I will reveal the actual site in a week or two, so for now, let's have a look at the 3 steps of the web development process:
1. Prepare
2. Produce
3. Promote
Step 1, Prepare, is the most important, but often neglected, step. You all know the expression, "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail". But I'll bet that many of you had a negative experience when you built your website. This often happens when there is an inadequate or non-existent plan.
Web development is a great business but there are frustrations. And the biggest one is dealing with people who aren't prepared to spend time planning. The analogy I use is building a house. You wouldn't start building until you have carefully considered all aspects of the project and signed off on the blueprints. Building a website is the same.
Out of this frustration came an idea. I built a website that explains how to create a successful web plan. It is a series of on-screen video tutorials, similar to this site. This was put together quickly and really needs a revamp but it does contain some great information. This is a free course and I encourage you to watch it before next week's newsletter.
In future posts, I will show you how to create a comprehensive web plan, how to select an appropriate website template and how to choose a developer if you need help.
P. S. the most popular Website Planning lesson is on market research. The process has changed a little since it was recorded but you should get the hang of it. You should also check out this piece of software for market research. The free version is all you need but if you're serious about succeeding online, I recommend the full version. I use it every day! Download this for free now.
