You've built your startup from the ground up. You're ready to see your sales really start to take off. There's just one challenge left to tackle: building a compelling website. You may have tons of great ideas, but unless you incorporate all the right elements and engage the right audience, your online presence will sink, not soar. Ready to build a powerful startup website? Here are 4 essential elements you won't want to forget…

1. Focus on the function of your website

Is your site meant to inform? To sell your products? To encourage visitors to try your service? If your startup involves selling products online, you'll need a software solution designed for e-commerce like Shopify, Magento, OpenCart or WooCommerce (just to name a few). If your site involves just information, consider using Wordpress or a similar open-source content management system like Drupal to get your site up and running. Whatever functionality you need, make sure you build your site around its core, don't crowbar it in afterwards.

2. Incorporate your brand

You know that your brand is your business "identity." You also know that brand awareness is key to business success. But if you're limiting your company brand to a logo in the corner of your homepage, you're missing out on a huge tool to grow your startup business. Your brand should be communicated consistently throughout your online presence. Tying your brand into all your site elements, from your images to your content to your color scheme, helps your visitors identify you, associate your business idea with your products and content, and perhaps most importantly, remember your business long after they view your pages. Incorporate your brand into every aspect of your site, and your website's power and effectiveness will skyrocket.

3. Design for a mobile audience

The mobile market makes up a large percentage of Internet users, soon they’ll outstrip desktop users—depending on your target market, they might already. Which is why a mobile-first approach makes absolute sense. Incorporating responsive design, which allows your site to adapt and instantly fit onto a standard mobile device's frame, is crucial for capturing a mobile audience for your startup company.

4. Sweat the small stuff

If you think you can toss up a basic web design template, add a few graphics and a little content in your spare time and expect your startup to be a success, you're setting yourself up for failure. Every aspect of your website is crucial, right down to the smallest detail: your content should be engaging and relevant; your images should be attractive and tie into your brand; your call to actions should be clear and straight-forward. Don't DIY your site and hope all the elements magically come together. Hire professionals who can understand your vision and execute every element properly. Research and test every detail to make sure it is onpoint with your business model and goals, and your website will be as exciting and ambitious as your startup idea. Building a powerful startup website takes work, planning and the marriage of all the right elements. Know what you want and research what you need, and your website will help launch your startup and make you a success!