: Re: When should a starting writer get his own webpage? I've heard and read from many vlogger and blogger authors that an aspiring writer should have his own webpage as early as possible. Being

@Odierno164

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There are two key parts to this, and it is important to distinguish between them to help decide what steps to take and when.

Domain Names vs Websites

A domain name is an address, it is where people look to find a website, because it is far easier to remember google.com than it is to remember the string of numbers for a server hosting google's search page, [And you don't have to worry about anything if they change the server hosting the page...] while a website is the actual content that a user sees and interacts with.

If you have something in mind that you decide you want to use as an address for a project at some point in the future, then it is generally advisable to look into getting, and holding on to, that Now.

It is somewhat like buying property in a new town around where a railway line and station is being built. If you think you want to eventually do business there, then go shopping for your 'plot of land' now, to help ensure you're on the main street, or at least near by, rather than waiting and being stuck on a plot somewhere heading out of town - You don't have to build on it yet, but you can't build on property you don't own.

The actual Website is another matter, and you have more flexibility in how you decide to handle this. Once you have your desired domain name, then you may choose to just do nothing for the time being - If your project isn't ready for any kind of media attention, and you have nothing you wish people to know about it, then it isn't at all unusual to leave the domain name pointing at nothing.

The next step up from 'nothing' is a holding page - Minimal content, 'welcome to the site, stuff will be coming down the pipe sometime in the future' kind of thing. This really has next to no effect on anything, with very low chance of being picked up by search engines or gaining attention from an audience more than a 'points nowhere domain' does, but it also doesn't take all that much more effort than doing nothing. And if nothing else, you have proof to yourself that your setup is working when you try typing your own address into a browser.

To go beyond that will involve actual effort to create content, and what content is going to depend on your goals. Are you using the site to Build a base Before project release, or will you focus the site on expanding a base after project release?

A common method to use a site to build a base before release is to engage in social media, building up a contact base, and eventually community/fans. This is either aimed towards you/your personality, or towards a project itself.

As your community grows you expand your personal/project's website to address the next stage goals, and it might move through a few stages along the line of:
- A 'business card', little more than a hub for different social media you post to.
- A 'project news board', highlighting plans and how things are going. Teasing upcoming stuff to people who might be interested.
- Add 'merch', at some point you have 'something' to sell. The book, related 'collectibles', whatever.
- Eventually if all goes well, your site becomes a museum to your projects, and advertising zone for future projects. [And supports a thriving 'gift store' selling product tie ins.]

If you are aiming the website to support a project post-release, then you end up compressing the timescale on roll out, and it starts off being something closer to the 'museum' stage.

The important thing is that the website has some reason to exist at a given stage, and people have some reason to view it. What that reason is at any given point will push how much effort and investment deserves to go into the site.

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