GATHERING SITE MATERIALS

Exactly what materials are needed to plan and build a website will vary from site-to-site. Normally I will talk (and talk, and talk) to a client about their business, their product, their services, their everything... to get an idea of what it is we will be including on a site. A key phrase that I repeat endlessly, it's almost a mantra, is that "we are looking for what is significant and relevant." In a nutshell, it has to do with "what are we selling." It can be information about a company. It can be particulars about a service or services. It can be a particular product or products. It's not unusual that people know their business or organization very well - but they know little about their business or organization in specifics. The challenge is centered on the fact that the web is about specifics. It is for the most part: keywords, keyphrases and 10-second windows to get someone's attention.

Gathering site information starts with preparing a packet of your business cards, stationary/letterheads, pamphlets that have been distributed in the past, news(paper) articles about your business, magazine features about products or services, press releases, photos of "brick and mortar" business environments, photos of products and workplaces, plus lists of trade or organization affiliations and memberships.

Gathering the content of a website involves writing/composing text that will appear on each of the navigated pages of the site. Detailed "snippets" generally work best for most pages - usually not more than a paragraph or two. Larger documents, technical information, involved forms and reference materials are best kept as secondary pages. They are important - but are best served "with one more click of the mouse" than by creating a page that scrolls down endlessly.

ORGANIZING CONTENT

Once we have some materials to work with - it's time to organize those materials into a website. Keep in mind that using your website should be an enjoyable experience for the site visitor. Things should be obvious. "This click" is going to take me to "this information." It is usually at this point that we actually realize what the initial build of the site will have as content, how large a site it will need to be, and if we need to create more content to make it all come together.

New Milford Web Design offers content writing and stock art/photographs services when the need arises. For photos, I generally use istockphoto.com. They offer images for as little as $2.00 a piece and have thousands of images available. The web studio also offers custom in-house graphic and photography services.

DESIGNING YOUR WEBSITE

1) Deciding on objectives.

2) Gathering materials and organizing content.

3) Layout design and approval.

Return WEB DESIGN

New Milford Web Design
newmilfordwebdesign.com

James Slupatchuk
New Mliford CT 06776
860.354.0761 [evenings: 6pm- 9pm EST]