www.EvaBlue.com - Communication & Design Eva Blue

WHAT IS THE PROCESS TO CREATING A SUCCESSFUL WEBSITE?

Analyze the site, design the concept, organize the content, create a flow chart, optimize graphics, do production, test and debug, upload final product, test AGAIN and market.

There are many steps involved in any kind of project. Good management and organization is key to making all projects successful. These are the main processes which we consider the most important in creating a successful website. They are only overviews and each step requires many more considerations and procedures.

1. Determine the Objectives of the Website
Determine what your website needs to accomplish. What is the objective of the site? What are you communicating? Promoting? Selling? Informing? Your website will not single handedly solve all your business problems. Remember that the internet is a tool that should be used in conjunction with solid marketing whether it be online or traditional.

2. (A) Choose your Domain Name
Choosing your domain name is vital to the image you give to your audience same as your business name. Some considerations: relevance to your business, play on words, recognition, competitor's names. Make sure you verify the name you decide is not already copyrighted or trademarked.

2. (B) Secure your Domain Name
The domain name must be wholly integrated into your website. It may determine your logo, your text and your images. Imagine that you have completed your website and go to purchase your domain and it's been bought. To avoid these kinds of situations, secure your domain name as soon as possible.

3. Choose a Web Hosting Company.
You just bought a car but where are you going to park it? You need to find a place to put your project. If you already know the size of the project, choose a service plan appropriately. If you do not, do this step at a later stage of the project when you are more aware.

4. Identify your Target Audience
Before you write the content of your website, you must know who you're writing to. This will define style and tone of the text. If you know the identity of your target audience, learn their personalities, their likes and their wants.

5. Determine your Text Content - Create Flow Chart
Combine all your decisions and prepare your content. Define your main pages, your sub pages, third level pages, fourth level pages etc. Make a site map or storyboard. Topics that should be answered by your website are "What do you do?", "How will they benefit?", "What is your history?" and "What is your contact info?" Remember that if you are going to do online marketing, to incorporate the key words into you text.
Learn more about Search Engine Optimization.

6. Define your Visual Content
If you have an existing business which you want to expand to the web, determine whether you want to continue the look of existing marketing. Whether it is a new business or an existing business, choose the kind of imagery you would like to use, the colours, style and other details.

7. Create the Main Design & Navigation Menu
Using the text content and the visual content, create the look and feel of the website by designing the main page or the splash page and a sample page with navigation.

8. Collect Pictures and Make Imagery
Collect photographs, pictures and art. Optimize and modify imagery to be used.

9. Develop Web Pages
Program and assemble each page of the site.

10. Test and Proof your Website
Once all the pages have been programmed, proof the text, test all your links, verify all the graphics and imagery. Do this on many platforms to assure that you reach the maximum audience.

11. Upload the Finished Product
Place the completed website onto the server.

12. Test the Website AGAIN !
This is a precaution that is often overlooked. You should always test your site when it is live and active. You may have overlooked something when testing the first time or perhaps you forgot a few files.

13. Market your Website
If a tree falls in the forest, do you see it? Just because you created a website doesn't mean that people know it exists. As with any business, it is essential that you create an awareness of your product. Whether it be traditional marketing or online marketing,
JUST DO IT.

This is not the end. A website should be a living, evolving and growing entity. Would you want to see the same episode of a tv program every day, every hour, every minute? People's tastes change so your website should change. It does not mean you should always follow your audience but updating is necessary.