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Why Website?

Let’s examine possible reasons you might want a website.

• Test a business idea
• Build online presence for offline business
• Start a business on a shoestring
• Build exposure for your art or writing.
• Express yourself
• Learn new skill
• Entertain yourself & others

Each of these have valid reasons to start a website, and the big reason to get in the game determines how much and what kind of help you need.

Examples of Different Business Website Needs

One of my website design clients has a brick-and-mortar Native American gift store locally and would like to draw more business from outlying towns and tourists that come during “Boat Season” and want to take home unique mementos of their visit. Some goals for their site include:

• Build an online representation of their store, showing it’s unique character.
• Have easy contact information and ability to ask questions of the sellers, directly from the website.
• Generate gallery that can be upgraded to an online catalog, at a later date.
• Train internet newbies how to maintain and update their new site.

Another client who is a dance instructor who moved to a new city (Austin to Seattle) has a different set of requirements for her site.

• Express her qualifications as a dance instructor.
• Allow potential clients to book appointments with her, online.
• Allow students and fans to see where she will be - for dance events and national workshops.

Reasons to Use Website Design Professionals

For business -
The internet moves at the speed of light compared to brick-and-mortar business. Let one of my client’s mistakes help you avoid it - a small business owner asked a supplier four years ago for permission to sell their products online and got permission; but when I contacted the supplier for an image and marketing discussion I discovered my client no longer had permission - he waited too long. Don’t hesitate, get your business online quickly by using professionals.

For individuals -
If you want to learn a new skill - great - starting a website or blog of your own will be a great way to get hands-on-experience. But if you’re just looking to highlight your writing or artwork, you might want to work with a designer to get the look and feel that best represents you - without waiting 6 months for your skill set to match what you want in a site.

Save Yourself

Whether you are a business owner looking to start your own online presence or a web designer looking to help others get online, it is important to get an idea of goals and scope, including the experience level of your client - before coding the site begins. You’ll save yourself a lot of work, and not hear complaints from clients who had different priorities and needs.