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Often times, whenever we are discussing a Website Design with a potential client, we often talk about the “components” of a Website. Truth be told, creating a website for clients such as yourself is not an easy task!! Yes, there are many sites out there that say you can get a website up in a matter of minutes, but those are often “cookie-cutter” websites that don’t involve lots of thought and planning. Often times, those kinds of sites appear just as that: A picture on the front, some text, and a contact form (if even that)….

To be frank, there are quite a few “steps” that we have to take in order to even begin creating a website. In fact, not too long ago, we heard an awesome WORD that said simply, “God does not order elevators; He orders Steps….” That right there “destroyed” us for a while (in a good way, LOL), as it was so powerful, yet true! In other words, most people think that it’s a very simple thing to create a website for someone, but it is not as simple as getting on an elevator to your destination!! Instead, it’s a series of “Steps” that take place in order to get to that “spot” where the site is launched, and LIVE to the public…. So, in this post, we’ll describe a few components that go into composing a Website Creation!

The Idea

This is absolutely critical, so here goes: Any GREAT website begins with an Idea. Whether you have a car company, a design firm, an app, or something of value, a Website is designed to first “portray,” or “display” that Idea to the world. As website designers, it is our responsibility to “tell the story” of that Idea to the world on your behalf….  So then: What is that product or service you would like to portray? Is it a ministry that the Lord has Purposed to “birth” out of you to spread to the nations? It first starts with an Idea!

Now, what kind of “Idea” are we talking about? We’re not talking about an “idea;” instead, we’re talking about an “Idea” (see the difference)? Let us explain: This kind of Idea is one that is “within you;” one that the Lord has placed on the inside of you. This isn’t a “wish” or temporary thought; instead, it’s a “desire,” one that you can’t shake! It’s a “heart palpitation,” a thing that is good and has the potential to last long after you are gone….

Once the Idea is written down and heard, that’s when we put together the remaining components for you:

The Hosting Plan

Quite simply, Hosting is the platform that “houses” your website. There are a myriad of companies out there that offer Hosting Plans, such as Bluehost, Doteasy, JustHost, GoDaddy and others. In terms of pricing, each one varies, from as little as $3.98 or less per month, to over $100/month (goodness!!!). However, an ideal “baseline” cost for Hosting is about $9.99/month.

What should you look for in hosting? Here’s a few criteria, for starters:

• Unlimited Domain Hosting (i.e. have as many domains and email addresses on your account as you’d like)
• Unlimited Bandwidth (in other words, there is no limit to the amount of traffic, or views, that your site can handle)
• WordPress Compatibility
• Reliability (Most would advertise “99% uptime,” meaning your website is always up and running, 24-7, 365 days a week with no downtime, or your website being down unless for maintenance purposes)

Now, as a note, a good number of Hosting companies often lure you into their introductory pricing scheme (such as $3.98/month), but in many cases, those prices last for the first year…. Which leads us to the next component:

The Domain Name

This is where people will go in order to view your website. For instance, this is www.yourcompanynamehere.com, etc.. Typically, for companies, we usually recommend “reserving” a .com website address. If you are a ministry or non-profit entity, we’d recommend you get a .org website address. As a note, there are other website addresses you could get for your entity, from .biz to .academy, and others. In terms of budget, many companies would either advertise that as part of your Hosting Plan, you can get a free (yes, free) domain name for the first year. However, most companies would charge you around $25.00 per year to “renew” that domain name. You also can “lock up,” or renew your domain name for multiple years, often times up to 5 years if desired.

The Website Creation

This is where we come in on your behalf! In essence, this is what people will “see” when they visit your domain name! Again, this all comes from the Idea, as it establishes the “picture” of what the website will look like to the public.

So, as a thought, if you are wanting a Website Creation, first be sure to take a look at some sites that are similar to the ‘Idea’ that you are wanting to bring forth. As you look around on the Internet, the “Idea” will begin to come forth even clearer than what you initially thought!

There you have it! What are your thoughts? Be sure to let us know by leaving a comment below! More is to come, so stay tuned ladies and gents!…. And, by all means, subscribe to our Blog!