So you want to be a webmaster?

You’ve finally done it. You’ve gone and set up a website and you have big plans of community or money or recognition. However, now that you have a website, what do you do next? Do the masses flock to your pages or do you actually have to work a little? Let’s go with the latter…

The first thing people see when they come to your website is probably the title. Do you have a good title? Does it convey creativity, or get your point across? This may not seem important but people judge books (and everything else) by their covers, and the biggest thing on a cover is usually the title. Once you’ve got a good one, it’s time to consider the other aspect of presentation:

Theme. This one could be tricky. Theme is directly tied with the way your website works. If you’re using a CMS, then you’ll want a theme that fits the system. If you have static pages, you want a theme that’s appealing to the eye and easy to manipulate manually. The theme of your site should fit its purpose. For example, if you’re a technology news site, you wouldn’t have a punk-rock template. It doesn’t fit with the idea of your site. Themes should, above all, reflect three things: Your website idea; your personality; and the way the sight flows.

When designing a good theme, you’ll need some knowledge. If you plan to customize your site, you’ll want to know some solid HTML and CSS. If you’re using a content management system, then you may not need to know these things, but it will help you understand how everything works and help you to mold it to your shape. I’d suggest picking up a few quick reference books on languages that give you the tags and what they stand for, then diving into the code and exploring. (Not without backing up your code first, of course.)

When you’ve got your concept and presentation squared away, you’ll want to start focusing on content. People won’t come to a website that’s empty. Content could be anything from blog posts to an image gallery. Consider what it is you want to display from your site, and start building it up. When thinking of content, try surfing the net and looking at websites similar to yours. Sometimes you can use random generators to give you ideas. When you’ve got somewhere between twenty and thirty content items (which I believe to be a good working base), then you can move on to configuring your site.

Configuring your site means setting up staff members, rules/regulations, and working with the layout and setting your preferences just right. It’s easier to do this with content already on the site because then you can see how everything works together. When looking for staff members, you’ll want to consider people you know well, who will put as much effort into the website as you’re willing to. Sometimes you’ll need to look at people smarter than you. Whoever you can work with and communicate with easily. When working with layouts, you’ll want to use something that flows easily for you. Some sites have “columns” that organize the website. This is the general for people using CMS’s, but it’s not required. Use whatever layout makes your site eye catching and easy to maneuver. You’ll also want to think of some rules if it’s a community based website. Do you want your visitors running amok or would you rather classify them into groups? Do they need to register to participate? Are there certain standards you want future affiliates/staff members to abide by when working with your site? These are things you need to make crystal clear and put in an easy place to find. People don’t like to hunt through pages to find regulations, and you may end up with many a rule breaker if you don’t make them clear and concise.

The only things left when building your site would be advertising and maintenance. You want to make sure your website is updated regularly to keep visitors on top of things and that everything is clean and spam free. You’ll also want to start generating some “word of mouth” for your website. Link directories, forum signatures, and webmaster communities would be great ways to generate visitors. When looking for ways to advertise, beware of link/banner exchanges. These can get complicated and they hit you with various spam emails. It’s really better to try and steer clear of these. Just keep trying to get word out there and soon enough people will pick up. Try submitting articles with your website URL in them at the bottom, or participating in contests. Get yourself known, and make sure people like you.

Follow those guidelines and you should be well on your way to building a successful site and gaining a following. Remember that building a website takes time, be patient. Don’t expect lightening fast results and don’t be rash, or you’ll end up with a disaster. (I’m talking about internet Vikings and hackers)Hope it’s been helpful.

Article written by Serendipity
www.ninjapiratesonline.com