Creating Your Website Blueprint

Website Design for Writers on a Budget, part 3

In the last installment of this series, I said that you need to know what you want your website to accomplish — that you should make a list of what information you want it to convey — before you even think of working on the site's actual design. And that you should use that list to create a "blueprint" for your website. How do you do that, you ask? Well, today I'm going to show you an example blueprint using the list I created for my own website.

First, a definition of a (very) slightly technical nature (don't panic, there won't be a test later). What is this "blueprint," exactly? The blueprint is the website's Information Architecture (IA) diagram. It shows how the content of a website is organized hierarchically — i.e. the logical relationship of the information. This diagram is related to your site's navigation. In other words, you need to know how each piece of information relates to the other, otherwise your site will be difficult to navigate (and many, if not most, visitors will leave in frustration).

Ready? Then, let's get started.

My List

• Info on my works-in-progress
• A Short Bio with a "headshot"
• My Writing Blog
• Twitter feed
• A page where I can "give back" in some way to other writers (especially pre-published writers) (For Writers)
• A way to contact me
• A way to search the site
• Links to other authors / sites of interest (what I think is interesting!)
• Some way to display "social media" badges/links (including goodreads)
• Links to other sites where I blog (about writing)

This is the information I want my site to convey (at least at this point in my writing career). You'll notice that my list isn't in any order, and that in many cases I just generally describe what I think I want a "page" of the website to do. Your list may or may not look similar to mine. If you're a published author, your list should also have a "books" entry of some sort, probably with links to buy your books, as well as a complete bibliography.

The next step is to convert the list into a hierarchical diagram. This is the hard part and may take a few tries to get right. The first thing I decided for my site was to put my writing blog on the home page. I wanted to make sure that the first page a visitor sees has content that changes over time, rather than a "static" (that is, unchanging) welcome message. If I was a published writer, I would probably choose to have my books on the home page in some way — especially "news" about upcoming releases and book signings.

Here are a few examples I tried, using my list, that didn't work (click to enlarge).

Finally, I realized that some of the items on my list are things that don't belong on a separate page. They're things I want visible on every page: twitter feed, social media links, site search, favorite links. This is information I need to keep track of, but that doesn't belong in the hierarchical diagram (and doesn't have to be dealt with when you create your site navigation).

Here's my final diagram. Note that I made changes to some of the names in the boxes — "Bio" became "About" and "Works-In-Progress" became "Books." These changes reflect the names I decided to use for site navigation. Using "Books" was important to me, because I won't have to make changes to my site layout once I'm published (thinking positively here!).

It looks simple, doesn't it? It should — there's only so much information my site needs to convey, and I wanted to make it simple to navigate. There may come a time when I have multiple books/series published (still thinking positively!), and when that time comes, my site architecture might look like this...

Play around with your list and create IA diagrams until you're satisfied with what you have. Remember, at this point you haven't committed to anything, so it's okay to change things around! Next time we'll take your diagram and start thinking about your site layout — still on paper.

REFERENCES

Head First Web Design: A solid, if quirky, take on web design that's worth checking out.

Deborah Wright
Website: www.Deborah-Wright.com
Twitter: @DeborahBWright
Facebook: Deborah.Wright.Author

 

Start at the Beginning...

Website Design for Writers on a Budget, part 2

You've decided it's time to create a website, or perhaps you want to update the site you already have. Good for you! The natural inclination is to want to jump right in and start making changes — maybe you have new graphics you think you want to use, or you're tired of the colors on your site — or to start customizing that template you found online.

Whoa! Hold up, Skippy!

Take a deep breath and step away from your editor. You've missed a few crucial steps and jumped right to the end of the story. Before you ever look at a line of code — heck, before we can even talk about color palettes and graphics and all that good stuff — you need to start at the beginning. Because, you see, a website isn't just a pretty face.

What's the purpose of a writer's website?

Unfortunately, there isn't one answer to that question. The purpose may change depending on where you are in your career. If you're pre-published — i.e. a writer who hasn't sold or self-published your work yet — then your website may have a slightly different purpose than the website of an established author.

Just remember, a good website will look professional, will be easy to navigate, and will convey its information in a clear, easy to understand manner. Before you start building your website, you need to decide what information you want your site to convey. Don't worry about HOW the site will look, just make a list of WHAT will be on it.

Here are some of the things a writer's website might do.

Your website will be an invitation to readers:

• A place to find reliable information about your books (including your backlist, if you have one)
• An easy place to find links to buy your books
• A place where you blog (regularly!)
• A place where you post your twitter feed
• A place where you post news about books releases, book signings, conferences, etc.
• A place where you talk about your current work-in-progress
• A place to sign up for your newsletter (if you have one) and/or contact you via a form

Your website will be a professional platform:

• Expect Agents (business associates) and Editors (business partners) to visit your site
• A place for publicity stills (if you have them) and professional contact information
• A place for a short biography

Sounds like a lot, doesn't it? Don't let it overwhelm you. Many of those things overlap, and not all of them are a requirement for every writer. Think about it. Make your list. Don't be afraid to add things that aren't listed above and don't be afraid to cross things off that don't apply to you.

Pro Tip: Knowing what information you want your site to convey is a crucial first step, even if you ultimately decide to hire a professional web designer. With this knowledge in hand, you'll be able to communicate your needs clearly and succinctly.

Next time, I'll talk a bit about taking your list and starting to create the blueprint for your website. I'll use the list I made for my website as an example. In the meantime, let me know if you have any questions!

REFERENCES

Head First Web Design: A solid, if quirky, take on web design that's worth checking out.

Deborah Wright
Website: www.Deborah-Wright.com
Twitter: @DeborahBWright
Facebook: Deborah.Wright.Author

 

Website Design for Writers on a Budget: Introduction

A couple of years ago I gave a short presentation to my local RWA^® chapter that I called Website Design for Authors on a Budget. The presentation was helpful to a point, but with only an hour and a half to speak, I couldn't really go into detail on any one aspect. I was hesitant (okay, down right reluctant) to expand the presentation for several reasons, but I've been persuaded that there might be other writers out there who would find this information useful.

Why reluctant? Mostly because I can't commit to teaching anyone html, xhtml, css, javascript, etc. And quite frankly, if you're going to create and maintain your own website, at some point you'll need to be familiar enough with one or more of those tools to be able to find your way around a website's source files. However, there are plenty of books and classes (online and in person) that will teach you these things.

Welcome to the Internet Age. "Every writer needs a website." We've all heard this statement at one time or another, but is it true? A few years ago, I would have answered yes, unequivocally. Now, I would change "website" to "web presence," because there are other options, such as having a Facebook page, that can substitute for a full blown website. However, in the long run I still believe a website is an important tool for a writer to have when it comes to promoting yourself and your work.

This series will be about creating a website on a budget. If there's one thing I would like you to take away from today's introduction, it's this: if you don't already own a domain name (i.e. your ".com" name) in the name you write under, please consider purchasing that domain name now. Almost all large web hosting company out there also sell domain names and will "park" the domain for you until you're ready to create your website.

In the upcoming months, I plan to discuss options for writers just starting out, choosing a website hosting service, website design considerations, pros and cons of "rolling your own" website, creative alternatives, and where to find inspiration, among other topics. I'll also provide a glossary and reference list at the end of each post, as appropriate.

Please feel free to ask questions and I'll do my best to provide an answer. And if there's something you'd like me to discuss, please suggest other topics. I'll be happy to work a topic into the series, if I can.

DISCLAIMERS!

I am not a professional website designer, nor am I a graphic designer/artist. I do consider myself an enthusiastic amateur, though.

I am not affiliated with any of the companies or books/writers that I will provide in my reference lists. I'll make sure to note if that happens to change in the future.

My credentials: I have a B.S. in Computer Science and I've worked for over 20 years in Information Technology for major Computer Hardware/Software companies. I started creating web pages back in the early days of the web--when Mosaic was bright and shiny and Netscape was a mere gleam in Marc Andreessen's eye. I've continued to learn and work with html, css, xhtml, javascript, etc., and I created and maintain my own site, but I've never created a website for hire (outside of the "day job").

Here's what I can't do in this series:

• Teach you html/xhtml/css/flash/javascript, etc.
• Teach you graphic design or mad photoshop skilz
• Design your website for you

Now here's what I can do:

• Give you tips to get you started
• Show you examples -- of the bad, the okay, and the good (in my opinion, of course!)
• Provide lists of resources and references
• Inspire you (I hope!)

GLOSSARY

Domain Name: a domain name is an identification that represents an Internet Protocol (IP) resource, in this case a web site. For example, my domain name is Deborah-Wright.com

Domain Parking: refers to the registration of a domain name without creating a website. This is done in order to reserve the domain for future development.

Mosaic: the first web browser, developed at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA)

WEB HOSTING / DOMAIN NAME RESOURCES

1. HostMonster -- cheap and reliable web hosting and domain registrar (I currently use their service)
2. Dreamhost -- a bit more expensive for web hosting than hostmonster, but very solid and reliable (I've used them in the past). They are also a domain registrar.
3. PowWeb -- another cheap and reliable web hosting and domain registrar that I've used in the past.
4. There are other web hosting companies out there. Just take the time to do some research and ask people you trust for recommendations.

These are companies I'm familiar with and feel comfortable listing. You might have noticed that I didn't list a famous web host/domain registrar that begins with a G and ends with a Y. That's because I won't recommend them to anyone who is a novice at this stuff (actually, I won't recommend them, period). I find their website confusing, their web tools ridiculously convoluted and difficult to use, and their practice of charging extra for useful addons makes them as-or-more expensive than the three companies I've listed above. It's just my opinion, but I've used all four companies and won't ever use G-----y again, if I can help it.

Deborah Wright
Website: www.Deborah-Wright.com
Twitter: @DeborahBWright
Facebook: Deborah.Wright.Author