There's always that first awkward blog entry to kick things off. This is mine, savor it.

In designing and building websites for people, I'm usually the one creating the first blog entry, the ice breaker, the generic content that makes the site owner say, "I can do this, I can write something better than this!". Or, at least that's what I hope people think when they read my first blog entry, generally I've written it with specific intent. No harm intended of course, but I write it tactically in hopes of empowering the site owner...

The idea behind a lackluster, generic first blog post

Creating the first blog entry for a client serves a few purposes.

1. It helps me to ensure that the site is well styled and built, if I run into even the slightest problem when posting it, I know for a fact that the client will have issues, times four.
2. If the site owner doesn't have time or motivation to start creating content right away, the site can still go live, there's content!
3. It helps the site owner settle in a little quicker, eases the nerves about creating a first blog entry. This is the important one...

Why make it lackluster or generic?

Making the first blog post lackluster or generic is never intended to be harmful. The idea is that the client can take ownership of the site and see that it's not so hard to put something up on the site. Sure the first post may be boring, but its the gateway article for more to come. It sets the bar, just high enough that it's not considered poorly written, but low enough that the site owner will quickly want to start filling in his or her own content that makes the site more interesting.

Why have I put so much thought into this?

That, my friends, is a great question! Seems like such an odd subject to think about. Truth is, out of all the sites I've built, the one truly consistent factor is the client's hesitation in taking over. Usually it's either because they think it will take a lot of time, they think it may be difficult, or they are just lazy. Part of my job as a designer and developer is to give people a little push start, get the ball rolling, per say. Plus it makes me feel a little less like I'm just throwing them to the sharks by not giving them something to use as an example.

The lesson

It's not that hard to post content, and since people may think that it it, they just need to be shown the way. Give them a hint, make them feel like they can do better and they will happily rise to the occasion. You might call it a tactic, or manipulation, I like to think of it as a case of simple social engineering, letting someone find their way without telling them what to do. Make it easy for someone to do better, and they will quickly become an owner.

The show will continue

As time passes much more content should fill in on this site, the design may evolve, viewers will come and go. The hope is that this site will grow with me and be a good, interesting outlet for my ideas and creations. I would love to hear from followers, whether it be good or bad, please feel free to send me your feedback.

Thanks for reading. Check back soon.