How to create content for the web

There are many things to think about when you are developing a web site.

So you want to create a web site. Wonderful! Are you sure? Well, creating one takes a lot of planning and research.

For my next few posts, I will discuss the development process that I use when creating web sites for clients.

You should first determine why you are creating the site. Is the site for a business or will be a personal site? Will you be creating this yourself or will you need to hire a design professional?

Careful file management helps to avoid frustration during the initial phase of web development.

After that’s done, you need to ask yourself how will the site be structured. How many pages do you need to include to convey the message you are trying to present? It’s okay if this doesn’t formulate right away (most great works aren’t produced “overnight” anyway). With this in mind, try not to create unnecessary pages. Just as with writing, if you can say it with one page instead of two, do it! You don’t want to confuse or frustrate your visitors with useless or repetitive content.

Ask yourself who your target audience will be. What demographic are you aiming for? A site aimed towards kids should be structured differently than a site geared towards middle-aged adults or seniors.

Once you have these points nailed, it’s time to start gathering all of your content. Your content is everything that will be included on your site (copy, images, music, etc.). Make sure you keep your files organized, separate and in a secure location. Staying organized from the beginning of your project will make the process a lot easier in the long run.

This is only the tip of the iceberg in the development of web sites. There is quite a bit more involved, but this info should be more than enough get you started. Until next time…