Are you thinking of setting up a website all of your own?

Even though you share experiences and allow people to make comments, it’s up to you to take control of what happens there. 

Setting up a website takes time:  

It’s like building and decorating a house. 

• What type of structure do you want? What type of building are you creating? 
• How prominent do you want it to be? How do you plan to market it? 
• How do you want your website to look like? What style: crazy fun or simple neat? 
• What subject, niche or theme do you plan to promote or sell there? 
• What activities will be allotted to the different ‘rooms’ (categories)? 

The structure: 

Write down what you intend to do, before actually starting. 

• As to the theme: Choose something that you enjoy doing most. What is your hobby, skill or talent? Can you use that as your main niche? 
• If you choose one niche theme, you’ll become sooner or later known for that particular subject. 
• But ask yourself, do you have enough information on that subject to write on and on, over a very long period. Even you are your own boss, you’ll have to work day in and day out. In fact, many years, as long as you have that website! Do you think you can handle that?
• Then do some research: Who and how many will be interested in your topic? How can you help them? Do you know their needs and greatest desires? 
• Have you any personal experience in that field? Have you got enough technology knowledge in that field? 

How Big? 

Do you plan to have a quiet little site? Or do you want fame and fortune? 

How much time do you plan to spend?  

• Writing blogs and managing your website?
• Doing research to keep things updated and real cool for your visitors, readers and followers. 
• Keeping up with social media sites and making comments there? 

Website design: 

Complicated sites with lots of things scattered all over the pages, are confusing. Simple clear neat setups are much more appealing. 

Images and photos must have low levels of pixels. People don’t want to wait a long time for things to down load. 

Make a list of possible categories you intend to set up. This helps you get some idea how your main theme will play-out over the next few years at least. 

Consumption strategies: 

Concise statements and facts are easy and quick to read and comprehend. Eliminate unnecessary stuff. 

• Shorten sentences where possible. Short sentences give the impress there is action taking place. Long drawn-out sentences are boring, and if too long loose meaning. 
• Add bullets where possible. It makes the main points easy to read, clear, direct and more powerful. After doing this for a while, you’ll find excessive unnecessary trappings get eliminated naturally.  
• Add humour and amusing stuff. Use jaunty jargon to lighten the atmosphere where possible. This makes reading your content fun. People won’t come back to your website if it’s boring! 
• Having said that: How interesting is your subject and the way you write it? How dramatic and fascinating are you? Can you give your readers the adventure of their lives?

If you already have a website of your own:

What do you think has made your website so successful? 

I'm sure everyone would like to know.