Getting Started, Getting Online.

Part One: Whassa Interwebs?

You have a business, or a business idea and you’re raring to start promoting yourself online. Trouble is, you know very little about the internet, or computers for that matter. Navigating your way through the process is a headache and a half for anyone unfamiliar with the lingo and technologies that make up this brave new world.

In this post, I’ll try to give you noobs a helping hand. You’ve already passed the first hurdle with flying colours in hiring us to build your site. You can try and do it all yourself, or you can take advantage of the expert advice and experience that only a professional can give. So congratulate yourself for doing the smart thing!

Let’s say that building your first website is akin to building your first home. Instead of bricks and mortar, it’s code and hosting. Instead of paint and furniture, it’s colours and images. And instead of your family, it’s your content that decides your needs. It’s a lot to think about, and it can be very overwhelming for first-timers.

Let’s start with the basics. What are you looking for? Do you want a fully finished, move-in ready site? Or are you looking for something basic that you can update on your own time? Are you skilled enough to do any maintenance required?

The D.I.Y. option is a lot less money up front, unless you don’t know what you’re doing. It’s always cheaper to build it right the first time, rather than fix what’s been messed up. Just ask your plumber.

At the same time, you should be thinking about the design and layout. It’s not just about picking your favourite colour and slapping it on your site. It’s about designing the floorplan and decor of your business’ new home. After all, it’s the first thing your potential clients are going to notice. This process can get tricky because this is where all your grandiose dreams meet the demands of the site’s functionality and flow. It can be a very humbling experience for all concerned.

Of course you’ve seen a tonne of websites while just browsing around and checking things out. Unfortunately this doesn’t necessarily prepare you dor all the decisions you’ll be making in creating a site.

Go and look at a lot of websites, but explore them thoroughly with a critical eye. Look at the site as a whole, and try to discern why you do or don’t like it. Is it clean and sleek, or is it flashy and cluttered?

Is it easy to find what you’re looking for? Is there a particular graphic element that you just adore? Do you hate it simply because it’s green?

This process can be frustrating, but it will help you narrow your focus. It will help you to understand what you want for your site, and what you don’t. And it will save you time and money when you start working with the graphics department, which is a bonus!

Once those decisions have been made, it’s time to get your content nestled in comfortably. You’ve spent hours writing and re-writing it to make sure that there are no typos, that your point is being made, that your sales pitch is perfect, that it really communicates who you are and what you’re trying to accomplish. You know exactly where everything is going and how it’s going to be linked, how people are going to navigate your site…

Oh… you haven’t? You were so caught up in buiding the site that you forgot about the content?

Let’s look at content then. Of course what you say is entirely up to you, as is how you say it. But the other stuff is crucial to the building of your site. How may pages will you need? How will people move from page to page? Will they get to your fabulous sales pitch, or is it hidden in all the links?

I’m a visual person. I make lists and write or draw problems out on paper. I even have to visualize math problems to be able to solve them. I need to see it to understand it. If you’re like me, then I’d suggest you draw it out. I like using a flowchart, but you can do it any way that works for you. As you work and re-work your drawing, you’re refining your content and navigation. And it can be fun too! Well, at least for strange list-makers like me.

By drawing out how your site’s pages will connect and what content will live on those pages, you’ll have a clearer idea of how things will be put together. You won’t think you’re building a five page site, only to realize that you’ve written fifteen pages of content. This will again, save you money and time!

You have a vision. You know what you want your online presence to be. Without the training and vocabulary to express it, explaining your vision to others and even to yourself can be extremely exasperating and time consuming. By utilizing these tips, you will get a better understanding of what you want, so that we can make it happen for you. This will give you more time and energy to run your business instead of worring about CSS and contrasting colour schemes. That’s why you hired us. That’s why you’re so smart!