Website Creation Rule #1: Think First (cont'd)

In the previous post , I created the general skeleton for my new freelance writer's website. Now I'm going to add some content.

The first thing I want to do is to start composing the messages I want to appear on each page. In the first post, I made a list of the major areas I work in, each of which will be its own page on my new site:

• Media Campaigns
• Social Media Campaigns
• Content Creation
• Influencer Programs
• Customer Evangelist Programs

Create Content Right Inside the Map

I want to start sketching out my ideas for each page. So I create a "Note" that is automtically attached to each branch of the map:

I work my way through the list, making notes of what I want to say on each page. When I collapse the Notes window to reduce clutter on the screen, all that remains is just a small icon:

I can also put in icons to let me know at a glance how far along I think I am in getting to final copy for each page:

Add Links to External Content

The other thing I want to do is add links to examples of my writing. I do that by opening up a browser, navigating to the examples, then just dragging the URL onto the appropriate :sub-branch" branch of the "Content Creation" branch:

The beauty of using ConceptDraw MINDMAP to design your website is that you can:

1. Aggregate all these different kinds of content into one document.
2. Add icons that communicate information without words, making the document more compact.
3. Get a broad overview of how you're designing the site.

See Your Site as a Whole Entity

As you look at the overall map, it's easy to see what's missing from the site. You can go back into the map and create placeholders for other pages you know will be on the site, as well as any thoughts you have on content.

The use of visual icons just makes the map more concise and maybe a bit more entertaining and fun to create than a regular outline or list:

Try it Yourself!

These two posts give you just a brief overview of how to use mind mapping to design your website. The ways writers can use mind mapping is just about endless. Get a trial version and play around with it!