~~Planning Checklist

Planning may be the most important part of any procedure. In website development, a good plan will serve as a time-saver for you and for me. Below is a checklist of information I will need from you in order to begin building your site. You may use it to prepare for our first meeting, or we may use it together when we first meet. The checklist may also serve to generate questions. Write down your questions as you think of them. Throughout the process, we will keep in touch through email, and I'll happily answer them, or direct you to answers, along the way.

Purpose
	Determine WHY you want a website and what you want it to do for you! Do you want to attract more customers? Do you want to sell your product or services online? Do you want to provide information to clients/customers? Do you want to provide an interactive sharing among viewers? Do you want to educate? Do you want all or some of the above? Write your purpose clearly and use it as you complete this checklist. Every page, picture, and word you use should directly support your purpose.
Site Organization
	Name the pages you will want to include in your site (suggestions: Home, Products/Services, What's New, FAQ's or Newsletter, Calendar, Guestbook, Order Form or Contact, About Us)
	I usually use Word Art for a title (see Mini Webbin' above). You may choose your own font for the word art title or request not to use word art.
	Prepare home page content: Logo; title of organization (can be different from domain name), 7-word phrase that states your organization's purpose; paragraph or two that details your 7-word phrase; photo, if necessary--jpg, if possible (large size is better than small, as photos lose quality when enlarged--clipart is not recommended)
	Prepare content for remaining pages: Photos, numbered & labeled, and text. Text is extremely important! Include as many "key" words and phrases as possible in your content to help search engines determine your ranking.
Domain Name and Web Hosting
	If you want me to register a domain name for you, make a list of acceptable domain names, and prioritize them. Your first choice may not be available. Hint: your domain name should, in some way, reflect the nature of your business.
	I use HostCaters as my web host. Their customer service is outstanding and their prices reasonable. If you have already enlisted the help of another web host, I will work with them.
Background Color and Accents
	Please furnish me with a background color or texture and an accent color for your left-side navigation bar. You may want to look at the Absolute Web Graphics site to help you choose a texture or pattern. Of course, you can choose a plain color as well. Hint: choose a light-colored background for dark text or a dark-colored background for light text. I recommend the former.
	Type face. You have two choices--serif or sans serif. This is an example of serif. This is an example of sans serif. Please do not request a specific font; web browsers will convert to serif or sans serif if they do not recognize the font choice.
Other Considerations
	Make a list of keywords. These are words the search engines will use to determine your site ranking. The list will be placed in the invisible, code section of your site. For help with keywords, go to the Keyword Selector site and get more suggestions. You may use an unlimited number of keywords and key phrases.
	Payment: I will provide a Price & Time Estimate when you furnish me with the information listed above. A $100 deposit will be required before beginning work on your site, as well as $85 if you choose to work with my web host. The remainder will be due when you approve the completed work. Upon total payment, your site will be uploaded to the web!

Thank you for considering Mini Webbin'!

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--email Nancy Trevorrow
respecting your privacy.