Getting Started -
Website Development Startup Process
Building a website can be a long task for some, this tutorial should help you get started on the process and make it easier.
Step 1 - Determing your websites function
You need to pre-determine what function will your website have. Is this for promoting your services only? Selling products? Marketing online? Being a strong contender?
Each type is unique. What kind of web site design do you need? This is an important question you should think about. Let's take a look at the different types of web sites available.
- Affordable Brochure Website: A display type website used to compliment your offline marketing and print. Something built to display your company and it's services or products.
- Fun & Games: These websites are great for games, casinos, kids, and family communities.
- Content Website: A web site built in order to grab peoples attention online. Possibly 15-50 pages of content with different ideas to convert visitors into clients.
- Shopping Website: A website built for one purpose, to sell products online. Nothing shorter than an online shopping mall.
- Directory Site: This web site is built to display company listings & directory information for local & international purposes.
- Contender: The contender is unique. The contender is a website that has no boundaries, knows no limits. Smartads.info is a contender. One main website full featured with articles, tips, resources, products, images, etc.
Step 2 - Find good examples online
Try and find around 3-5 websites you would like to see emulated for your company. The internet has the largest amount of examples there is. Having a few good examples ready will help the design process. Try and include little notes for each website.
For ex.
www.Smartads.info
- simple
- easy to navigate
- like the colors
Step 3 - Get the artwork for your logo
Your logo is VERY important to the development of your website. In fact, we design everything around your logo! We typically don't start designing the "template" for your website before we get your logo.
If you can, get the original artwork of your logo from the company that designed it. If they don't want to give you the original artwork, ask them for a copy in "EPS" format.
If you still can't get your logo in EPS, send us a jpg or gif and we will notify you whether or not we will have to digitally rework your logo.
Again, it is very important that you track down your original artwork.
Step 4 - For those who ALREADY have hosting services
Please make sure to have your "FTP Login" information giving us access to your hosting account in order to upload the new changes of your website. Without access to your hosting, nothing can be uploaded.
We will need your:
User name:
Password:
Step 4a - If you need hosting as well. (Have a look at our Hosting Services)
Write down any email addresses you would like to have setup. Don't worry about the passwords, those can be changed once they are setup.
Step 5 - Plan your website content
Planning your content is very important. It may take some time for you to write all of your content, sort through it, proofread the content for us to implement on your website.
Keep everything in small, informative paragraphs. You don't want your visitors to hurt their eyes reading your content. Short and sweet, to the point.
Please remember: "Content is king"!
That's right, the most valuable commodity you have online is your content. Take your time, think things out and try not to include too much "advertising pitch". Advertising pitch doesn't work online like it does in print. People want to read informative, thoughtful information about your company, not how you made $1,000 000.00 last year.
Step 6 - Write down your contact information
Make sure you write down ALL your contact information you want posted on your website. Add driving instructions to your company if you need to. Having your contact information ready will help the process.
Step 7 - Gathering images
It is very important that you collect any images related to your business that you want implemented within your website. Having all your images beforehand will help us to sort through them faster.
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