Starting Your Website
I promise I'll make it easy for you!
What you need to know ...
About Starting Your Web Project!
Preparing for your website project is much easier than you would think. It won't be stressful, or take much time away from your work schedule, and you'll be truly amazed how smoothly it can progress. I will do everything I can to make the process easy and pleasant!
When structuring your web's content, we need to clearly let the viewers know these things:
Who you are: (your mission if you have one; your history and experience providing the products or services offered)
What you do: (the benefits your customers will have through your organization, products, or services)
Who you do it for: (what type of members, clients or customers you are wanting to attract)
Where you do what you do: (a clear explanation of where you do business; regional, world-wide, etc.)
I can edit and enhance your text for you into short paragraphs and with one clear subject per paragraph. Concise and to-the-point is what's best.
Relevant Text is important to the search engines
We're not forcing anyone to read all of the text on web pages, but we do want to have enough information for them to feel you are telling them what they need to know to do business with you. I'll work to enhance your text for the search engine optimization aspect of your website. If you have personal biographies or facts that are specific and pertinent, please be sure to provide them at the start.
Having short, meaty paragraphs with
headings is better than having long
rambling sections but 'read more' is a good option to have
plenty of searchable content.
Using words in
bulleted lists instead of
paragraphs
make it easier to scan text than text in paragraphs, especially if
we keep them short.
Detailed text descriptions are very necessary, but
we'll
break up the text by using crisp, clear photographs of your
services, products, completed projects or other graphics as
visual reinforcement and ambiance.
Make your website text content relevant to your business services or products. Web viewers want the information they are looking for, so unless the web page has the information they're seeking set out in a bold, clear, easy-to-find way, they will become impatient and just move on to another site.
When writing text content for the home page, be sure to use relevant words and phrases that are strongly and positively descriptive in telling how your services or products are superior such as "FAST - EASY - A GOOD VALUE." Tell the viewers WHY you make these claims. This info should be the most prominent set up as bullets or titles.
Pictures! Pictures! Pictures!
Viewers love to see before and after photos when applicable, or end-result photos, if applicable. I can use your photos or stock photos to help 'illustrate' sections of text and soften the clinical look of having text. If you don't have any, I'll be happy to locate some inexpensive royalty-free stock photos to use very effectively.
A word of caution about having email link contact.
If you are not someone who checks your email frequently, you should not have an email link on your web pages. Your lack of quickly responding risks making people feel neglected and annoy potential clients/customers. If you are too busy to check your email, then it's better to have have the website guide people to call you or come into your location.
Things I'll need for your project:
Graphics and elements that are specific client design requests must be provided to me prior to starting your web project. I understand you will be making changes and adjustments to the design as we develop the site and we agree that is totally normal part of the process, so not to worry.
I prefer to use your original unedited photos for clarity. PLEASE KEEP YOUR ORIGINALS AND GIVE ME COPIES. I cannot be responsible for original photos. I don't keep or save any photos other than the ones that end up on your website after editing.
Colors, or color schemes for your website
If you don't have one in mind, that's perfectly fine. About 75% of my clients ask me to take care of designing the whole website and I will certainly work the colors around your logo, and other photos or help you create a simple logo look for the website.
Your Hosting Account
You/we will need to set up a hosting account to keep your website up on the internet. (I can assist you with this or take care of doing it for you.) I do have my own preferences, so please confer with me beforehand since I'm the one having to deal with the variety of hosting set-ups and customer services. I'm happy to have a reliable hosting company I've worked with for 10+ years that I can refer clients to. (I do not get any compensation for it, or mark-up and resell hosting.)
How to provide me with your photos and graphics
There are many ways that you can provide photos
for me to use on your web project... send them by email,
download them to a thumb-drive, or create a disk to drop off
or send by mail. I can also send you a link to my DropBox so
you can upload them through your web browser.
Scanning
Your Photos
I can scan
photos, but the photo quality is not quite as good as being
able to have them in digital format. If I have to scan very
many photos it will take more time, so let's discuss the
possibility of an extra charge for that service. If you
would like items returned, please be sure to mark them with
your name, and provide stamped, self-addressed return
mailing materials.