Last Sunday at church a prominent building contractor approached me and asked quite innocently, “What do you charge to build a web site?”I cocked my left eyebrow, looked him square in the eye and asked, “what would you charge to build a house?” He half-heartedly laughed and said, “Well my dear, that depends on what type of house you want!” My point EXACTLY!

He paused for just a second… (do you see the “ah-ha!” light bulb appearing?) It was at that moment he realized that there is a lot more to creating a website than one might assume.

I went on to explain that just like building a new home, to build a website you need:

• – a well thought out blueprint
• – appropriate codes and permits
• – equipment and materials
• – an experienced labor force
• – and a solid footer and foundation to build the home on

Then you can begin:

• – framing in the house
• – installing electrical and plumbing lines
• – hanging drywall
• – installing windows, staining trim, installing cabinets, cupboards, bathroom fixtures
• – painting, plastering, carpeting and a bunch of other “-ings” plus millions of other annoying little details

So what does building a house have to do with a website? EVERYTHING!

Let me break down your home, and your homepage.

• Blueprint = Web site map, big dreams, and a copy of “The Secret” DVD
• Codes & Permits = domain, hosting, and a blessing from the all mighty FTC & WWW police.
• Equipment & materials = software, hardware, project collaboration tools, a large bottle of Tylenol, and a hard-working industrial coffee maker!
• Experienced labor force = seasoned project managers, staff developers, programmers, and the patience, wisdom and vision of Mother Theresa!
• Footer & foundation = Site architecture, database development, and lots of perks (beer & pizza) to keep your programmers happy
• Framing = back-end programming, directories, assets, and whatcha’majiggers
• Utilities = highly technical thingies that make the website more enjoyable
• Drywall = individual web pages with groovy gizmos
• Cabinets, cupboards & toilets = shopping carts, copywriting, and a common user interface
• Painting, plastering, and those other “-ing’s” = Graphic and/or flash development & design – cosmetic surgery for websites!

And of course, those million other annoying little details don’t go away either!But seriously…

Building a house, a car, a rocket, or a website takes proper planning.

Nail down your plans, or else you may end up with a motor home that goes 300mph instead of a 3 bedroom condo! That’s a visual!