Even if You Plan to do it Yourself
Here are some items to think about when starting a new web site.
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Domain Name – Is your company name available? If not what variation will you use that is available?
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Hosting Space – you can get free blogspot space, if you have time and are good with web apps. Expect to spend some time at it. Another option is homestead - 4.99 a month but will have limits (4 pages i think for that price level anyway), There is hostspace available that provides other features (including 1 domain name registration and email and templates and much more flexibility) can be as little as $10 a month or $90 a year. Blacksun is only one example.
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Content is King – focus on who your audience is and what they will want to see. Are you planning on having a very simple ‘brochure’ site (homestead might be enough for you then) or can you offer your visitors some ‘gift economy’ in the way of articles or a sampling of templates or precedents? Do a bit of research. Check out who your competition is and what they have on their sites. Decide how much content you have ‘ready made’ from previous marketing materials or what you will have to create. Keep in mind the more content you have that is tailored to your topic, the higher your page ranking will be in Google.
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Site Map & Menus – Organize your content into pages. Decide what is the most relevant and therefore should be on your landing page to give your audience the clearest message of what your company is offering? Where does everything else fit? Decide on menus and sub-menus within, or page tabs?
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Web Design / Look & Feel – based on your audience what will your theme be? Are you going to go for a Corporate look? Modern? Fun? What will fit your company and personality. Do you already have a logo, images, fonts and/or specific colours in your print material to carry over into your web which will add to the continuity of your branding? If you are starting from scratch, check out the sites that draw you in and focus on what aspects you like to help you decide.
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Project Schedule – What’s your timing needs? Are you hoping to have this up ASAP. Or will it be a ‘work-in-progress’ as your time is permitting? If so, decide which areas will have priority and try to put a schedule together of what your goal is so you have something to measure how you are doing for time.
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Search Engines - If being found in search engines is your goal, you will have to do some extra research to discover the SEO tips to have a chance at top spots in the organic section of Google unless you are budgeting for pay-per-click. The Google Webmaster Tools page is a great place to start or start with my SEO Tips.
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