Getting Started on the Web, Part One: I’m Ready!

Note: These ideas won’t tumble out in a logical step-by-step order yet so much as the frequency I run into the questions. So if you need help and I don’t have your steps up yet, feel free to contact me.

So you’ve painstakingly picked out your domain and web hosting, you have a logo ready to go, you’ve got your business cards printed and ready to hand out, but you haven’t finished figuring out what you want your site to say or do yet. Or, you’re working on it but not quite done. Everyone at this stage in development asks for an Under Construction line on their site, or something along those lines:

“Under Construction”
“Coming Soon”
“Opening In One Month”

All of these scream “I’m not ready yet!”

Is that what you want your web page to say? Channel your inner SpongeBob, folks. How about “I’m Ready!” instead? Even if the site really is under construction, what web page isn’t? I know these phrases are popular on the web, but as I see it, that would be like me introducing myself to someone and automatically adding, “I need to lose ten to fifteen pounds, and I’m working on it, so be sure to check me out again later.” While it might be true, if sane people don’t say that in real life, why should your web page?

Whats worse: sometimes content — which is typically what’s under construction — ends up taking longer than planned. When someone comes back to your site and it STILL says under construction, its like saying, “Oh yeah, I’m STILL working on that weight loss. You’ll like me better next time, I swear!” Not exactly the confident, professional image you wanted to put across for your business online, is it?

Instead, just put up something simple, like your logo, contact information, and tag line, nothing less, nothing more, and certainly not an excuse for being incomplete, until you have more to add. Like the Business Card style website in this article… a small and simple web page that gets your name and contact information out there is all you need for now. Then get cracking on that content.