Published on March 13th, 2019 | by Sunit Nandi

6 Unique Reasons to Create a Website

When someone mentions the idea of making a website, it usually invokes the thought of businesses, great and small, heading online to increase their visibility, reach potential customers, and help their Google search rankings. However, commercial ventures are hardly the only reason to make a website. In fact, the accessibility of quality websites in the modern era has made it incredibly easy to whip together a site for a number of occasions.

There are so many other reasons to build a website, many of which don’t involve a business whatsoever. With that in mind, let’s break down some of the less common reasons that people might create a website, as well as some tips and strategies to make sure you don’t regret the decision to do the same yourself.

Image Source: Pixabay

From weddings to nonprofits, here are six unique reasons to have a website.

1. Getting Hitched

Now, we’re not just talking about a homepage with a cute pic of the happy couple smiling, even though that can be a great start. It’s also a great way to gather all of your wedding prep into one spot. A wedding website can be used to house or redirect guests to an online gift registry, accept financial gifts directly, have an online RSVP option, and provide directions to the ceremony and reception.

Here are a few great wedding website builders:

The Knot: A site that lives and breathes weddings. It’s free to set up and affordable to customize.
Wedding Wire: Another free-to-affordable option — this one comes with hundreds of free templates to choose from!
Appy Couple: If you’re looking for a smartphone-friendly option, this is it!

2. Churches and Nonprofits

While websites are commonly used for commercial enterprises, they can actually be an excellent tool for those who are less focused on the bottom line as well. Churches great and small can benefit from a well-built website that can provide online sermons, service times, dress codes, mission statements, and other valuable information. Nonprofits, in general, can also use sites as a hub to spread awareness about their cause, inform followers about events, and accept donations.

3. Reserving Your Reputation

One of the less obvious uses for a website is simply reserving it for the future. This is especially helpful when it comes to your name. If Jane Doe dreams of writing the next great American novel, it might be a good idea for her to hop online and nab “janedoe.com” before her book hits the shelves at Barnes & Noble. If you don’t do this ahead of time, you can bet someone clever is going to try to get their hands on the domain and sell it back to you once your name takes off … likely at an exorbitant cost.

4. Blog It, Baby!

Photography, food, travel, how-to tutorials — the ideas are endless! In an era where content truly matters online more than it ever has before, creating a meaningful blog (we’re talking one with genuine information — not just a way to blow off steam) can be a great reason to pull together a website to share your knowledge and expertise. It can also be an excellent way to bring in a little side cash if you use affiliate links and ads. Just don’t be too obnoxious with your monetization strategy! Doing so could turn off readers.

5. Resumes and Portfolios

In the online world, a link to a resume or portfolio is incredibly valuable. The gig economy requires a lot of applying to jobs, and having an online resume and portfolio to house all of your professional information can streamline the process. All you need to do is provide a link and you’re good to go. As an added benefit, it’s also helpful to have a living document that you can keep up to date at all times.

6. Sharing That Information

The ease of building a website has made practically any reason to share information worthy of a website these days. From your home remodeling projects to setting up a birthday party RSVP page, any information that needs to be shared can be popped onto a website with ease.

Website building tools like Wix and Weebly can make your ideas a cinch to pull together, too!

Tips to Keep In Mind

With so many website building options, it’s easy to dive right into the modern digital world and create an attractive website. While creating a website doesn’t always go hand in hand with running a business, designing an effective website and getting eyes on your content still requires an understanding of modern digital marketing strategies. On top of that, there are a few things you’re going to want to consider as you get ready to build that unique website.

First off, keep things clean and simple. The minimalist concept is in these days, and we take our hats off to that. It makes everything so much easier. What that means for anyone angling to build a site for a smaller project is that you can create a professional-looking site in no time. The perfect example of this comes in the form of a savvy site builder that literally recreated U2’s website in just over half an hour. The lesson: Don’t get overly complex. Keep it simple.

Even though the look is easy to achieve, the way you populate a good site with information still requires some forethought. First and foremost, in the current era, content is king. If you have good, optimized content, you’ll get visitors. It really is worth taking the time to make quality content for your visitors.

In addition, take some time to plan the structure you’re going for. Do you need multiple pages and menus? What will each of these hold? About and Contact Us pages are common, but if you’re a church or a nonprofit, what about a hiring page? That can be just the touch that can bring a splash of authenticity to your organization’s online presence.

Another important element to any modern website is optimizing it for search engines. SEO can take the form of keywords and internal and external links, and its impact can’t be overstated. Here are some tips on SEO and other good website practices to help grease the wheels as you dive into your new website adventures.

Tags: create, marketing, reasons, unique, website

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.