Five Stages to a Successful Web Site

1. Secure a name for your site
2. Decide on how to broadcast your site on the World Wide Web
3. Collaborate to layout basic site structure on paper with your goals listed
4. Create a basic navigation system
1. Start experimenting with graphics for buttons and information
2. Put in navigation that move a site visitor up and down a page as well as to other pages on the site
5. Create a two dimensional, 1 to 6 page site (this looks like a brochure)
1. Start putting all content into a digital form
2. Design a very graphic opening page leading into web pages that would be mostly copy to start with
3. Put up a simple form that ask a site visitor who they are, how to contact them and will allow them to make suggestions, usually requires an offer of some reward that is mailed to them. This checks their address' viability and gives a visitor the feeling that their time (attention) is important
6. Use e-mail for the visitor to contact your business for a return call if they wish to conduct a transaction or receive further information from a real voice.
7. Start marketing your site
1. Register your site with search engine sites like Yahoo
2. Find sites that will list your site in return for you listing theirs- called Reciprocal Linking
3. Upgrade as quickly as possible all your business stationary as well as your print, radio, or T.V advertising to list your sites' World Wide Web address

Stage II - Site Modifications

1. Review initial responses to your basic site and make adjustments to strategy if necessary
2. Plan your sites full layout with all content and media to be used
3. Implement site tools like a search engine which usually requires a database system to be designed
4. Upgrade navigational systems to handle full site content
5. Add 800 ordering system that uses the NET as well as phone
6. Test site for compatibility with all browsers*
7. Continue marketing the sites location

Stage III - Official WebSite Roll Out

1. Prepare press releases for all different media
2. Contact all related digital news sites as well as industry publications that may run a story on your site and its goals
3. Contact all users that have left a contact address about your sites change
4. Develop e-mail lists for further announcements

Stage IV - Make Your Site an Experience -

Add sounds, animation, 3D environments, video, other languages, entertainment which will create a very interactive feeling to the site so that the visitor feels in control

Stage V - Final Modifications & Set Maintenance Schedule

Your site needs constant facelifts to keep it fresh.

* Testing compatibility with all browsers is probably too ambitious a task unless money is no object. At this point of the Web's evolution, if your site is compatible with Netscape, Internet Explorer and AOL, then your site will function with about 96% of the browsers now in use.