Brandon Coppernoll Web content management, internet marketing and social media in Indiana

The stuff you don't see when developing a web site

I am currently, as you may already know, building a new web site and personal blog at a different domain. I purchased hosting and downloaded the WordPress installation from WordPress.org. It may seem simple enough to download the files, upload them to the server and presto I have a web site but there's more to a site than meets the eye.

• Preparation. The most successful web sites are built with a purpose in mind. What's your goal? What's your target audience? How do I want to be found through search? What are my steps for search engine optimization?
• Strategy. Now that some of the core questions are answered the next step is how we achieve these goals. Developing a site map is a great starting point. You must determine how users will flow through your site. Choosing an analytical engine to measure data from your site is important. What are the conversion points through the site?
• Implementation. Now that the strategy has been laid out from start to finish it's time to implement. In the case of a WordPress site, I now know what types of plugins I will need and what should be in my side bar. This is usually what most people see on the site. This creates the common misconception that just anyone can build a web site and make it successful.
• Measure and adjust. The site's been live for an amount of time that you have determined through preparation and strategy.  It's time to analyze the data. Find your strengths and weaknesses. Improve the site based on the information at hand.

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