So you're thinking of building a site?

This may seem obvious, but before embarking on a website project it's a really good idea to get clear about what you want.  If you can think through your hopes and expectations for your site before you begin you'll have a better chance of succeeding. What will a successful site be like, how will you know it's working, and what is it your'e trying to accomplish with it? It helps to talk it through with someone. Business partners are usually up for that kind of thing. Alternatively, talk it through with a girlfriend, boyfriend or spouse. In the meantime here are a few ideas to get you started – things we've found useful in the past.

Who exactly are you talking to?
Who is your audience and what do they want? This may not be as obvious as it seems, and it's all too easy to get caught up with website 'features' or to make the mistake of filling the site with stuff that may be interesting to you, but will bore your customers (and possibly your friends). Think about your site from the visitor's point of view. What will they be looking for? What will interest them once they get there, and what will keep them there long enough for you to sell them what you're selling (metaphorically and literally). And if you're in business, what part will your site play in your overall marketing strategy?
Get to know your competitors
Do you have competitors? You probably do unless you've just invented the Elixir of Life, and if you've done that you'll soon have plenty of competitors (and they'll be around a while, so it's worth getting to know them). Who are your competitors, and what do they do with their websites that you think works? It's fair game to see what they're up to. Take some inspiration from what they do well and then do it even better if you can. And it's a good idea to not just look at what you like or don't like about their design, but how do they structure the site and what do they do that keeps your interest (if anything?). If their site is successful, what things do you think they are doing that get people visiting?

Don't get lost in cyberspace
It's great to have a website – no enterprise these days can do without one – but it does nobody any good, least of all you, the site owner, if people never come visiting. You will want to do all you can to make sure that your site is seen by Search Engines, and that it shows up when your potential customers are searching for the kind of thing you are offering. Though it may sometimes appear so, this is not magic. Sites that have great content that is valuable to people, that are structurally easy to navigate, that change with some frequency and are linked to the larger world are likely to be rated high by Search Engines. This means that not only do you need a nice design for your site, but you will need an ongoing strategy for updating, monitoring and marketing the site on the web.