Planning Your Website

1) Know Your Objectives

It is important to consider the purpose or goal(s) of your site, which might include such things as: displaying information about your products, your company’s services, hours and locations etc. The internet provides a perfect opportunity to introduce new products and services into the market. With Flash animation, it is possible to create online multimedia demonstrations of your products in action.
You must now also decide on a name and address for your site, usually your company or product name, and whether you want to register your own domain. Style X will assist you in the name registration process or you can do it yourself quite easily online.

2) Creating A Website Map

This step consists of planning the general areas of content for your site. A successful website should be divided into sections and/or subsections, making it easy for your clients to navigate through it. The site map is an invaluable tool for planning the architecture of the site. This will allow us to organize each page of the site so it all makes sense in the big picture. Stylex Media Design Inc. works with the client to create an efficient site map, that will be used as a reference when completing the entire website layout.

3) Designing The Site

This step usually begins with the Homepage. This is the first page that visitors will see when they connect to your website, and we all know how important first impressions are. Once an over all design or “Style” is created for the site and the homepage has been created and approved, the rest of the site would be tailored around it. At Stylex Media Design Inc. we pride ourselves in our ability to create unique and exciting designs. We believe it is important to create a style that will capture and hold a visitor’s interest. While at the same time complimenting the image of your company, based on the demographics of your client.

4) The Navigation Menu

This is one of the most important elements in a successful website. A well-planned menu bar (or navigation system) enables your visitors to easily travel around the various sections of your site. The Menu Bar is the thread that links your entire site together and should be designed in such a way as to allow your visitors to easily travel to anywhere in your site from any page. Thereby allowing them to get the information they are looking for with the shortest amount of time and effort. There is many types and styles of menu bars and buttons available to compliment the infinite possibilities of website designs.

5) Preparing Your Content

Now it’s your turn. You must decide on what information you want on all the pages specified in the website map. For some help in this area we suggest you review other websites, your printed literature, or even ask your clients what they would like to see on your website. Style X can assist you in this process, but you know best what your company has to offer your clients, keeping in mind the final objectives of your website. The most important page in this process is the home page. Some search engines, for example Google, reads the content of your homepage and uses the text content of that page to rank your site. A properly written homepage can improve your ability to be listed on a Google search.

6) Going Live

Stylex will now take the information you provide for each page and incorporate it into the site. The site will be uploaded to the Stylex hosting server, to a temporary location, where it can be tested and reviewed for final changes. Once all the pages are complete, it’s time to “go live”. Once the site has been checked and approved, it will be uploaded to your domain on the hosting server. The client can maintain the site or we can offer reasonable rates for making scheduled changes and modifications to the site content or design.

7) Marketing Your Website

Congratulations! Your website is now complete and online. Now, perhaps the most important step in creating a successful website is promotion. There are several million websites throughout the world, all accessible by anyone with internet service. The challenge is to bring potential clients to your website, and keep them there.. Registering your site with popular Search sites such as Yahoo, Google MSN etc. is essential to ensure someone can find you if they are searching for you. There is also virtually unlimited material available online regarding marketing and promoting a website.