So you've got an idea?
You've had an idea in your head which won't go away. You'd love to make a web site, and you're not quite sure what direction to do in first.

What are your motives?
You want to make money online. How important is making money to you? Very few people make themselves rich online, some people make a small income, some people make nothing.
If making money is your main motive, then how long before you get bored with the site? If, however you want to share your knowledge and interest in a subject then we have something positive to work on.

Budget - want money, spend time
Always consider the budget you have to start with. Do you have enough for a domain name? Do you have enough money to pay someone to build the site? Do you need software? Take into account your skills and time available. If you've got lots of time then this is an important part of making a budget plan.

The competition - what have they missed?
Is there a site already providing the type of service you've got in mind? If so, what are their weakness, strong points? What do you like about their site? What would you do to make your site different, better? Is there an obvious gap in the market?

Domain Names
Credibility comes with a domain name, although its still not guaranteed. Before you rush out and find a domain name, consider the following points. A good Domain Name is short memorable not easily confused easily spelt related to content dot Com or not? If all the "good" names are gone, then consider adding movement or emotion to the name.

Real Planning saves time in the long run
Planning is the most important next step. Don't rush into building a site straightaway. Maybe even turn your computer off and find pen and paper. Sit down and relax, and start to think about what you want to see on your site. Think what your visitors might want on the site. You might want to revisit your rivals sites at this point, and remind yourself about what you could include (not copying, remember before when we looked at what you'd do better)

Demographics
How important are demographics to your site? Dig around and find some statistics. How important is this to you? Are you going to perhaps consider ways of making your site appeal to men and women? To young and old, to experienced users and newbies. Every potential visitor is a customer. Don't make it hard for people to visit! Bear in mind there are still people with version 3 browsers.