Questions to Consider When Planning a Website

1) How do I get a name for my website? A website's name (or Domain Name) is a unique name that is associated with a IP address on the Internet. A domain name is much easier for viewers to remember than a series of numbers such as 108.30.241.17.
Names can purchased in many ways.  Mousetrap-Designs can purchase the name for you or you can go to one of many websites on the Internet that sell domain names. Names are purchased on an annual basis.

2) What should I consider before deciding on a domain name? An established business should have a domain name relevant to the company's name. The name should be easy to spell and remember.  It's a good idea to include words that describe the type of business. For example consider Jones.com verses JonesRestaurant.com. Websites that sell domain names offer a search feature where you can check on the availability of domain names.

3) What are the steps in creating a website?
Planning, planning, planning!

Project Steps

Planning/Research - You should consider the purpose of your website, your target audience and the website's content. Look at other sites on the Internet that are similar to your business and note what you like and do not like about the websites. Read Static vs Dynamic Websites and Content Management Systems to learn more about what websites.
Once you have a general concept for your website, contact Mousetrap-Designs.

Graphic Design - In this step, we blend your company and product information with the design elements.

You will need to provide a list of navigation links (such as home, about us, products, etc), text and/or product information, photographs, company logo (we can design one for you) and other relevant material.

You can provide color and style preferences along with a list of websites you would like us to refer to when designing your site.

Coding & Testing - The design elements, text, photographs and navigation are broken apart and embedded into the basic html code.  Special features are added such as contact forms, databases, rollover effects, cascading style sheets, etc. Each page of the website is tested several times once it is uploaded to the server. These tests include: programming, browser compatibility, dead links, search engine readiness and grammar/spelling checks.

Launch/Completion - At this time the website is closely reviewed and minor changes are made if necessary.  If the website has a content management system, training is provided.

4) How is a website placed on the Internet? A website is written one or several programming languages such as HTML, ASP or PHP and can include other languages like Visual Basic Scripts and Javascripts. Once a page is written, it is uploaded to leased server space on the Internet using FTP (file transfer protocol).  Images and graphics on the page are uploaded in the same manner.

See our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) for more information.