Author’s Note
I have written a more recent article about starting a website.
Original Article About Starting a Website
If you’ve recognized your need for a website, but you don’t have any clear idea of what that entails, then you should keep reading.
The first thing you should do is look at other websites to see what you like and what you don’t like. That doesn’t mean that you should be looking for another site that you can copy. When you do that, all you’re doing is looking for a magic bullet that doesn’t exist. You’re website needs to be specific to you.
The Reality of Starting a Website
If you try to match another website exactly, you’re going to spend more money than you want trying to shove a square peg into a round hole, only to realize what you thought you wanted isn’t what you actually wanted, and even if you come close to pulling it off you might have to deal with the angered reaction of whomever’s idea you copied.
Once you’ve looked at some websites to get some ideas of features you like, then you should talk to your web developer about the best way to implement them. It may be that you are looking for something that has an existing framework set up for it like a wordpress theme, or you may have to get out a pencil and a piece of paper and draw a mock up.
The mock up is often drawn by whomever is in charge of your web design, but don’t be afraid to do it yourself. You don’t have to have an art degree, and since most web designers charge to create a mock up, you can probably save yourself some money doing it yourself.
Ready to Start a Website?
It time to learn how to create a long term plan.