Think of your website as your introduction to the world, not much different than your brochure. You want to be taken seriously and your site to represent you, you also want people to find your website. To do this and have a successful site many times you need to find a professional.
I have the following questions for you to consider before you start trying to venture off on your own with a website. If you can’t afford someone, try to barter or hire a consultant. A web consultant, such as Colorado Mountain Media, will provide needed assistance and a guide for you to follow. There is a one time consultant fee or you can hire one on an hourly basis.
Search Engines
Professionals, such as Colorado Mountain Media, understand Search Engine strategies, we keep up in trends, and understand how code and Search engines work together.
Do you understand META tags? Do you understand how to utilize google’s web tools to help your site? Do you know what a sitemap is? These are just the basic questions. Search engine is a science consider it an investment!
Templates
If you purchase a template you are stuck to what someone else designed. Do you know how to customize the template? Do you understand the importance of a title tag? Can you customize the menu for your needs? Does the template look like a dozen other websites out in the world?
If you want to stand out how are you doing that buying a template?
If you want to be serious I would avoid templates, brand yourself don’t just be another clone, cloning will get you no where but another site amongst a million. How will you be found?
Graphics Done Right
Do you know what a png or gif is? What about sizing and image optimization? There are key things to consider when you are using graphics, especially with websites.
Can you create a menu without graphics? Do you understand the importance of a css based menu versus a static graphic menu?
Most professional web designers have been schooled to understand all the above questions I have asked. We understand that photos are jpgs and we know how to make a png file transparent on browsers.
Browsers
Which leads me to another item professionals understand browser compatiblity. What does your site look like in all browsers? Have you tested it on anything besides IE? Are you knowledgeable enough to fix browser issues?
Wordpress and Content Management Systems
Wordpress out of the box is easy but are you familiar with which plugins should be added for security? Do you know how to customize templates? Think of why you are using a blog for your site if you aren’t going to be writing or updating it regularly than I’d use another Content Management System (CMS).
CMS’s are many times available for free and make building a site easier. However there are some that aren’t as secure as others. I tested many of these systems out and found I was hacked easily. I personally believe a larger portal could use a CMS( real estate agents, travel sites, etc).
For small business there are smaller lighter systems but you have to spend time learning the programs and you need a basic understanding of PHP, MySQL, and FTP’ing.
It is never good to just throw up a site utilizing a system you don’t know well. How do you stop it from being hacked? What are the key security plugins or codes necessary?
Overview
Remember you are trying to sell yourself. If you aren’t a web professional at least seek guidance from one. Or ..
Call us! We can help you even if you’re on a budget.
