Having decided to set up a web presence, you have simple choices, all of which carry conditions and all of which you must meet if you want to stand the slightest chance of success.  Just remember the following and you are off to a good start.

1. Research and seek advice before committing.

2. How much is my budget and is it enough?

3. What is it for and who is my target audience?

4. Choose an appropriate domain name and suffix

5. Plan the content and structure carefully.

6. Choose an appropriate logo, design and theme

7. Decide how to promote it and how - in house or not.

8. Plan for maintenance and establish a programme.

9. Make someone responsible for it and keep it simple.

10. Never neglect your website if you want it to work!

The first one is largely addressed by this website and if you consult with me, at least you'll be informed no matter when or where you get your website done.  If you're already familiar with the technology, then just skip over it.

The second one is more difficult.  It's amazing what you can get for a very small budget but remember that the less you spend, the more you have to work at it yourself.  Take into account things like domain registration, website hosting fees, website templates and scripts for such things as e-commerce forms, interactive helpdesk, photo galleries, newsletters and anything else that requires interaction or programming.  These can be bought 'off the peg' and are not too expensive if you shop around but they do cost money.  So does the person who writes your content and builds in your hyperlinks and submits your site to the search engines - then keeps it there.

The third one is crucial because if you can't answer this, you don't need a website.  So just as a guide, is it for a club where the members who use it will be aware of it?  Maybe a local shop where customers can order online and have their shopping delivered - Tesco does this on a grand scale!  Are you providing information on a particular topic?  Do you want people to respond interactively?  Are you seeling goods or services to a wider public or trade?  All these things will decide on the look and feel of your website but most of all, they will determine what it contains and how it will be promoted - get this wrong and all will be lost.

The fourth item is entirely a matter of choice and availability but it deserves lots of careful thought and foresight.  This is the part that gives rise to most misgivings.

Unless you have some idea of how you want the website to work and what it will contain, it will be messy and probably difficult to navigate.  This will not help your search engine rankings and visitors will be put off.  However there are some things you should avoid - large 'flash' screens that take time to download; long winded email response forms with compulsory fields - unless they really are designed to help the customer; complicated or fragmented menus; in fact anything that will slow down the website or make it difficult to use.  Remember there are lots of others and visitors are impatient.  Give them lots of good reasons to stay - and come back again.

A 'themed' website works, especially if all the pages look and feel the same, just as long as the visitor knows where they are and how to get back.  A recognisable logo and colour scheme can be helpful since people will remember it.  The overall design should be consistent and intuitive so that visitors can find what they want without wading through lots of clutter.  Less is often more!

Promotion - for the village shop, local advertising, printing the URL on the carrier bags, receipts and stationery or even on the side of the delivery van is all you need.  A top page ranking on Google is hardly an advantage so this type of website will serve a specific market and will have different needs that can probably be serviced comfortably by the proprietor.  On the other hand a business selling computer consumable to a national customer base will need an online catalogue with products and prices that can be easily updated.  It will also require facilities to take payments and lots of promotion both nationally and on the search engines.  This is more likely to require dedicated staff to run and maintain it and like any other asset, it will only serve its purpose if it is efficient and well maintained - don't neglect your website.

Running a website can't be left to just anyone so it would be wise to decide who is responsible for it and give them the authority to exercise that responsibility.  I should be someone who knows about websites and has the ability to sustain them in the context of their purpose.  They might not change the price list or upload amended pages to the server but they will make sure it is done by someone who is capable of doing it.

Not least of all, don't ever become complacent and neglect a website.  It is a dynamic, almost living entity, that needs to be tweaked and managed and appear 'cared for' else any visitors who might drop by will soon leave.  Update regularly with news, special offers, information, ideas - anything to keep visitors interested and also the search engines.  It helps to show a 'Last Updated' tag like the one at the bottom of this page.

I can offer all the services you need to keep your website in tip-top shape and because my overheads are low it isn't likely to be too expensive.  However be aware that for serious online trading and growth, you will eventually need to engage a company or individual who can devote the necessary time and resources to maintenance and promotion.  This is a very specialised job and can be expensive so let me warn you from the start, once your website and business takes off, my services will not be adequate.  Having said that you must then expect to increase your budget in direct proportion to the income generated so my job will be finished and I shall celebrate your success.

When you're ready have a look at the business end of things and get an idea of the cost involved -  you can contact me at any time to discuss your queries. 

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Last Updated 06/08/2008