A beautifully designed website is only effective if it’s deployed correctly. This involves several crucial steps to ensure your site is accessible, secure, and performs optimally for your Kenyan audience.
Testing and Launch: Before making your website live, thoroughly test it on different devices and browsers. Check for broken links, errors, and ensure all functionalities are working correctly. Plan your launch carefully to minimize downtime.
Choosing the Right Domain Name: Your domain name is your website’s address. It should be memorable, relevant to your business, and ideally include keywords that your target audience might search for. For businesses in Kenya, a .ke domain extension can often instill trust and signal local relevance.
Selecting a Reliable Hosting Provider: Your hosting provider is where your website files live. Choose a provider with servers that offer good connectivity in Kenya for faster access times. Consider factors like bandwidth, storage, security features, and scalability as your business grows. Research local Kenyan hosting providers as well as reputable international options with good presence in the region.
Content Management System (CMS): A CMS like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal simplifies website management. WordPress, in particular, is popular for its ease of use, vast library of themes and plugins, and strong community support. Choose a CMS that suits your technical skills and website requirements.
Security is Paramount: Protect your website and your visitors’ data with essential security measures. This includes:
SSL Certificate: Enables HTTPS, encrypting data transmitted between the user and your website. It’s also a ranking factor for Google and builds trust with visitors.
Strong Passwords: Use strong, unique passwords for your hosting account, CMS admin, and any other related services.
Regular Backups: Regularly back up your website files and databases. In case of any issues, you can quickly restore your site.
Web Application Firewall (WAF): A WAF can help protect your site from malicious attacks.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO): To be found online, your website needs to be optimized for search engines like Google. This includes:
Keyword Research: Identify the terms your target audience in Kenya is using to search for your products or services.
On-Page Optimization: Optimize your website content, meta descriptions, and title tags with relevant keywords.
Mobile-Friendliness: As mentioned earlier, this is a crucial SEO factor.
Site Speed Optimization: Faster websites tend to rank higher.
