17 July 2009
So, you have decided that you would like to have a website to represent yourself or your organization online. Now what? The first thing you will need to do is determine what the purpose of your site will be. What is the aim of your website? To sell? To inform? To persuade? To entertain? These are some good questions to begin with. Once you have determined the purpose of your site, you can begin to shop around for the type of website design you need.
If you have decided that you would like to sell things through your site, then you will need to purchase a website development package that includes shopping cart software. While some website designs may incorporate the use of simple purchasing buttons like PayPal®, if you plan to accept credit card orders directly through your site and not through a third party, like PayPal, then you will need a shopping cart software solution. The extra benefit of shopping cart software is that most contain easily managed tools to upload products and pricing quickly, as well as maintain your overall stock.
If you are planning to inform, entertain, or persuade with your site, then you might want to think about what specific features you would like to have in your website design. A good way to determine this is to look at some of the sites that you like or are in your industry - these can give you an idea of what types of features and designs you prefer. If you know what you want on your site before purchasing, it ensures that you do not waste time buying the wrong product that is too limited for your needs or getting a more expensive option that you may not need. This is especially helpful when choosing a package that includes professional designers to create your website.