What do I do first?

Getting started (and finished) is really simple at The Digital Notebook. Below are the steps I recommend for getting the most from your website and for making the process as smooth as possible:

Before the Contract

1. Define your site’s purpose. This will direct every other decision you make. Check out this article to help you with this step.
2. Think about your competition. Look at other websites in your industry to determine what they have that you definitely want to offer on your own site and then think about things that may be missing that you’ll want to provide. This could set you apart from your competitors.
3. Choose your features. Based on the previous steps, decide what features you’ll need for your site. See Website Design Features under Services for more information on the various features you can include in your site and how they may help you with your purpose.
4. Find your style. Look at other websites within your industry/niche and outside of it also. What colors, outlines, etc. do you like? Think about the sites you like the best and determine what some common attributes are among them. This will help you figure out what you’d like to see on your own site. You can also read my article, Design & Style of Your Website for additional information.
5. Get a Price Quote. Submit the Price Quote request. You’ll be asked to answer questions that are based on the information in Steps 1-3. After you receive the price quote, you can decide whether or not to hire The Digital Notebook for your website design. If you decide to work with us, you’ll need to notify The Digital Notebook. Directions will be provided at the end of the quote. Congratulations on a great decision, by the way. Your next steps are …

Contracting The Digital Notebook

1. Submit your deposit. You’ll be sent an invoice by PayPal, from The Digital Notebook. You do not have to have a PayPal account in order to submit payment. A $400 deposit is required in order to secure The Digital Notebook’s services. You’ll also need to agree to the Terms of Service required by The Digital Notebook.
2. Complete Client Interview Form. You will be sent a Welcome Packet with a “Client Interview Form”. Design will not begin until this is completed and returned. This form will determine what features are included on your website.
3. Sign & Return Contract. Once your Client Interview Form is returned, you will then receive your contract. The contract will be based on the answers you have provided in the form above. You will also have a more exact estimate of the cost of website design services.

During Design

1. Secure a host provider and/or domain name. If you have not requested that The Digital Notebook perform this service for you, you will need to secure services with a host provider and purchase and register a domain name. Remember, hosting is a separate service provided and billed by a company other than The Digital Notebook. As mentioned on previous pages, this service normally runs between $10-$15 per month, depending upon your site’s needs. -OR- If you already have hosting and a domain name, you will need to send your login information and/or ftp login information to The Digital Notebook.
2. Outline your site. What pages do you need? What should the titles be? What information will appear under what titles? Do you have preferences to how the information should be laid out. Please think about as many design details as possible so your site can be tailored to fit your likes.
3. Think about your keywords and search terms. Think about searching for your site’s services with Google and other search engines. Under what search terms would you like for your site to appear? Start making a list.
4. Provide feedback to design choices. As your site is being designed and developed, you will be asked to provide feedback. After revisions, you will then approve the final design.
5. Submit content. After designs are agreed upon, you will then need to provide The Digital Notebook with your content … or the words that should appear on your pages. Go back to your outlines and write what it is you want to say to your visitors. This can be sent via email using Notepad or Word.
6. Submit final payment. Once you have provided approval of the final design, you will be sent another invoice via PayPal for the remainder of the charges. Once this is received, your site will be finalized.

Finalizing

1. Your site is launched. Once the final payment is received, your site will “go live”. Your content you provided in the previous Step 5 will be uploaded.
2. Review & refine. Please spend the next few days clicking on every single link, page, etc. and proof-read EVERYTHING. I will make changes to your site within 7 days of your launch whether you use The Digital Notebook for your website maintenance or not.

Maintain

1. Stay current. It’s very important to keep your site updated with its appearance and content. If you’d like for The Digital Notebook to handle your maintenance needs, please see Website Maintenance for more information.

More Questions?

Have more questions? Please fill out the form below so I can help you with your questions as soon as possible.