MichaelCole.com

So, you want a website, but where do you start?

There are lots of different kinds of websites out there, from giant amazon.com's to my little blog.  If you have a killer idea for a website, or just want something "decent" where do you start?

Here are some tips for non-technical professionals to get started.

1) What is your budget?

This is the hardest question to answer.  It's like walking into a car dealership and telling the salesperson how much money you have.  Amazingly, all the cars will cost exactly the maximum price right!

Unlike mass-produced cars, software and websites are custom built.  The most cost-effective websites are built from pre-existing pieces, but even plugging it all in has to be "engineered to cost".  When working with someone on your idea, it's important to be clear and upfront about the budget.

Budget affects three things: the Vision, the Team, and the Technology.

This post talks about the Vision.  Upcoming posts will talk about who to include on the Team (TBD), and how to make Technology choices (TBD).  Also, I'm planning a budget scaling post (TBD) as well.

First budget your money, then budget your time.  How many hours are you (or your employees) available to work on the project.  Can they write well?  Can they answer questions on forums?  Can they make editorial changes over time?  Etc.

If you budget is relatively small, don't be surprised if the idea starts to change to fit the budget. 

Also, don't "low-ball" your budget, adding money only when it doesn't fit.  This creates the impression that the budget is more flexible than the idea.  Whatever isn't scoped and bounded upfront is likely to flex.  If this is your budget, cost-overruns are likely.

How much budget is too much or too little?  That's something learned by experience.  Keep your Vision tight and nimble, find the right Team, and use appropriate Technology.  "It depends."

2) Is it core?

Is the website part of the "core business"? 

For example, no website, no Amazon.com.  Without the website, isn't able to deliver to customers. 

No Walmart.com, and Walmart cashiers will still be merrily ringing up sales. 

Just because something isn't "core" doesn't mean it's not important.  A website's "coreness" determines where it fits in with an organizations other priorities.

Core means the vision has to be 100% on day one.  If your website is core, then expect your budget to be flexible.

Non-core means it can be rolled out in phases, and some functionality can wait.  Non-core means it's easier to flex the idea into the budget.  Non-core means "let's get as far as we can on $X".  Much of web software is developed by an open-source community.  So functionality that's an expensive custom build today may be "off-the-shelf" in six months.

3) What's the "pull"?

Ebay, Amazon, Craigslist, and others offer "commodity" experiences. All the offerings are listed side by side for comparison.  User reviews further erode individuallity by reducing them to prices and number of "stars".

Is your offering a commodity, or does it have something special to "pull"?  Is it the products?  Is it the customer service?  You're competing with the biggest and best companies in the world on the web.  How is your stuff better than their stuff?  Some examples:

• Is the website a "deal" experience? (groupon.com/w00t.com)
• Does the website offer excellent customer service? (newegg.com has the *fastest* shipping of any competitor)
• Are you selling an experience, and the website alludes to that?  (Rock band websites, spa websites)
• Is it more "free" than the competition?  (craigslist.com)

4) What's your idea?

If you've got this far, go for it!  Some pretty amazing things can be done with a small money budget, large time budget, and lots of flexibility.

Note:  Beware the "Hollywood web mashup".  Hollywood pitches are famous for their "It's like [blockbuster xxx] but with [small variation yyy]" format.  E.g. "It's like 'Look Whos Talking' but with cars" = Disney's Cars.

An idea that starts of with "it's like Facebook, but ..." doesn't work on the web for several reasons:

1. Facebook is still "in theatres" at Facebook.com, 24x7.  Unless your raising *tens*of*millions* of dollars to compete with FB, the idea will fail.  Look for niche markets.  Look for reasons why people aren't using Facebook to Facebook.  (By the way, these niche social and dating markets are already over-saturated.  JDate.com = Jewish dating.  HDate.com = Dating for people with Herpes.  There are websites that let someone setup their own dating/social website.  Etc.)
   
   
2. Facebook isn't standing still.  Facebook 2010 is improving Facebook 2011, faster than you can build Facebook 2010.  Don't underestimate how much effort went into making something effortless.
   
   
3. Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, Hulu, etc. DON'T MAKE MONEY.  Seriously!  When was the last time you paid for something on these websites?  These companies are heavily debt leveraged into existence, and then don't make any money.  They are bought up by other giant companies who hope to someday convert them into something more profitable.  This conversion process is still "magical", and nobody knows how to do it really well. 

Website ideas should start with "We offer [valuable xxx] and [customer yyy] buys it for money.  The website helps by [zzz]".

5) Everybody's doing it

Ok, so you're not building Facebook, but you still need a website.  Even if it's just to put on your business card.  A companies website is like a milk carton's "sniff-test".  It's one-step closer to taking a drink. 

In summary, most websites aren't difficult or expensive, but they do require some outside expertise. 

My next blog will talk about how to find someone to work with.  What to do, and what not to do.

If you're interested in learning more, send me a message.

Some seeds don't sprout for a thousand years

It's true, everybody who works on the web has a laundry list of ideas they want done, but don't want to do.  Either it costs to much because the technology isn't there yet.  Or it's too time intensive.  Or "somebody" should do that, but nobody does because the costs outweigh the benefits.

Some archieologists took a seed harvested 4000 years ago in China and planted it.  It sprouted into a tree that had been extinct for thousands of years.  Some ideas are before their time :-)