Initial Website Planning
 So
now that you've answered some questions and know where you're going,
it's time to determine what kind of website you need to reach your
goals and get prepared to contact a website designer.
Types of Websites
There are as many types of websites as there are flavors
of ice cream, but most websites are a combination of basic types.
Each type has a set of unique characteristics which can help you
reach your business goals.
- Personal Sites - Personal
websites are popular and numerous throughout the Internet and
are marked by their in-depth and diverse content. Often marked
by a distinctive voice, these non-commercial websites are usually
created and maintained by the author of their content.
- Brochure Sites - These websites
supply information contained within previously printed materials.
They offer little or no interactivity and often do not satisfy
customer needs.
- Interactive Community Sites
- These sites are driven by rich content and interactive features
such as bulletin boards, chat rooms, and downloadable information.
- E-Commerce Sites - Online
shopping websites fall into two types: secure-page sites and database-driven
sites. While secure-page sites are cheaper to set-up, database-driven
content can provide thousands of products. Think of secure-page
websites as the local Mom & Pop's and the database-driven
website as the national chain.
- Search Engines & Directories
- The purpose of these websites is to list web content seperated
into categories. Search engines are dynamically created using
complex algorithms while directories are created by human beings.
Search engines typically have the largest number of websites catergorized
while directories are known for their quality content.
Assessing Your Content
Before you go to a designer, you will need
to gather your information so you can present your materials in
an organized and professional manner. Preparing your information
can dramatically reduce the time a designer needs to develop your
website and reduce your overall costs.
Here's a list of common client materials we
often receive and how we like to have them prepared and supplied
to us. Be sure to ask your designer how they like to receive materials.
- Text: Seperate your content
into named files and save as plain text files. Examples include
company information or biographical content saved as CompanyInfo.txt
or Bio.txt. Your designer may also accept Word or PDF files. Do
whatever you can to keep your designer from typing. This is the
number one biggest drain on time and no one wants to pay a designer
to type. Your money would be better spent hiring a skilled typist.
- Images: The closer to digital
you can get the better. From best to worst--> digital format
(.jpg, .gif, .tif), photographic prints, color slides, negatives,
and commercially printed materials such as catalogs and brochures.
- Video and Audio: Same rules
apply here as with images...the closer to digital the better.
Helpful Websites
Writing
for the Web by useit.com
Writing for
the Web by Charlie Morris
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