Newsletter ArchiveSUBJECT:Starting A Web Site Welcome to The Internet 800 Directory Newsletter. I’m back from my week in southern California, where the weather was wonderful and the rides were fun. In the last two weeks, I received several e-mails asking how to pick a web designer and just as many with stories of bad experiences asking for help. Starting a new web site can be pretty intimidating. It seems anyone can aspire to be a web designer by simply purchasing a fast computer and the right software. Before you start looking for someone to design your web site, work through these steps. Go online and review other companies’ sites. Make a list of things you liked and disliked about these sites. While you work through this exercise, imagine your information being displayed in these sites. Next, review your current collateral (sales material, catalogs, hand outs, current ad campaigns, annual reports, business plans) to establish what information, you would like included in your site. If your review brought site features to your attention that you are lacking material for, like a testimonial page or calendar of events page, start assembling material for these features. After completing these tasks you should have a pretty good vision of how it should look and what you want included. Some web designers don't employ this entire process, so you should have an idea of what you want before you contact the web designer. If you are looking in to establishing your own web site, take this week to work on the items listed above. Next week, I will discuss questions and points to cover with your prospective web designer before having them start on your site. If you have any thoughts on this subject or any ideas that could be helpful to the others in this group send them to me (Chuck Arning) at chuck@inter800.com All Contents Copyright ©1995-2001 The Internet 800 Directory Subscribe To The Newsletter: |