Even if you choose to have someone else build your site (see below), make sure you understand its basic functionality first by mapping-out what you need it to do. Break your proposed site down into the key areas, perhaps using a tool like iMindMap.  This is a powerful mind mapping tool which we use almost everyday. It’s versatile and powerful and does the job.

Mind mapping works because it lets you think graphically – you’ll see when you try it.  It also lets you think ‘big picture’, which is ideal when you need to scope something like a website.  But it’s not our place to convince you of that – what works for one person may not work for another – you need to find what’s right for you. We like it – we’re simple at ClubBlogger

Independent studies have been undertaken about the power of mind mapping – just go to the ThinkBuzan website and click on “So why do mind maps work?” if you’re interested in learning more.

Key principles of building your online presence:

• Realize that this will be an ongoing process.  The reason we recommend scoping is to help in making the whole process go smoothly, and so that you, as the entrepreneur behind the business, can put your stamp on it and control it (just handing over control of such an important part of your business to a coder/designer isn’t the way to go). But do not forget that no website is really ever “finished”. Building your site is a work in progress and, whilst planning is important, it’s important at the right level – it should not be a barrier to progress. Don’t wait until your site is “perfect” to get it going.  If you do, it will probably never happen.  As long as the substance is there, you can develop and ‘fix’ it as it operates. You have to get this balance right, and this will come with experience.

• Understand your target market inside out.  You can never know your market well enough, but again don’t let this be a barrier to action. The key part of your site will be the message that is your market. This should be supported by the graphics and other functionality, not the other way around. You need to understand the demographic of your audience. You need to know what they are thinking, what their problems are and what solutions they are looking for. Do not be vague about this. Do not cut corners in your fundamental understanding. It’s the bedrock of what you’re doing and you should document it (whether in a business plan or, at an early stage, in a separate note).  This doesn’t mean it has to be War and Peace – in fact, it’s better that it isn’t.  Short, concise, to the point works for us and for most busy people. Or just those who get bored easily (be honest, ClubBloggers, most of us fall into that category!)

• Know what your branding is or will evolve into. You may have a brand online already or created already through an offline business that you are moving online. Or many of you will be creating a new brand. Brands are all about the feeling your business imparts on those who do business with you, whether your customers, suppliers, etc. If you’re brainstorming this, get as much down on paper (or into your laptop) as you can. Again, don’t underestimate how useful mind mapping can be – it helps your ideas build, grow and connect.  It makes those ideas tangible.

• What will your marketing strategy be? If you can’t lead people through your “marketing funnel” towards your product, service or other profit generator, you will struggle financially. This is an area which can have a big impact on how you design your website or someone else does (if the latter, don’t let your designer ‘run away’ with the look and feel without considering this – honestly, this is great advice, from personal experience). Is your website trying to get people to phone you, where you make the sale (this is increasingly unusual, but it works in some markets). Or, is your site supposed to lead users to an email opt-in form to start a follow up process (this can lead to pre-selling)? Alternatively, perhaps you will lead them straight to a point of sale? You should end up with map with ‘one route’, designed by you –  know exactly where you want your users to go and how you will get them there.  Make it a path of least resistance.

• Match your content to your goals. Decide what your content needs to achieve. Obviously most sites will have the typical common and recommended pages of a website (the home page, “about” page, “contact” page and “help” or FAQ). Note that your visitors will expect to see these pages so be careful deviating too far from the ‘norm’ (this can be an area where creativity is bad!) because it can unsettle users. Beyond these building blocks, however, it’s what your message is that’s key and that message derives from your market and your product. Decide what must go on the ‘basic’ pages (obviously your home page isn’t strictly a basic page, and must be highly focused, but it’s a building block page).

• You may be building a site dedicated to one element of one topic – a mini/micro site. Alternatively, for example, you may be building a product review website through which you sell your own products.  If so, you’ll end up with hundreds if not thousands of pages. Obviously large sites need serious structure otherwise they become difficult to use and unattractive.

All of the above applies to blogging in one way or another.  Most people nowadays realize that ‘blog’ and ‘site’ may be used interchangeably in most situations.  Most of us are trying to achieve similar goals – let’s not over-complicate it by creating unnecessary boundaries!

Well, WordPress is a flexible, powerful content management platform for building a variety of websites, not blogs alone.

Don’t overlook WordPress in favour of something which is more expensive and probably less powerful.  In particular, the plugins in WordPress will deliver most functionality you need in a website.

But how do you avoid the ‘blog theme’?  Are you looking for the ultimate non blog WordPress theme?

The Thesis Theme for WordPress is probably the best we’ve come across and it’s being used by a massive variety of sites on the web.  It gives a deep level of control over your website and if I can use it (with NO design skills whatsoever!) then most people can.

Thesis has set the standard for themes and it’s well worth a look.

There are, of course, plenty of other themes out there, including some ‘free’ themes.  Some of them are great.  But do look out for ‘hidden’ code (malware) in the template files – you need to be careful of that, particularly ‘hidden’ or encrypted code.

You also may find website template and then pay someone to add the text for you. You will need to write the articles and have all the text prepared. Then simply pay someone to make the changes for you. This will be a lot cheaper than having them build it from scratch.

You want to make sure that any web site template that you purchase or design is very clean looking. You don’t want it cluttered with tons of advertisements, texts and links. People will simply leave. They have a lot of other options. While it’s great to advertise, make sure that you do so strategically and in a way that doesn’t come across like you are simply trying to sell products. People want value. They don’t want to be bombarded with advertising and sales pitches.

Also insure that your site is easy to navigate and that your page links are clearly marked and hyperlinked. It is important that your website design is interesting visually. Use splashes of color, add videos, pictures and a nice header. You want it to look attractive and appealing, but again, not crowded.

Do not use automated content. I know some people create websites that consist solely of auto-generated content in hopes that someone will click on their Adsense links or purchase an affiliate product. This may have worked 3 years ago but not any longer. Consumers are much more savvy now. They are not going to spend time at a page with information that doesn’t make sense. They will simply press the back button. Therefore, take some time to either write articles yourself, pay someone to write them for you or use articles from article directories. However, do note that there is a chance that you could be penalized for duplicate content. You also run the risk people leaving your web site and going to the web site listed in the resource box of article that you use. This is because you are required to keep the resource box intact. Keep this in mind when you are considering what type of content to use.

The first option, using templates, is really pretty easy. You simply go to your favorite search engine like Google and type in keywords like “free web-site templates” or “free HTML templates”. You will have to spend some time going through the web sites, finding and downloading web sites that you think would be a good fit for you and the product that you are promoting. After this, you simply need to download or purchase a basic web site editor and make the necessary changes. If you’re not sure how do this, the software with typically have a F.A.Q. section with frequently asked questions or it will have a help feature. You simply type in your question, or related keywords and you will be given a set of instructions. You may also want to use the Internet. You will be able to find answers to many of y our questions this way.

You can also outsource the building of your website. Places like Elance, Get A Freelancer or even Internet marketing forums, are good places to find people that are both affordable and can do a good job. Make sure that you take a close look at their history and check to see if they have a reputation for doing good work.

Lastly, you can take some classes or purchase a book that will teach you various web design skills. You can find and take classes at a local college, online or you may even purchase an e-book or two that explains how to use a particular software.

A website is necessary for most Internet marketers, especially ones that are serious about building a business. While the thought of web design can be a little intimidating, it doesn’t have to be. If you find that you need a website right away, go ahead and outsource it. If you have a little time, then you may want to find a good template and practice on manipulating it. If you learn to make the necessary changes yourself, you will never have to worry about outsourcing your web building again (unless of course you want to).

You want to be careful how you present what you’re selling to your readers. You don’t want to shove your products down their throats, and you don’t want your web site to be littered with all types of advertisements. You should use banners and text links, but you want to be strategic. Make sure that your banners are bright and colorful, and that they are in a position on your web site where people can easily see them. However, don’t over do it.

Use testimonials. Testimonials can be extremely effective. They assure sure people that your product is really good and that it will do what it says it will. You may also want to consider writing product reviews for the products that you are selling. Make sure that you appear to be unbiased in your reviews and perhaps compare a couple of products. Mention products within your web copy and hyperlink key words within the text when and where it makes sense. You want it to appear that you are naturally mentioning the product.

It is important that you provide related information. This will help your readers see you as a valuable resource and an expert on the topic, not just a sales person. It will also allow you to establish a connection between your copy and the product that you are selling.

Be generous when you can. Give out really good information and not just fluff. The Internet has been around long enough that people can spot a pre-sell. So give them real information that will actually benefit them. They will appreciate this and will become loyal readers. This will be more likely to purchase products from you because they will feel like they can trust you.

Again, it is very important to design your web site to make you money. You want to figure out a way to monetize whatever topic your web site is on. Use banners however, don’t go overboard. Add testimonials to your website and create product reviews. Mention products within your related text and provide high-quality information.

The first consideration will be which blogging platform you are planning to use. If you choose Blogger, you may be stuck with the templates available at the site. If you look around, you may find some Blog skins or templates that may work with the new version of Blogger. Do an internet search and then play around with it. If you don’t have any luck, then you may have to go with the default templates. However, the good news is that the updated Blogger has a lot of options and you can dress up your blog with pictures and videos really easy. Going with one of the plainer templates and then adding some pictures and video will still allow you to create a really cool blog.

While there are many blog platforms, the only other one I am going to address in this article is WordPress. WordPress is a really popular blogging platform as you probably already know. There are also some really cool free templates that you can use. There are available templates for nearly every subject matter, which makes it great for you to pick up an appropriate one really quickly. Check out wpthemespot.com, wpskins.org and freewpthemes.net

Another option, as it concerns designing your blog, is to have one built. This allows you to have a blog created exactly how you want it. You won’t have to settle or try to make a template fit your blog. There are plenty of places where you can hire someone quite affordably to create a blog template for you. Try Get A Freelancer, Elance, Rentacoder and Guru for starters.

Having a professional looking, well put together blog will allow you to make a great first impression. It will also make people want to add your blog to their favorites and come back. Of course, your blog can’t just look good, it has to have some substance. A nice looking website will get you some attention but it won’t make readers commit. You have several options when it comes to designing your blog. You can use Blogger which comes with ready-made templates and then add pictures and videos to make it unique. If you choose to use WordPress, there are plenty of places where you can find free themes. Lastly, you can hire someone to create a design for you. You can look for designers at places like GetaFreelancer, Guru, Elance and Rentacoder. You can also check out internet marketing forums like Digital Point.

Investing a little bit of money or time to create a good looking blog will most likely be time or money well spent. A nice looking blog will make you appear more professional and give the impression that you are serious about your blog. If you take yourself seriously then other people are apt to so as well.

The best part of taking up web designing as an online business is that, if you have the necessary skills and software, you can operate exclusively from home and from your own computer which eventually means very little initial financial investment. However before you jump into a business of web designing there are certain skill sets that you should possess.

Skill Sets:

1.  

   • You must be creative and should be able to visualize requirements very easily.

   • You must be able to analyze and have a problem-solving attitude.

   • You need to have basic sense of design, proportion and color.

   • You need to have working knowledge of software like Dreamweaver, Frontpage, Photoshop, and know HTML and XML coding.

You can have formal education for any of the above or can learn the software all by yourself. What matters most in this field is your portfolio and how well you have done in your previous projects. Here are some tips that you as a web developer or someone creating their own website can follow in order to ensure that the website works for the visitors.

1. Make your website intuitive, precise and user friendly. Your website should not make the user navigate across a number of buttons, tabs and pages in order to reach the desired page.

1. The layout should be simple and the colors you use should map with the theme and the concept of the website. Do not use outrageous color and motifs for that may fend off visitors. Also remember brighter and stronger color and patterns may lead to a greater download time for the website.

1. Keep an area for advertisement and search functions preferably something in the left or the right margin. Do not let advertisements come in the way of the displayed content. This may make the user disinterested in your website.

1. Present the content up, front and center. No body has a lot of time to spend and if you give them what they want, they will be further interested in exploring the web site.

1. If your website takes a lot of time to download, then even if you have great information or a product to market, you will loose your audience very soon. So always make your images and/or Flash files comprehensive and customized for the web. Do not use heavy files or folders as those will slow down the performance of your website.

These are some easy to follow tips to keep you started on web designing as an online business. Do begin with; design your own website such that it best represents your skills to the prospective clients.