Whether it is a decision that became necessary for your business of the blossoming of a passion in your life, starting a website is going to be an exciting time for you.  As with any other big decision, you can’t jump into the mix without measuring the length of your leap.  In other words, you need to know what you’re up against and what it will take to make your website a success, whatever your goals may be.  Here are the steps to take as you get started on the production of a website.

Zero in on a target audience: Who is this website aiming to please or impress?  Are you trying to sell specific products or ideas?  You can’t really design a website without knowing who you are going to address.  At the same time, you don’t want to rule out any potential visitors, so you shouldn’t keep your focus too narrow.  If there are certain specific topics you want to explore in detail, leave them for the back pages of your site.  Look to hit the core of your audience with the main pages and the concept in general.  As time goes by, you’ll see how that audience grows or changes.

Expand the range and welcome in friends of friends: Because you have no idea just how broad your audience might be at first, there is no point in alienating anyone.  Certainly, an extreme political stance will have its detractors built into the operation, but a known responsible news service can maintain that position of fairness and really expand its base.  Think of your website as you would a benefit dinner.  Welcome not only staunch supporters and good friends but also their friends and anyone else whose help you would appreciate.  Focus is important, but have an ample field of range.

Get an exciting visual presentation: Graphic designers will say that starting a website is impossible unless you have the exact visual presentation ready to go.  You need to know your business or goals as well as possible to do this correctly.  Once you have your plan of attack down, you have to come onto the scene with a bang.  There are so many websites that it is better to wait and see than to jump into the fray with a product not quite ready for the big show.  On the internet these days, there is simply too much competition to try and do otherwise.

Make sure the substance can back up the style: Your visual presentation will set the tone and hook the casual visitor, but unless you have to content to back it up, they will be in and out before you can say ‘Digg.’  What does good content include?  Depending on the focus of your site, it could be anything from background information to more daring pieces.  There are some people who recommend the ‘less is more’ approach – especially for a visual arts focus – but having a brief page of background info will only help you in the long run.  Sometimes, being elusive is just a bad idea.

About the Author: This article was written by Mona Pennypacker of Acorn Creative Studio who specializes in web site design in Colorado.