Website design: so you've bought the site. How do we get CONTENT up there?

In my last article, I wrote about how to get started with your own web site.  We covered what a domain name and hosting are and how to buy your own domain name and set up hosting for your web site.  Now that your site has a name and someplace to live, it’s time to generate content.

This is client engagement.  In this process, the site developer (hopefully me) meets with you to discuss your ideas for your site.  We’ll get any materials from you that we need, including the following:

• Pictures of products or projects
• Detailed descriptions of products
• Any definite verbiage you want on the site
• Contact information you want published
• Number of pages on the site

Essentially, we’ll collaborate and plan the site.  We can be as involved in the planning process or keep it to a few basic ideas.  I find that the more the client is involved with this step, the happier they’ll be with the final result.  As far as the number of pages goes, I used to charge a flat rate per page, but I am transitioning to a “package” model instead.  This offers more flexibility for clients and helps us both make good design choices. 

After the initial site planning has been done, I will create some site mockups, each witha  different design and feel.  Depending on how complex the site is and how many pages you want, I may do a full mockup of the entire site or I may simply create a few select pages.   

I then meet with the client to go over the mockups.  If I’ve done my job well, the client will usually pick one of the mockups as the final design.  I can then get started on the final product.  After another meeting or two just to get the fine details right, the site is completed and YOUR new web site is ready to go online. 

Remember in the last article when I said a web site is just a collection of files?  Well here’s where I upload the files to the host.  Once the files live on the host’s servers, they can be accessed immediately.  After final approval, your web site can be online in minutes. 

Once the site is online, it’s just a matter of tweaking content according to the client’s ongoing needs.  I typically do this on as as- needed basis with my typical hourly rate, providing an estimate before any work is done. 

So there you have it.  I hope, with these two articles, I’ve demystified the process of creating a web site for yourself or your business and getting it online.  It’s really a collaborative process between you and I that should lead to a great deal of satisfaction for both of us.  Thanks a lot of reading and if you have any questions or if you’d like to discuss getting YOUR site up, please email me. 

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