This page is designed to help you get started with on your new web site. There are a few basics to know and a few things to think about.
First, you need to put together a simple project plan to help you communicate your project needs. When putting your plan together consider the following.
Domain Name
Choosing a Domain Name is important because this will be your new home on the web (ex. www.YourBusinessName.com). It is important to try to choose a name that:
- uses your company name
- is simple to remember
- is simple to spell and type in for customers looking you up by name
To check available domain names for your business you can check GoDaddy by click on the logo below. They will tell you whether or not the domain you want is available. We suggest using our domain name management services rather than managing your domain yourself. There is time and effort involved in domain name management and even if you save money in the short term, you will spend more in fees and frustrations later!
Define your audience
Who do you want to target? Who do you want to see this web site of yours? Is it current customers, or do you only want to target new customers?
The better you are at identifying your target, the better we will be at helping you reach them!
Identify your Goals & Objectives
Why do you want to build a web site? The most obvious reason is because you want to increases your business! There are many ways you can use your web site to increase your business, but how do you intend for your web site to do that?
Do you want to increase your sales by selling your products or services over the Internet using your web site? Do you want to inform customers of your company, your products and services and then drive them to contact you? Do you want to develop an Online Marketing campaign to stay in touch with current customers as well as prospects?
Look at other web sites and your competition for inspiration
You can gain a wealth of perspective by seeing what other people are doing with their web sites, mainly what people are doing successfully with their web sites! Go to any major Search Engine like Yahoo or Google and search for companies that you compete with (or expect to compete with).
Try to determine 2 things:
1) What are they doing that’s effective?
2) What can you do better?
This is what your goal should be!
Create a web site outline
Every time you press a button and are taken to a new area of a web site it is considers a new page. Common pages are:
Home – to welcome people to your web site
About Us – history and information about what your company is all about
Contact Us – lists all contact information, perhaps a map and/or directions to you location, and often includes an Online submission form for visitors to your web site to contact you directly from your web site.
From then on it will be up to you to identify pages that your type of business needs on your web site. If you sell products then you will need a page (or many pages) about your products. If you are a Services company then list out a page for each service that you want to feature.
Once you have listed out your pages, then you should have at least a good start and will have a much better idea of how to organize your web site.
Determine what content you will need for your web site
Most web site projects require a company logo as well as substantial amount of photos and text. In the world of web sites this is referred to as content. Content development is perhaps the most difficult part of designing and developing an effective web site.
Do you have a logo you want use? Do you want your web site to reflect your current marketing and brand image or do you want to build a new brand image? Consider how you intend to present your company and how you will assemble this information. 2029 Web Design does offer stock photography included in all custom web site design packages as well as content development.
Once you have done your research and assembled a good web site outline you should have a basic web site project plan and be ready to get started!
Contact 2029 Web Design today at 614-459-3589 and a representative will get back with you the same day!
