by Allen Bethea

Created on: November 05, 2009

So you have decided that your church, club, business, or hobby absolutely must have a web site so that the world can see what a great church, club, business, or hobby you have? What is the next step? How will you bring your project to fruition? The steps you take next are crucial to the success of your Internet venture.

Before you design your first page, before you register your domain name and find a web host, you must begin the planning process. Any worthwhile endeavor, from deciding upon breakfast to preparing for a wedding, requires careful planning. There is a bible verse which says,

Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, "This fellow began to build and was not able to finish."

Here are 9 steps in the planning a web site.

1. If you are a church, business, or club, review your mission or vision. What is the reason your organization exists. What makes you so special that the world needs to know about you. If you are creating a personal page, write down on paper the passion behind your hobby, interest, ministry, or cause.

2. Think about how you can translate your mission, vision, or passion, into the text, images, audio, and video that makes up a web page. How would you like to express your endeavor to the world? Is a web site the best idea or will some other medium accomplish your goal?

3. Is there a consensus in your organization to have a web site? Unless you are working on a personal site, you will need input and support from your organization.

4. If you have the support of the organization, now is the time to decide upon a domain name for your web site. Try to find a name for your web site that is easy to remember, that positively represents you, and that is as short as possible. If you are a business, use .com if there is one available. If you are a non-profit organization, use .org.

For a personal site, consider using .com or .net as they are more common and are easier for people to remember. Consider several different domain names in case your first choice is already taken.

5. As soon as decide upon a good name, register your domain name with a "domain registrar" such as GoDaddy, Register.com, Network Solutions, or 1and1. At the registrar web site, you will be able to find out if your name is taken already. If your first choice is taken, try the alternatives.

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