Last summer I decided finally to create my own website, to broaden awareness of my advertising-slogan database and related search services (ADSlogans Unlimited).
Now it's up and running and I'm at last very pleased with it. It's bringing in business, just like it's supposed to. But it was a bumpy road. Let me share some learning with you.
Time required
Creating your own website takes time - a month or two from 'go'. That's elapsed time, not 250 hours of labor. It's for reading manuals, learning new software, planning, making choices, not being able to move forward until someone returns a phone call, as well as building it. Keeping it going and updated takes at least another 5 hours a week.
Planning mandatory
Scheme out as much of your site as you can before you start putting it together. Every hour of real planning time will save you at least one day undoing mistakes and rethinking things later.
Money needed
Budget $500-$1000, assuming you already have an Internet-ready computer. This covers registration fees, reference books, software and rinky dinks like having to hire a programming maven to polish up an interactive component you just can't get to work on your own.
How do you want your site to look and feel? As you surf the web, ask yourself: "Does this site really knock me out? Is there something I could emulate? Is this the kind of look I want?" If yes, bookmark it and make a file of preferences. Then you'll have some benchmarks to work with. But before you begin, ask yourself these questions:
What is the site's purpose? Mine was to:
* Raise awareness of my work * Provide a reason to call/e-mail clients and prospects * Be a basis for publicity
* Open the door to new business * Be easily searched for and FOUND, using obvious key words, by all the main search engines (AOL, Alta Vista, Hot-Bot, Excite, Lycos, etc) * Provide a mechanism for doing business and ordering my books * Identify and locate allies and competitors * Link to and from allies (adds to credibility) * Enable satisfied customers to show off their knowledge by introducing their colleagues to my services via the website * Encourage feedback on my work * Encourage frequent return visits to build confidence in what I do
Who are you aiming at?
* Defined, known, named clients and prospects? * Categories of people (airline pilots, lawyers, gardeners...)? * The general public?
* People who don't have computers and have never used the Internet? * Or who?
Who will be your ISP (Internet Service Provider)? There's a lot of free stuff around, but bear in mind you get what you pay for. I'm happy to pay $25 a month to my ISP, because I never get a busy signal, their live telephone help line is free, and they're in business to serve business, not force me and my visitors to read a bunch of ads that don't interest us.
What would you like as your domain name? My domain is adslogans.co.uk, but adslogans.com had already gone when I started looking (it's still perenially 'under construction'). You can reserve an available name in advance if needed by paying a modest fee (check with your ISP).
Test it with users
I must have changed the website more than 100 times since I launched it. It's my belief that you have no more than three clicks to engage the interest of a visitor. And loading times in excess of 30 seconds on an early visit will send your potential client off in search of faster pastures. On your first page, only have clicks that move the visitor forward to where you want them to go. Don't waste their time with irrelevant choices or meaningless spinning logos (Look, ma! Just like television must have been when you were a little girl!).
Never miss an opportunity to watch a person going through your site for the first time (you can even do this on the phone). Note the (to you) wrong turnings and false starts and ruthlessly deal with them. Don't tell them where to go when you're testing... find out where they are inclined to go and figure out what you have to do to get them to take your desired journey to your intended destination. Refine and retest. Continuously improve.
I hope this has given you a bit of a feel for DIYing your home page. I'm glad I did it! Check it out at . Give me some feedback!
Timothy R V Foster < fostair@adslogans.co.uk > created and operates ADSlogans Unlimited [Hyperlink < http://www.adslogans.co.uk > ], a service for advertising agencies that checks ad slogans for prior or competitive use.