knowing your target audience will enable you to build a better website. You can use persona's to set up a target audience profile. Persona's are fictitious customers with specific characteristics, such as:

• age
• gender
• income
• character traits
• hobbies
• online activities
• what this persona expects from your products and services

3. Arrange copyright for your website

Your domain name is the link to your website, for example: kvk.nl. Once you have registered a domain name and identified your target audience, you can start building your website. There are several parts to build:

• lay-out or format
• source code
• content including blogs, images, and videos

You can use software that comes with existing website templates, build a website yourself, or hire a third party to build it for you. If you do, make sure the copyright is transferred to you upon completion of the order. If you do not arrange this beforehand, the maker of the website will automatically hold the copyright. You would not be allowed to make changes to the website without the maker's consent. Once you have the copyright, you can make changes without permission or extra costs.

Do you play music on your website? Then you need a licence (permission) for online music rights. The costs depend on how you use the music, for example as background music or in a video. More information on the costs and how to apply can be found on BumaStemra's website.

4. Pay attention to your SEO and GEO

To get as many visitors on your website as possible, you need to rank well in search engines. This is called Search Engine Optimisation or SEO. GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) helps you become visible in AI responses. These tips will help you optimise your website:

• update your website regularly. Search engines rank websites that update often higher than 'static' websites;
• place as many useful links to other websites as possible. And get other websites to link to you, preferably websites with more authority than yours. This is called linkbuilding;
• write original texts and put your main keywords in your titles and subtitles;
• use the same keywords a couple of times in the running text and in the url;
• keep the url clear and short;
• add a meta description to each article. This short description of what is in the article is often used by search engines to display in the search results. 

Use GEO to appear in AI answers

In addition to SEO, GEO is also important. GEO ensures that your content is included in AI responses, such as in ChatGPT or Google's featured summaries. It is important to answer potential questions from your target audience as clearly as possible. Use their keywords and write clearly.

You can find keywords using an (online) tool, such as Google's Keyword Planner, but also by looking at the words customers themselves use or the search terms Google suggests in the search bar. The better your texts match these, the more often you will be cited as a source and the more important you will be to search engines. This is good for your brand awareness.

5. Budget for SEA

Search Engine Advertising, or SEA, is a good way to attract visitors to your website. Your ad will appear above unpaid search results. In the ads, use keywords relevant to your target audience. SEA is paid per click: CPC (cost per click) or PPC (pay per click).

6. Score with customer reviews

Customer reviews help new customers choose you. Many people rely on the experiences of others before making a purchase. You can add a customer review functionality to your website, so that customers can place a review themselves.

You can place reviews customers have sent you on your website. These are called testimonials or experiences. Do you gather and use your customers personal data? Check if you comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

When it comes to reviews, you must follow online sales regulations. For example, you must inform your customer about how you handle reviews and do your best to prevent fake reviews. You are not allowed to take down negative reviews unless they are clearly fake.

7. Ensure a secure website

Prevent hackers from gaining access to your website or customer data. Here is how to ensure your website is secure:

• Use TLS encryption. Transport Layer Security is the latest development, replacing SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). With TLS, you encrypt passwords and other privacy-sensitive data (https). You apply for a TLS certificate at a Certification Authority. Once you have TLS, a small padlock will appear in your browser address bar. This padlock reassures your customers, and it improves your Google ranking. 
• Always update to the latest software versions as soon as possible, to prevent data breaches.

8. Make your website accessible

Not everyone can use a website with equal ease. Think of people who are visually impaired, deaf or have low literacy skills. Improve your website accessibility by, for instance, using contrasting colours, video subtitles, and larger navigation buttons.

9. Build a website for every device

With a responsive website, your customers can view your website properly on any device: desktop, tablet or smartphone. The layout adapts to the screen. For example, buttons and text are larger on mobile devices and images fit within the screen. This eliminates the need for sideways scrolling or zooming in and out.