Website creation? not as easy as it seems
Well there are days or rather nights i have found myself at the computer from 2000hrs till 05.30hrs in the morning and had to quickly get read for my regular job. And yet when i looked back i had not created much. if i dont spend time trying to learn as much as i can, as well as respond to interesting comments and questions. But most of my time i spend trying to create my own website and not bein happy with my creation. I look back to the time i joined WA ( in November last year) and i still have not published the web. Hey time really flies. Its lready 2014. I had hoped by now i would have at least one website published.
I know its not a race, and aim not in a competition against anybody but myself. But i seem to be taking way too much time and it wears me down. I am not happy with what i currently have developed so far ( its not complete). It doenst look catchy enough; Every theme i have tried out looks aweful, Am Not so worried about the content, I can write just about anything, but "just anything" doesnt sell does it?..
Okay now i have come up with my 2014 resolution; I am just gonna do this for the fun of it. How it looks shouldnt matter . There are bonuses to being in WA; I enjoy WA community; you are a helpful lot, that alone keeps me motivated. if i mess up, so what, afterall i am learning. But i have to admit some of the stuff are a bit confusing to me; plugins, DNS etc right now i cant figure out how to get my main blog page to be my home page the way i desired it to be. well with WA support i will probably manage to sort that out in no time. Its just that i hate not having a break- through in a project. I cant stand failure. But quiting is not an option. So though i move at a snail pace i am determined to get there eventually, even if it could take me a year.
Even if i knew something about website development and created the best looking and quality contet website; if i dont have the right keywords and cant attract massive traffic; i will still not make any income.The way i see it, I have to learn as much s i can and that means investing a lot time. So how can i make sure that i dedicate my time to WA and still lead a healthy lifestyle? have time to relax, exercise, eat right, sleep ( not just for 1 hour or 30 minutes) ; how can i allocate my time well; to strike a balance and still be successful in WA... ? Any ideas
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Hi, I think you are frustrating yourself. If it would make you happier and work better, then get the appearance the way you want. The main thing is content. If you can do the content, without letting the appearance frustrate you, that would be great. I have a to do list and lots of research ready to add to content. I go by my to do list as to what I do next. I transferred my site from siterubix.com to a domain and it is a mess. I feel like you. Where do I start to get it right? I was planning to re-vamp the site but from the way it was. Now, I will get the appearance right, and then I will add my content. Don't work yourself into a tizzy. It serves no purpose. You just get stressed out and feel like throwing up your hands.
HI, I think you are on the right track. What works for me is to make a list of goals and check the items off as you go. You will feel great about accomplishing your goals. And lots of smaller goals add up to larger ones. If you get stuck reach out to someone. We are all here to learn to be successful. Also read about successful people. One of my most recommended books would be Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.
To your success in 2014.
Tshidi - you definitely do want it to remain fun. It is important it how it looks because you only have a single chance to make a first impression. It may be a cliche but I'm afraid it's true. So the best thing you can do - if all the technical aspects are getting your down is to keep it as simple as possible - and there's nothing wrong in that.
In terms of allocating your time - well that's up to you, but I do recommend you scheduling your time and sticking to it and doing it consistently. If you can only do 30mins a day - so be it - but get up half an hour earlier or go to bed an hour later. If you spend all night working on it you will burn yourself out. The other thing is to try and work effectively. There's no point spend hours changing a theme - because it's not the theme that will bring you visitors, it's your content and so you need to work smart and make sure you prioritise.
Good luck :) Beverley
Thank You Beverley. Great advice; Will strike a balance and ofcourse great content will attract traffic to the site. Noted.
You definitely want it to be fun because if it's not, then you're just going to give up before you have a chance to be successful. But I recommend paying some attention to how it looks because first impressions count. If your ultimate goal is a business, you don't want to scare people away at first glance. Granted, it doesn't have to be gorgeous. My oldest website was created in 1999, and it's plain and ugly in many ways. However, it has information that people want so they still come. Just strike a balance and you'll do fine.
Hi TshidiBee, I completely relate. I have been able to do a lot of work on my website in the 2 weeks that I have been on holiday from work. I have worked on my website everyday for at least 3-5 hours a day. I have almost completed course 2 of the certification courses. I am happy with my website theme, but I am thinking in time, I will want to improve it. I am still learning about all the website jargon and have definitely felt overwhelmed in the small amount of time I have commenced here at WA.
What I am trying to do is set realistic goals for myself. If the only time you can dedicate to your website after work is an hour, then that is all you have at the moment. If you can spare more time on the weekend, then that is great. Unfortunately, its not an option (as it is with many of us) to quit our day job just yet and pursue this full time.
Content/ website creation is tricky, there is so much to learn and know. I have already changed my theme and there are definitely some posts I would prefer to be highlighted in another way. I would say, commit to a theme for a few months and concentrate on the content of the website. Keep working through the certification courses and online tutorials.
Do the best you can in the time that you have. Set realistic goals for yourself and know when to take a break (this is all things I am telling myself). Soon enough, the your online business will start to flourish.
Keep at it :-)
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I agree with hart48 that you are frustrating yourself. Do not be frustrated by the problems. Face it. Each one who joined WA, faced problems and issues unsolved. It is your persistent and planned effort that is going to clear the clouds.
Next important point is that be simple. Be attractive but again be simple. You may gradually make add-ons to your site. Initially concentrate on the content, some pages with some headings and images.
For any problem refer to the library, go to the community.
These are all phases. continue with it. You will cross it.
Best of luck.