The most important step to take before running off in excitement to buy a domain name and servers is.Figure out exactly what your website is going to do.This is like building a house before the design drawings, a clear goal and positioning is the basis for the success of the site, it can help you avoid the subsequent countless tangles and detours.
Don't worry about overthinking it for the zero-based novice. This chapter will guide you through a few simple questions to quickly determine the theme and positioning of your website.
First, ask yourself three core questions
1. What are the goals of my website?
(What do you want this site to do for you?)
- Sharing knowledge and life?Record personal experiences, share interests, and express opinions without seeking financial reward.
- Showcasing companies and services?Create a professional image of your company, studio or individual online to attract potential clients and provide contact advice.
- Selling products?Sell physical goods or digital products (e.g., e-books, courses) directly online, like an online store, for the primary purpose of making a profit.
- -Building Community and Influence?Gather a group of people who share a common interest and form a community through forums or member content that may be realized in the future.
2. Who are my target users?
(Who am I creating this site for?)
- Yesyoungsterneverthelessprofessional?
- They're here.Finding InformationOr is it coming?Purchase ProductsOr toLearning KnowledgeOf?
- Figure out who your content serves to better design your site structure and content. For example, a health and wellness website geared toward retirees should have larger fonts and simpler navigation.
3. What value can I offer them?
(Why do people visit my site and not someone else's?)
- is to provideA unique and personal perspective?
- is to provideProfessional and reliable service information?
- is to provideInexpensive or unique products?
- Define your unique value, which is the core competency of your website.
Second, the choice of common types of websites
Based on the answers to the questions above, your website will usually fall into one or more of the following categories. This is an important basis for your choice of WordPress themes and plugins.
1. Personal blog
- Positioning.Personal expression, interest sharing, knowledge recording.
- Content Core. writings.. The main focus is on the author's personal perspective and continuity of content output.
- Typical features.Reverse chronological flow of articles, strong personal style, author profiles, interactive comments.
- Fit.Writers, photographers, travelers, foodies, students and anyone who wants to document and share online.
2. The company's official website
- Positioning.Build brand image, demonstrate services and strengths, and acquire customer leads.
- Content Core. web page.. The content is relatively fixed and clearly structured.
- Typical features.Well-designed homepage, about us, services/products, team display, success stories, contact information (form/map/phone).
- Fit.Businesses of all sizes, studios, freelancers (e.g., designers, lawyers, consultants), non-profit organizations.
3. Online stores (e-commerce)
- Positioning.Sell products online for profit.
- Content Core. offerings.. Everything revolves around the display and sale of merchandise.
- Typical features.Product catalog, shopping cart, online payment function, order management, logistics tracking.
- Fit.Brands, retailers, artisans, creators (selling digital products).
4. Portfolio website
- Positioning.Visualize the best work of an individual or team to attract job opportunities.
- Content Core. Photo/Video Project.. The visual impact is greater than the written narrative.
- Typical features.Grid or waterfall layout, lots of high resolution images, project detail pages, clean design to highlight the work itself.
- Fit.Photographer, designer, architect, artist, model, developer.
5. Information/magazine station
- Positioning.Provides news, information and in-depth articles in specific areas, usually with multiple sections and authors.
- Content Core. Multi-category articles. Content-heavy and frequently updated.
- Typical features.Complex homepage layout (prominent headers and multiple columns), article categorization, multi-author management, and possible inclusion of advertisements.
- Fit.Vertical field media, industry information website, large blog community.
III. How do novices make choices? Guidelines for Action
- Start simple.If you're purely new to the game, it's highly recommended to start with thepersonal blogmaybeCorporate ShowcaseGetting Started. These two types have a simple structure and are the easiest to get started with, allowing you to quickly familiarize yourself with the core operations of WordPress.
- Don't go for the big and bold.Don't try to be a “blogging, selling, and forum community” all-purpose website.Focus on a core genre, make it good and fine first. Functions can be added slowly later.
- Write down your planning.
- On a piece of paper or using a document tool, write down yourSite Title。
- In one sentence, your website isAbout what?of (elevator speech).
- List the ones you think are most important3-5 columns(e.g. Home, Blog, About, Services, Contact). This is the beginnings of your website structure.
An example.
- Wrong demonstration (too vague).“I want to make a website about lifestyle.”
- Correct demonstration (clear enough).“Website Themes.City Cycling Guide. Positioning: forCommuters in first-tier citiesfurnishRecommended commuter cycling routes, tips for buying a starter bike, and safety guidelinesof the blog. Ultimately, I hope to cash in on advertising and affiliate marketing.”
Summary.
Spending half an hour in quiet contemplation of these three questions and corresponding types is far more valuable than if you were to blindly install a bunch of plugins and themes that you can't use.Clear positioning is your compass on the way to build a website, it helps you make all the subsequent right decisions.
Now, have you decided what type of website you want? Next, we can plan the exact structure of this “ideal website”.
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