| Building a website can be as simple as one page | | | | when looking at sites - How much time passes |
| or more complex with many pages including a | | | | before you see something; what is the first thing |
| shopping cart to enable people to sell product | | | | I see on the site and does it interest me; how |
| online. Of course the more complex the website | | | | much time passes before I can see any text; |
| the more money and time you will require. | | | | how long does it take you to discover what the |
| Take a person who is a wedding planner and | | | | site is about. |
| wants to be able to sell product online, sell her | | | | Graphics |
| time and perhaps provide other services such as | | | | The next thing to consider is what graphics or |
| massage, makeup and wedding planning. An ideal | | | | pictures would you like to use on this site. For |
| situation here is to have prepaid services so when | | | | example if you are a landscape gardener you |
| the service is being provided there is no changing | | | | would like to share the photos of completed |
| of money. The service has been prepaid. This is | | | | projects as this will be important for your existing |
| often referred to eCommerce. | | | | and future clients. They need to know they can |
| Planning | | | | trust you with their landscaping and most |
| However let us not get ahead of ourselves. The | | | | importantly their money. It is a good idea to have |
| most important aspect of website design is | | | | a before and after photo but they must be clear |
| planning the site. In some ways designing a | | | | and display the project at its worst and at its |
| website is like building a house. Firstly we need to | | | | best. One of the most important photos is one of |
| look at location, then we choose the actual layout | | | | you as people like to do business with people. |
| of the house and from there we work up. | | | | Another idea is if you employ staff, then show |
| Domain Name | | | | them working on a site. |
| The first thing we need to look at is the website | | | | Content |
| name, so we need to choose the domain name. | | | | Most businesses have some document or |
| These can be purchased for around $10 from | | | | marketing material and this can be used on the |
| organization such as Namecheap.com, etc. It is | | | | website. Look at what you have and if you feel |
| preferable to chose the company or business | | | | this isn't quite up to standard then start writing |
| name as this is what your customers will | | | | what you would like to say. To get some good |
| recognize. This may not be available but it is | | | | ideas look at other websites in your market area |
| worth checking that first before looking at | | | | and see what they have to say. So again look at |
| another name. While you name may be taken | | | | landscape gardening. Do a search on landscape |
| with extension there are other extensions you | | | | gardening and check out the sites on the front |
| could use such as.net,.org etc. If you have an | | | | page. They are on the front page because they |
| Australian business then you could buy au | | | | have information that is bringing in customers. |
| extension although this is a bit more expensive | | | | Pages |
| and requires more information about your | | | | Some of the pages you will put on your site will |
| operation. These can be purchased from | | | | be the Home page, Company, Projects, Services, |
| Melbourneit.com, etc. | | | | Contact Us and possibly an Archives page. Some |
| Hosting | | | | sites have pages under these main pages with |
| Once you have the domain name then you need | | | | the policies, insurances, employment opportunities |
| to look at where you are going to host your | | | | etc, however these are not essential. |
| domain name. You can use the same company | | | | Blogs |
| you bought the domain name from however it is | | | | Nowadays your site may include a blog which |
| probably a good idea to use a different provider | | | | allows people to make comments on articles or |
| such as | | | | posts that are added to you site. This is a great |
| Other sites for Comparison | | | | way to communicate with your customers with |
| So now we have the basics under control. The | | | | posts or articles written by you. You can choose |
| next and probably the most important thing is to | | | | the option to read the comment before it goes |
| look around at other websites. Look at their | | | | on the site. In fact most sites these days are |
| layout and the links that take you to different | | | | actual blogs written in a user friendly program |
| areas of their site. How long does the site take to | | | | such as WordPress or Joomla. However there are |
| load? Did you know that in the past if a person | | | | many tools available for this purpose. It is a good |
| doesn't see what they are looking for or it is too | | | | idea to have your site developed as a blog as it is |
| slow to load the click out of the site within 8 | | | | so much easier to add information and make |
| seconds. Today it is 4 seconds. So it is important | | | | changes. This allows you to take control of your |
| that the site is going to answer a question for the | | | | website in the future and in turn this will save you |
| viewer. Here are a few things to be aware of | | | | money. |