You may be creating your new website for the very first time or have decided to review your current website; in either case, we are here to help.
When you decided to create or edit your website you most likely had very specific goals in mind. You may have been told “that’s what you should do” or have considered trying to make money online using e-commerce.
It is important to develop a well thought out plan, use a checklist to ensure everything in your plan has been addressed. This will reduce frustration, keep you focused and ultimately keep your costs down.
It is important to review many things before you begin your online website journey. We have tried to cover as much information as possible for your considerations including: what is your experience level with computers, are you going to create and code the website yourself, will you code it manually or with the help of website creation software, will you have someone else do the coding for you and much more.
Here are some of the most common subjects you should consider when planning the design of your website product.
USING MAC or PC
Do you work with Macintosh computers or Windows PC computers? (what is your operating system on each)
EXPERIENCE IS IMPORTANT
What is your current experience level with your computer operating system (we offer free online training by request)
WEBMASTER
Will you be creating the website yourself or hiring someone to do it?
DOMAINS
Do you understand how domain names work and potential issues with them?
DOMAIN NAME REGISTRATION
Do you already have a website domain name (URL) chosen and registered? Do you know how to register a domain name?
WEBSITE HOSTING
Do you understand the difference between domain name registration and website hosting? Do you already have your website hosted or do you need NEW hosting?
FTP FILE TRANSFERS
Do you know how to upload and download files to website hosting servers?
WEBSITE HOSTING SERVERS
Do you understand how website servers work (UNIX, LINUX or WINDOWS) and where to upload your files to?
SELLING PRODUCTS ONLINE
Are you planning on selling a product online, selling a service online, selling both? Do you have a shopping cart solution planned?
KEYS AREAS OF YOUR BUSINESS
Have you made a list of what key areas of your business you plan to present on your new website?
ADDING A MEMBERS LOGIN AREA
Are you planning to include a secure members login feature?
CREATING WEBSITE GRAPHICS
Do you know how to create “web ready” graphics (i.e. – photos and logos) for your new website? Is so, will you be doing it or will you need support?
CREATED ANIMATED GRAPHICS
Are you planning to include animated graphics on your website? If yes, will you use animated GIFS, Javascript, Flash or something else like Java Applets?
MAKING YOUR WEBSITE COLORFUL
Have you decided what colors would best suit your new website pages?
WORKING WITH COMPANY LOGOS
Do you currently have a company logo and, if so, do you have a high resolution digital copy you can edit for the website?
CONTENT IS KING!
Are you clear that “content is king” on any website? Do you have at least 400-600 words of “strong content” for each page of your new website?
CALLS TO ACTION
Are you clear on the concept of “calls to action” and, if so, do you have a minimum of 2-3 ready to go for each page on your new website?
WORKING WITH WEBSITE AUDIO
Will you be including audio files on your website and, if so, do you know how to embed audio files? Do you know anything about Flash WIDGETS for featuring audio files?
WORKING WITH WEBSITE VIDEO
Are you planning on featuring video files on your website, external to your website (YouTube, etc.) and, if so, do you know the limitations and challenges involved?
WORKING WITH ADOBE FLASH
Are you going to include Adobe Flash elements on your website and, if so, do you understand the current limitations with iPhone, iPad and other mobile devices?
CREATING YOUR SITEMAP
It is important to have a website site map prepared BEFORE you begin. Have you “site mapped” your website plan as yet?
CREATING YOUR PRIVACY POLICY
Have you created a privacy policy for your website? Do you know what to include and why?
ARE YOU BLOGGING?
Do you understand the benefits of including a website BLOG as an extension to your website? If so, have you chosen which blogging software you will use?
WEBSITE UPDATES
Have you planned how often you will be updating the content on your new website and, if so, who will be doing it and when?
WEBSITE DESIGN COSTS
Have you reviewed the potential costs of creating your own website vs. having it done by a professional website design firm?
WEBSITE DESIGN TRAINING
Are you thinking of sourcing out ongoing training to help you with your website design challenges moving forward? If so, do you know what you will need and when?
INTERACTIVE WEBSITE ELEMENTS
Will you be needing interactive elements like website games, puzzles, scrolling headers, etc.
DATABASES
Do you know if you will need a database to support some elements on your website and, if so, how do you plan to impliment it?
WEBSITE FORMS
Will you be including one or more website forms on your new website and, if so, do you understand the options for doing so?
SOCIAL MEDIA & BRANDING
Are you planning on creating social networking sites to support your website content and, if so, do you understand the importance of using consistent branding?
About the Author:
Woody House
Online Graphics USA and Canada
“Pushing Pixels Since 1992”
http://makingyourwebsitework.com
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Feel free to contribute!