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If you are starting with a blank slate, we want to help get you and your team prepared for the process of building and maintaing a website.
Here are a few tips that will make everything roll along smoothly...
1. Compose a "web team".
This may be one person, or it may be a team of 5 people. This team or person will need to have permission to make all decisions related to the website. This maintains an efficient time-frame for each project. Of course this person or team will be able to share information with others as we progress, but the ideal set-up will be that the team or person responsible for the website project have permission to make decisions as needed.
2. Prepare a Site Map.
This will be a document that illustrates the Main Menu Items and all of the pages that will fall under those pages (i.e. Ministries is in the Main Menu and then Children, Youth and Adults will follow below). Many clients find that setting this up in a program such as Excel is helpful in tracking the pages to be established.
3. Find a handful of websites that you like.
This helps Content Creations get an idea of your style preference and what you are looking for. Obviously you will get a unique site of your own, but knowing that you like Site A and Site B are very helpful.
4. Gather Photographs.
Most sites contain stock photography throughout the design and content, but it is also good to add a little of "who you are". This may be people, facilities, events, staff, etc. Begin collecting photos from different people/departments that can be dispersed among your website content.
5. Begin working on Content!
This is a Big Step! We find it helpful if you will compose a Word Document for each page in your site. The "About Us" page will get a Word document, "Contact Us" get's a Word document, etc. Simply add the content you want on that page to each Word Document. Indicate any pieces that should be linked and note any photos that need to be added. Do not worry about formatting - this is what Content Creations is for. We are simply looking for the meat of the pages here.
There will be many other aspects of the process that you and/or your team will be involved in, but these 5 steps will help you get ahead of the curve and will enable your website to be completed and launched sooner than you expected!
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