Attacking the Design
by J. Lary
If you are like me, then you already know what the end design will be to your site. You know the categories and about a dozen pages that can go in each. But…..how do I get there? This is the question you’re probably asking yourself. After 8 years I can tell you it doesn’t start on a computer, but rather on a piece of paper.
Before you even begin to understand a website, you need to understand your customer and the market your customer is in. Then you can position yourself where you fit in that market and the opportunities you have on each side. You may want to do one thing but after analyzing your situation you may be better suited doing another.
Before you waste a whole lot of time, figure out what it is that you are good at and create a plan on how to exploit it. Don’t chase after he say she say, but rather act on what ‘you say’. You know what you like to do and what you’ve made money on so far. So instead of chasing after the next star, chase after ‘your star’. Here are few key questions to ask yourself. What did you do to make that last buck? How can you do it over and over again? Now this may not be something you want to do forever but turning some profit is better then turning no profit. See it through, grind it out and then sell it– or farm it out and create some residual income for yourself.
Don’t waste your time on creating a design that is going to confuse your potential customers due to inconsistencies. Confusion starts by having categories that don’t exist. It’s better for you to understand your potential customer and know that he/she is looking for that one particular thing you offer and build off of that.