When you create a website there are many things that should be taken into consideration. Website planning takes time and patience, it cannot be done in a few hours time. This guide is designed to help people start their own sites, but should not be considered an end-all solution. The best thing to do is to try and experiment. Keep in mind these suggestions, and try your own. That is the only way one can learn how to build websites.

The planning:

So you want to create a Harry Potter site? There are many things to be taken into consideration before you do so. Before you start though, I must tell you a few things. You must be willing to go through hard times, have patience, and if you want to go all the way, be willing to pay some $$. There are already A LOT of other fan sites out there and the going will be tough. Many sites do not survive for too long, as the creators have either not thought it through, or could not handle the pressure. Be prepared before you start.

The first thing you should think of is, what kind of site do you want to make? Do you want a RPG, or maybe an encyclopedia, or do you want an all-purpose site? Pick what you want and think it over real carefully. Analyze your competition in your field and think over how you can be better than them. You should be able to provide your visitor with unique content that makes them come back. You should then think of a name. The name should be easy to say, as well as informative and entertaining. Now is the time to get a host for your site. The URL should be easy to type (no www.host.com/dir/dir/dir/site/dir/) and reflect your sites name.

The second step should be the planning of the content. This is one of the most important planning step, do not skip it! Plan out exactly how you want everything to be, and what kind of content do you want. It helps to write things out.

Last but definitely not least, is to plan out your layout. Layout is everything, don't let anybody else say otherwise. If you don't have a good layout, your visitors won't find what they need and will be annoyed. Be sure to have a uniform layout for all of your pages. The most important thing to consider in a layout is accessbility. Can a person access all your content from one page? Can they read your text (a reason to choose a sensible color scheme and stick to it)? Can an older browser view your site like they are supposed to? Does it load in a reasonable time? These are the things that needs to be taken into consideration. Make sure your background colors and images don't distract the visitors from using your content.

The creation:

After you have planned your entire site, the time comes to make your site. Before creation though you need to check your inventory. You don't really need to know HTML or anything else to create a site, but it 100% recommended. A WYSIWYG editor can and will mess up your code, so you need to be able to fix it. The tools you will need are (but not limited to): an HTML editor (i.e. Notepad), a WYSIWYG editor (i.e. FrontPage, Dreamweaver) and image editing software (i.e. Photoshop). If you are going to create your images, please spend some time, working on it. If you cannnot or do not want to create images, get someone else to do it for you.

You should first create your layout template. If you planned it correctly, it's as easy as moving it from paper to computer.

Now is the time to start advertising your website. Many people recommend a splash page, that tells your visitor of coming soon attractions. I was at beginning opposed to that, but I come to see of it as extremely valuable. If enough visitors know about your site before it's launched, than your chances of rising to success is greatly increased.

After you start your advertising spree, you should start inserting content. It's as easy as entering text into your layout using a WYSIWYG editor.

When you think you're almost done with the creation, you should advertise your launch date and get everyone riled up for it. Do not postpone your opening! This is a big turn-off. However preponing your opening is a double eged sword. If you announce early enough, visitors might be glad. On the other hand if you don't give sufficent warning, visitors will miss your opening.

The launch:

The day you launch your site, should be a time of celebration. It's like a baby being born. Do something special on that day. Maybe you can hold a contest, or even better announce the results for a contest you held a bit back. Have a party at your forums, or such. The possibilities are endless.

There is a law called "Murphy's Law", which says, "What can go wrong, will, and at the worst possible time". So be sure you go around making sure that nothing fails and that Murphy's wallet is empty. It is a disaster for something to fail during the opening.

Some people believe that the launch is only on the first day. You can't be more wrong. Imagine if a baby is considered a child in one day. A launch can take, one week, or even a month. A good indication is when everything seems to be going at a normal pace. Nothing special is happening or nothing is failing, then it is considered normal.

The rest:

Just because your site is up and running, it doesn't mean that your work is done; far from it. You should always be running around your site to make sure that your site works. Be sure to include or update your site once in a while. If you post news in your site, make sure you post it as soon as possible. It is highly recommended that you hire a few news posters. While we are talking about staff, there a few things to consider. You should start to hire people know. Jobs include, co-webmasters, graphics people, game creators, news posters, content managers, and moderators. You don't have to pay your staff, it is completely voluntary, just be sure to give them credit.

Another thing you should consider as your site ages, is some change. Update your layout once in a while. No one likes looking at the same old layout forever, however good it may be. Also be sure to offer interactivity, like forums, contests, polls and such, to keep the visitors from getting bored.

The end...?

Of course not! It's never the end (unless you shut down you site). This guide is just to get you started, it doesn't claim to have all information. You should continue to experiment with things, and keep updating. Ask your visitors once in a while what they want. The possibilities are endless!

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