Now that you've picked out and purchased your domain name, you've decided what coding method and software you need and have read up on how to use it (or maybe you've decided to hire a professional web designer, either way), now you're wondering what comes next?
The next part is what I like to call the creative stage. Much like when you're starting to get the first remnants of a story idea, this stage allows you to take all the pieces of what you want to tie together in a website and bring them to life.
So, first step. Close your eyes and visualize your future website. What do you see?
Have no idea? Then you might want to take time to look around at other websites (and not just other author ones, either) to get a feel for what you like. Think of this exercise as an opportunity to gain inspiration. And while you never want to steal someone else's look, you often will see elements of a site that you might like to utilize on your own or that will prompt ideas you might not have thought of otherwise.
I find that this method of spurring creativity is a lot like brainstorming with my critique partner. While I might not use whatever scenario she suggests for fixing my problem, our discussions often spur ideas I might not have thought of yet. Just as seeing a layout or website's format in action might help you find the one you like best.
Keep in mind that by this point you should know what content you're planning to use (like a note to your readers, your photograph, bio, excerpts, articles, etc.), so you can figure out how you want everything positioned on the page. Basically, you're looking at what layout best showcases your content while not overwhelming the reader.
Here's where I'd like to advise you not to try to put everything you want to get across to visitors on one page. It's not only a pet peeve of mine, but it's also illogical. You simply can't expect a visitor to absorb the most important aspects of what you're trying to relay when it's submerged in massive amounts of information. Less on a page is often more. I've found a highly focused page definitely makes more of an impact than a jumbled one. Remember, you will normally have an infinite number of pages (especially if you're doing your own designing) to display your site's content.
Okay, back to layouts. A great tool for choosing a layout you like (in case you don't see it elsewhere) is the CSS Creator's page layout tool. This free tool will allow you to experiment with various sized columns, headers, footers, etc.
Layout Tool:
http://www.csscreator.com/version2/pagelayout.php
Now that you have your layout in mind, start thinking about elements again.
Wondering what elements are? They're what tie a site together and give it a cohesive feel. Elements include such things as the background (whether a picture or simple color), colored scrollbars, graphical buttons (actual images that are clickable or that simply convey a message), images (photographs, bookcovers, etc.), forms (such as email and feedback forms that are interactive), etc.
After you've decided on what elements you'd like, you're going to have to choose a color theme. There are a number of articles that will help guide you in the right direction.
Color Articles:
There are also many tools and color schemers on the web to help you find the perfect color(s), but keep in mind, depending on the computer you're using the color is only as vivid as the video cards and/or monitors allow it to be.
Color Scheme Tools:
Once you've worked out what content you want, what layout works best to suit your needs, and what color scheme fits, it's time to start pulling it all together.
At this point, you can start building a page and see what it looks like. Don't worry if you find you hate it. Most of the time my designs go through multiple revisions (just as my manuscripts do!) in either color or layout before I find that one that screams, "Yes! This is it!"
In the next article, we'll discuss more on using elements to create a cohesive feel and some wonderful software products and tutorials that can help you create unique graphics to help make your website pop.
Ready for the next step? Check out the next article, Step 4: Elements...What're Elements?
This article was written in conjunction with a free workshop given in the WeWriteRomance.com forums.