给想做一个网站的朋友的小建议

LeslieNg

以下是小弟给一位准备做摄影和艺术为主题的网站的美国朋友写的建议，可能会对村里的朋友有用，所以贴出来仅供大家参考。我简短和他谈到定位问题 (他在犹豫做一个非营利性的网站还是做商业性的，或者看能否在两者之间取得平衡)，行动力问题 (他应该是个变态的完美主义者) 还有注册域名和租空间的一些小建议。也许他会就一些更具体的问题和我继续讨论，所以如果有新的回信我会有选择性地跟贴贴出来。


Here goes some random thoughts I distilled over the past 5 years on the subject you are now tackling:

1. If we want to go commercial, setting up a website nowadays in 2007, is probably unlike what we did in 1997. Arts & photography is a popular theme, that means it does take a lot of money to run besides personal energy invested in it, if we really want to make it a star. Otherwise, how can we stand ourselves out and occupy No.1 traffic rankings by Google, Yahoo or the likes? If we simply want to sell something, setting up a store on Ebay might be more realistical at this moment, because you don't have to worry about publicity and piles of other problems.

2. a portal can be either commercial or non-profit, however as what was said above, a commercial one will take a lot of financing to stand out, normally. Opposed to that is a non-profit .org, which is quite an endeavor for most people who want to make a few quick bucks. If starting non-profit, you may commercialize it later (but it will raise some ethical concerns), or make another sheer webstore when you get recognized in the field.

3. Making a non-profit is like getting a Ph.D degree on Arts. We don't want to end up becoming a texi cab driver holding a Ph.D-- it's a disaster. It as well takes lots of energy, commitments and probably some financing to make it work--besides a lot of guts & a lot of brains. Making a non-profit website is a classy engagement, like getting a degree on Arts, we have to think twice and make sure we can afford it. But it's also interesting and very rewarding in many ways to make a gorgeous .org for folks. I started my .org 5 years ago when I was still a senior in college, when I had plenty of dispensable and "cheap" time. Over the course I spent a lot of everything on it but it's rewarding-- I got to know many great people, and perhaps found a new career in future (and of course learnt a lot about this trade, about human behaviors, etc.). Today, as I looked back, I wasn't sure if I'd do the same thing again. It all boils down to opportunity costs in economy.  

4. No matter you choose to make a commercial or a non-profit, you'd better specialize. This will enhance your chance to success. No one is able to make an all-encompassing arts portal, with limited time, energy and investment allotted.

5. I'm positive you should use a CMS system for your website. Nowadays, it's archaic to compose a website with file names ended with .html . Hostgator is great for hosting, you can install a Mambo and a bunch of other applications for free in a snap and do all the amendments & decoration works by yourself pretty easily. GoDaddy is a good choice for domain registration. Think big when you choose your domain and never tie yourself up in a narrow niche.

6. Either being a nasty mercenary or a lofty perfectionist is all up to you and it's ok, while contriving a clear-cut positioning and a sound plan is extremely necessary--they're musts. After going through the planning stage, execution becomes crucial-- too much perfectionism actually compromises our odds to succeed.

7. Finally, please remember, No. 20 equals No. 1000 in the Internet world, either .org or .biz.


I hope some of my humble experience may contribute to your success. I'm glad to offer my inputs if you have further specific problems that I can help with.

pipeivan

Absolutely.

History has shown us that all the successful NGO such as Ford Foundation are always supported by strong finance. That is, money first!