If you have lost a loved one, dealing with the grief can be a difficult process, not only for you, but each life touched by your dearly departed. Creating an online memorial Website for him or her can be the most appropriate and enduring tribute you can make to the life of the deceased, helping you and a close circle of family and friends deal with the loss.

With a memorial Web site you can express your love, allowing family and friends to share memories from anywhere in the world. An online tribute provides a central place for even strangers to express sympathy and share in your grieving.

Over time as people contribute their messages, photos and poetry it becomes a wonderful source of cherished memories for everyone to reflect upon at any time. So no matter where you are in the world or age, you can always ensure your loved one is remembered and honored.

What Do I Need To Create an Memorial Web Site?
The following is a list of items generally accepted as standard elements of an online memorial Website.

Biography � Names, Dates and Places
The most important information is the biographical data, such as birth date, death date, full name and places associated with life events. With an online memorial Web site, you can fully document, celebrate and cherish the life of a dearly departed. The biography can contain as little or as much information as you like. You can always update or add more at a later date.

Photograph
A portrait or picture is a good idea, but not strictly necessary. However, a well-chosen photo of the departed paints a thousand words and offers a more personal connection with visitors to the memorial. If you don't have an digital photo, you'll have to digitize a conventional photo. To do this, you will need access to a scanner for copying a photo onto your computer. If you don't have a scanner, it's very likely that a friend or family member does and are willing to help you. Also, most print shops and office supply stores will be happy to scan photos onto a CD for a small fee.

Tribute Text, Eulogy / Obituary or Poem
Your tribute text is the essence of your memorial. It can be the funeral eulogy, a poem or your own thoughts and memories. It's your memorial, so please take time to reflect, remember and share how you felt, or feel, about your loved one. Telling a story which stands out in your mind about the deceased is always a good start.

Multi-Media (video, audio, photo albums)
Not all people have access to video or audio clips of their loved one. If you do and are willing to include them, they allow a full multi-media experience for visitors to the memorial. It is advisable to keep the size of the video to a minimum for quick and convenient download by visitors.

Web Site Hosting
Once you have all your content and images ready for publishing you will need to decide on a Web site host. You may prefer to register your own domain to fully reflect the person being remembered, or you may like to use the services of an online memorial website host. With these services, you usually get a unique URL and an account for customizing your Website. You will need to find an online memorial service provider that suits your needs, budget and expectations.

Invite Family and Friends
Once you are done creating the initial online memorial and are ready to publish, you can invite friends and family to visit and share their memories or sympathy. Have ready a list of emails you would like to send online invites to.

You're Now Ready To Create a Memorial Web Site
You now have everything you need to create an online memorial Web site and take the first step to facilitating the preservation of the memory of your loved one, for the sake of all those that grief their loss and the love in maintaining a connection with them.

Visit Christian Online Memorial Tributes to create an online memorial in an uplifting Christian setting.
--
Nathan Martyn is co-founder of Christian Online Memorial Tribute Websites, the premiere online memorial Website in a Christian setting. Services include full multi-media online memorials, free online obituary website hosting, resources for dealing with grief, article library and condolence guest books.