Content: What to Know Before You Start

Know your Audience

Once you have an idea for website, learn about your audience. Understanding your audience and their needs helps organize the content and design for your site. For example, if your site discusses the challenges children face when learning a second language, think about your targeted audience, is it parents, teachers, language educators, etc.? Once you know who your audience is it will better help you make decisions about how you would like to structure your website and the type of information and resources you can provide.

Look for Examples

A good way to understand your audience is looking at various similar websites that share your interest. It is possible to find a pattern in how the content and the overall navigation is displayed when reviewing and comparing different sites. This gives you an idea of what your audience expects.

Make a Plan

Once you have researched and learned the needs of your audience you can begin the planning phase. A good way to start is by making a timeline to set goals and keep you organized. While making a plan, write a list of the tools you will need. Some of these tools includes an FTP site, such as FileZilla, to transfer your content, and a notepad application to do your coding, such as Notepad++ or TextWrangler. Finally, it is essential to keep all your information in one central place, like an USB drive. You may also want to create a back-up folder on your computer's desktop to keep a duplicate copy of your most current work. Keeping all your most current information in one place helps to avoid confusion and ensures your work is always kept safe.