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Where
do you start?
You've
already taken a big step in researching the web design
process. But before you tackle the site of your
dreams, there are a few things you should take time to do.
Before
you lock into a certain design or theme for your web site, spend some
time browsing the web for sites relevant to yours. Write down at
least three sites that you admire and why you like them. It may be
because the graphics are awesome, or they are simple to navigate within,
or maybe the colors grab you. This information will greatly help
your web designer build you a site you will love.
Your
web site will need a name. The biggest mistake people make when
choosing a domain name is making the name too long. Another common
mistake is making it hard to spell. You want something catchy,
easy to type, and avoid items such as punctuation marks or underscores. The best domain names contain the
business name and business type. Examples would be
smithfurniture.com or joneskennels.net, etc. If you have an
unusual last name, often this is a good choice, providing it is
relatively easy to spell.
Your
web site automatically offers the option of an e-mail address attached to
it. If the web site name is joneskennels.com the e-mail address
could be anything@joneskennels.com. Keep the e-mail address short
and even more simple than the web address. Having it be pertinent
to the business type is always a good idea. Examples would include
dogs@joneskennels.com or bordercollies@joneskennels.com.
There
are millions of little flashing icons and interesting sound effects that
can be incorporated into a web site. But we suggest you save those for
your favorite e-mail pen pals. These "doodahs" take a
lot of time to load and not everyone's computer is capable of viewing or
hearing them how they are intended to be viewed and heard. At
Stoney's, our tastes lean toward keeping
your web site simple, classy and clean. Your site will load most
quickly and attract repeat visitors more readily if they don't have to
sit through a "doodah" for the 29th time.
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