Planning Your Website
Having a good idea of what you want from your website can greatly impact the development process. Before you contact anyone about website services - or before you dig in and do it yourself - there are certain requirements which you must address, and certain elements it is worth your time to consider.
There are two requirements you cannot do without - a Domain name, and a site host.
Domain name
A Domain name is a unique Web address that is yours and yours alone. http://www.wondrouswebs.com is the domain name for Wondrous Webs. When you decide on a domain name, you first must determine if it is available (that no one else is using it). If it is available, then you must register it to “reserve” it for your use. As long as you renew your registration each renewal period (typically one year), the name remains yours. If you neglect to reserve it, it is once again up for grabs. Wondrous Webs can help you to research and secure your Domain name.
Hosting
When your Website has been completed, it needs to reside on a server so it can be accessed via the Internet. Many ISPs (Internet Service Providers) include 2-5 Mb of server space for personal Web pages in their email contracts. If yours is a commercial site, however, there is typically a charge for server space. There are many hosting companies advertised on the Internet and most Website developers can provide hosting services for you (including Wondrous Webs). When contracting for hosting services, be sure that the hosting company has a good record of continuous "up" time, that you can secure sufficient space and bandwidth for your needs (the more images your site contains, the more space and bandwidth become important), and that the service has a guaranteed backup and security process in place. Wondrous Webs can offer you all of this for a reasonable monthly or annual charge.
Other Considerations:
Content
Websites can be loosely separated into three categories: Business Card, Brochure, Catalog. What type of site do you require?
Business Card: Typically a very simple one-page site that briefly tells people who you are, what you do, and where to find you. Although a Business Card-type site is typically simple, it does not have to be boring. Images and clever layout can give it impact. A web form for contact makes it more interesting. Information that is frequently changed can encourage visitors to visit again.
Brochure: Equate this type of site to the printed flyer you might hand out to prospective customers. It is more than one page and provides a greater depth of information to the visitor. Wondrous Webs could be considered a "Brochure-type" site. In addition to the information provided in a Business Card type of site, the Brochure site supplies the visitor with greater information about the product, often including images and examples. This site may include a certain level of interactivity such as a contact page with a web form or email access, a questionnaire or survey form. This type of site may even have search capabilities and purchase processing capabilities.
Catalog: Think of the big thick catalogs many department stores still produce. Feature-rich, lots of product, database-driven, these sites have full customer capability. These sites are typically integrated with the company's core systems - inventory, purchasing, and the like.
Of course, in addition to the type of site you wish to have, you need to think about the content it will contain. What are the important pieces of information you need to convey to your visitors to tell them YOURS is the company with which they want to do business? If you are not sure what to convey, or how to begin - Wondrous Webs can help you there, too.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Do a little research; take some time to search the Web and find sites that appeal to you, even if they are not for the same type of product or purpose as your site. Why do you like it? What would make you come back?
Make a list of four or five sites that portray the image you would like to portray, or that have design elements that appeal to you, or even that simply have colors you would like to use. This alone can go a long way in helping your developer, or you, in designing your site.
But don't stop there - ask yourself these questions:
- If you already have a Website, why are you unhappy with it? Be specific.
- Why do you want a Website? Is it to make yourself available to customers, is it to sell online, is it to give visitors a means of contacting you? Try to define as specifically as possible what you hope to gain by having a Website.
- Who is your intended audience? Can you identify an age range of what you believe will be your typical visitor? Try to envision those visitors; are they primarily of one gender or the other? What is their economic situation? Where do they live? The more specific you can be about the type of visitor you are trying to attract, the more your site can be designed to appeal to that market.
- What message do you wish to convey through your Website?
- Have you planned the content for your site? Will you write the content yourself?
- Who are your biggest competitors? Have you checked out their Websites? What do you like or dislike about their Sites?
- How will people find your site? Be sure to consider how a Website fits into your Marketing plan. A Website should be just one channel of your multi-channel marketing plan.
- Have you budgeted for your site's startup as well as for ongoing maintenance? How often do you plan to update your Site?
- Do you have a business logo? Is it in digital form?
- Have you registered your Domain name? Decided on a hosting solution?
- What is your deadline? is it realistic?
- Have you contacted Wondrous Webs for a free consultation?