Web Hosting Getting Started Guide 31 

Chapter 5: Plan Your Web Site 

You may want to jump right in and start building your web site, but you ll save time and 

avoid headaches with a little advanced planning. We recommend creating an outline of your 

site before you start. Why?  

Good organization will simplify site building and maintenance.  

You won t forget any essential information.  

You ll get a high level view of all of the pages you need to build and the ways they 

will link to each other. 

Step 1: Outline Your Goals 

The question may seem silly, but your first essential step is to ask yourself why you want to 

build your web site. What do you hope your site will achieve? Your answer will help you 

clarify the kind of site you want to build. Do you want to create an online brochure for your 

organization or an information center for your club? Will you use your site to celebrate an 

important life event, such as a wedding, graduation, or new baby? Some users need only a 

page or two to display contact information for an offline business; others may plan to launch 

an online store.  

Try to distill your goals into a short mission statement, then keep this statement at hand 

while you plan your site. You can always adjust your aims, but knowing where you want to 

go will help you focus as you begin pursuing your path to a successful web site.  

Step 2: Define Your Audience 

Before you start designing, think about your audience. 

Who do you expect to visit your site   and why? 

Review the goals you described in step 1. Will your 

audience primarily include friends and family, or will 

your visitors represent potential clients or buyers? Will 

your audience seek certain kinds of information? Will 

they expect to interact with your site? Will your site 

speak to industry insiders or the general public? 

Consider the needs, interests, and expectations of 

your audience as you begin to make decisions about 

your site content and organization. 

Tip: After you build your site, Yahoo! Web Hosting will help you stay in tune with your 

audience. Site Statistics will show you how many visitors view your site, how often, with 

which browsers, and more. You can use these statistics to fine tune your web pages. 

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