Getting Started with your Web Site

Below is a basic outline of what I need to get started on your web site design. Along with a few other items, this list serves as the "agenda" for our first meeting.

• The site objective or goal, what are you trying to accomplish with this web site? Are you planning to use it to sell products, merely provide information about your company or yourself, or for some other purpose? Your vision helps me determine the number of "pages" that will be needed in your site, and also helps in providing a navigation design that you're comfortable with and that makes sense for the project.
• Your company logo as an image file. If you don't have a logo yet, I will be happy to design one for you as part of the package.
• Any content that you want included in the site. If possible, copy should be provided in Microsoft Word format or just typed in an email to me.
• Any marketing materials you currently use. These are helpful to me so I can provide a design consistent with your current marketing style if you choose.
• If the site is to sell products, pictures, descriptions, and pricing of each product will be necessary. And don't worry if you don't have digital pictures of everything...I've been known to haul trailers loaded with jet skis around to the side of the building so I can take a decent picture for the web site. That part is FUN for me!
• Some information about your business and your competition, who your customers are, what they're looking for from you, and how you think the web site should help achieve customer service goals.
• Your domain name (ie. www.yourcompanyname.com) if you already have one. If you don't already own a domain name, I recommend that you visit godaddy.com to register your name. I will be happy to help you with this part if you need it.

I don't need a formal presentation of this material in order to get started, but it speeds the process if you have at least considered the items above and have some ideas about what you're trying to accomplish. Feel free to contact me if you just need ideas period! I get excited about this stuff, and ideas are what I'm here for.

Once they're ready, I will load pages of your web site to a hidden area of mine for your review and comments. Depending on how quickly you and I are able to communicate required changes, it generally takes about 2-4 weeks to get your site up and running. The next step is Hosting and Marketing of your new site.

Graphic images should be in the highest resolution possible.

Scanning is available if you don't have digital images.

I have a digital camera that we can use to take photos for your site.

Domain names should be as short as possible, less than 15 characters if you can.