Create a Website – The WordPress Option

Posted by on February 21, 2012 No comments

Lesson #2: Even More Options

 

If you are looking to make a website, you don’t always want simple options and design tools that are provided by a website service. This can really rack up the bills, as it could run you over $30 USD per month if you aren’t careful. While this may work for some, because it can be extremely easy, it is not always preferable. Creating a website in this way tends to limit your options on what you can do, as it is not always simple to ad Java Scrip or HTML of your own. In addition to that, if you plan on using it as a blog, then you will be very limited on how many posts you can use.

There is another way to make a website however, especially for those in the blogosphere. This way also happens to be the cheapest way possible, for those who are looking to have the most options, and are novices in how to create a website. This way utilizes a domain name from one company, a host from another, and then WordPress as the website creation tool. WordPress is not necessarily like a website creation program, but it offers a base from which you can post text, pictures, video, HTML, Java Scrip, and even advertising for affiliates.

 

Step 1: Create a Website From Your Domain Name (Abridged)

 

If you were able to read Lesson #1, then you may wish to go back and check it out. In review, it basically enumerated the need for a well-named domain. If you have a domain that sums up your entire website in one title, then you’ve chosen a good one. The reason for this is because you want it to be easy to find, easy to search, and easy to remember to type in the URL bar. If you want to make a website, you have to ask, “what’s in a name?”

First, you will want to go to a domain registration service like GoDaddy.com, and fill out that information, necessary to registering your domain name. you will need to provide them with registration and credit card information, as this will cost you roughly $10 USD per month.

 

Step 2: Finding a Good Host

 

Finding the right host will be important for you, as this will determine how much you will have to pay per month, and it will also determine if you can use a service like WordPress.

Of course, almost all bloggers are interested in using WordPress as this happens to be one of the easiest tools to use. Because of this fact, most hosting companies have changed with the times, and accommodated their services to blend very harmoniously with the WordPress platform.

However, if you do find a cheap host, then do check to see if it is WordPress compatible, and will do it with ease to save the heartache.

As I said, most services will accommodate WordPress, and most of these are mainline hosting companies, such as GoDaddy.com and HostGator.com. These will be rather inexpensive, provide the most comprehensive options, and have a tendency for better customer service. They will even include a host that is setup and designed specifically to utilize WordPress.

Once you find a host that will gel beautifully with WordPress, you will then want to again, register your information and provide credit card info. However, as opposed to the website design service that was listed in the first tutorial, WordPress is free. This also means that your hosting will be cheaper overall. You are looking at paying roughly $10 USD per month on hosting, and that will come out to about $12 USD per month in total cost for your blog… not too shabby.

 

Step 3: Utilizing WordPress

 

Once you’ve done your host registration, there are a few steps might vary from company to company, but here are the most important parts:

  • For creating a website using WordPress, you will have to link your domain name to your host. You do this by simply selecting these options with your hosting service. Also, GoDaddy.com will send you an email listing the exact location of the server, on which your domain name can be found.
  • Next, you like the two by going back into your hosting service and pasting that information into the proper field. Then, the host will extract the information and link to that particular server.
  • Once you’re here, you then need to follow the WordPress steps on creating a website. These steps are simple, but basically they entail cutting and pasting code that will allow you to use WordPress to upload your content to the hosting server.
  • Now, all three services and programs should be beautifully connected, allowing you to update your web page with ease.

It is not difficult to use WordPress from here, as it is one of the simplest programs by which to run your blog or information service. In addition to that, WordPress is one of the most used programs by which to include affiliate links for additional ad revenue.

This is perhaps the most preferred way to get paid from internet traffic, and this is often how bloggers can make excellent money from creating a website.

If you are looking to make money from creating a website, then WordPress is an excellent option. One of the reasons is because it has a tendency to utilize more design tools that will help it show on the search engines more prevalently. Of course, these tools are not easy drag drop options, but they are still very simple. The utilization of these tools is called SEO, or search engine optimization. This can become extremely powerful if you are looking to make good add revenue, or if you simply want the information on your blog to spread far and wide.

Using this method has the highest probability of success with the least amount of computer or knowledge on how to create a website. There are other ways to accomplish this, but the other ways may require more knowledge.

 

 

Create a Website: The Easy Way

Posted by on February 18, 2012 No comments

Lesson #1 Using a Website Service

 

There are a lot of reasons to need to make a website. You might want it for informational purposes. You may need it to post something academic in nature. Usually, people start business to either promote them, or the ad revenue is a business in and of itself. Whatever your purposes are for building a website, there are different ways to go about it. There is no one set way to do it, but people tend to think it is harder than it really is. How you set up your website will largely depend on what you want to do with it.

 

For Simple Purposes

 

Many simply want their website to help them create a base of information. A website is an excellent place to keep information about your business, special cause, or hobby.

For instance, if you are simply looking to create business cards, and then have a web address on the card, that would prevent you from having to dispense flyers or brochures. Also, if you have a particular hobby or academic subject that you need to constantly have a place to go in order to display your information, a simple website is a great way to accomplish this task. From there, you can post videos, text, sound bytes, and other media options that will prevent the need for you to carry it on your person or on your hard drive. This can be a place that anyone can go to in order to be informed. Because of this, you might not necessarily want to put a whole lot of effort into your webpage, as the subject matter should speak for itself.

This method is the easiest way to go, but it is not necessarily the cheapest. Keep in mind that there are other cheaper ways, but this will take the least amount of web knowledge and work. This method on how to create a website will run you roughly $30 USD per month if, depending on certain services and extras.

 

The First Step

 

Your first order of business will be to register your domain name. A domain is basically carving out your own space on the World Wide Web. This is the place that people will type into the search bar or URL bar in order to find you. For instance, it is the “.com” or “.org” that is what you will be setting up for this step.

In order to make a website, you will need to go to a service such as, GoDaddy.com or Register.com. From there, all you need to do is go to their domain registration part of the webpage. Once you are there, you can choose from several options on how you want to register you domain name.

Do keep in mind that in “the easy way” you will want to stick to the same service for your domain name registration as you would in your hosting and website creation. The same company providing all these services might not only give you a deal on a bundle, but you will also be able to take advantage of ease of use. In addition to that, you might be able to receive extra promos and coupon codes.

In order to register, you will have to provide various information about choosing your domain name, information about the entity under which you hope to register, and last, payment information.

Arguably, you domain name is the most important part about your website. If you have a domain name that is not connected with your subject matter, then it will be more difficult to find it if you want to make a website searchable. Also, if you have a good website name that is a “.com” in mind, and that is taken, you can also chose from “.org”, “.biz”, “.info”, etc.

Overall, the domain registration will cost you roughly $10 USD per year, as this will always be the cheapest part of creating a website.

 

After Your Registration

 

Once you’ve registered your domain name, in this step on the “create a website” tutorial, you will want to then follow the steps on hosting and ultimately website creation.

This part is still very easy, as a service like GoDaddy.com will walk you through all the steps.

Hosting is simple, as it is basically using a part of a server that will be a space for you to work on your website. Now this has a tendency to run you about $10 per month, if you don’t receive any extras. This part is simple, as it essentially just gives you a space where you can upload your info and codes.

It is important to note that they will be providing you with a PIN, and a Username and Password. You need to keep this information secure, as this is the most important information you can retain in creating a website.

 

Website Creation

 

If you are creating a website the easy way, you can utilize many services that will make it a snap, and you will be able to have the whole thing up and running within the course of an afternoon, if you have all your info readily available before hand.

All that is necessary in creating your own website this way is that you need to use their website wizard option. This will give you a program whereby they will provide a website builder that you can utilize with simple design tools. You don’t have to know any codes, html, or other technical data, as it is basically just text entering, cut and paste, and drag and drop actions that are required for the building process in creating a website. For instance, GoDaddy.com’s Website Tonight program is very simple to use and you can even easy drag drop in YouTube videos. This means that you don’t even have to know html, but you can include the YouTube URL, and past it into their program. Simply place where you want the video to sit in on the page and there you go.

 

Using this service might cost you an additional $10 per month, but the ease of use may be well worth it. Not everyone needs an elaborate setup for creating a website, and this provides a simple option.

Learn How to Make a Website in 10 Minutes!

Posted by on February 15, 2012 No comments

 Learn How to Make a Website in 10 Minutes!

Have you got an idea for a website; but just don’t know how to go about making one? Don’t throw your idea out just yet! The information below is a list of tools that will help you to get your website up and running in only 10 minutes! You don’t have to be a programmer or a web designer in order to learn how to make a website that is attractive, user-friendly and personalized! All you need is a little bit of time and a little bit of know how. If you have the time, the know-how is easy to learn!

Purchase a Domain Name (Minute 1-3*)

The first thing that you need is a domain name. In case, for any reason, you’re not familiar with the term; a domain name is simply the address where your website will be located. For example: https://000domains.com is an address. And not just any address; it’s an address that allows you to purchase your own domain!

Typically, the price of a domain name is around $15/year. However, if the name has been purchased by another individual or business, it may be more expensive or unavailable. Use the search box to see if your domain name ideas are available and choose one that pleases you. Once you have purchased a domain name; it’s time to choose a webhost.

Select a Webhost (Minute 4-7*)

There is a variety of webhosts that provide different services and benefits. Some of the more popular include:

 

  • HostGator.com (HIGHLY Recommended)

  • iPage.com

  • Immotion.com

  • HostMonster.com

  • IXwebhosting.com

Choosing your web host depends on your needs. The prices and services vary extensively; however, if you looking for a fast, affordable server GoDaddy.com and HostGator.com have rated high with customers for both their hosting services and their customer service. Choose the one that is best for you and sync your account with 000domains to get your address to the right host. Once your webhost and your domain are in sync, you can begin building your website.

Choose a Site Builder & Template (Minute 8-9*)

As you may have imagined, there is also a variety of site building programs from which you can choose. A popular provider for site creation is WordPress. WordPress can be downloaded rather quickly. Depending on your web host, the downloaded program can be either set up by an automated formatting program, such as Fantastico, or you can have the available technical support agent assist you.

WordPress is not the only site builder available; however, as a novice website builder you may want to stick with what’s easy and prominent, which WordPress happens to be. Once you enter into your WordPress, assuming that your domain name is stored at your webhost and there are no problematic unforeseen issues, you can choose a template.

Your template can be a modified version of one of the many options available. Choosing your template can sometimes take longer than any other part of site building! Just know that you can change your template at any time (though modifications do not always translate well). With your template chosen; you need only add or remove the content that wish to be on your pages then you are ready to publish your website!

Publish Your Website: (Minute 10*)

You can add pictures and text to your website whenever you want to. Some people like to wait until they have everything in place before they publish their website, but this is not necessary. Once you have a domain name, a webhost and a template design; your site is ready to be published! Just click the “publish” button and voilà!; your site is online! Learning how to make your website is the easy part; getting people to visit is… that’s where it gets a little trickier!

*(Time is applicable to actions, not research or inquiries to specific organizations.)

(WordPress.com is different than WordPress.org; though they are similar, org is ideal for various site types.)

 

Four Questions to Consider Before You Make a Website

Posted by on February 12, 2012 No comments

Four Questions to Consider Before You Make a Website

So, you have an idea for creating a website. Excellent; now you just need to make it. Sounds fairly easy, right? Well, that all depends on certain factors. And not just one or two; there is a variety of aspects that must be considered if you wish to create your own website. If you have never made a website before, it may be difficult to figure out where to start. Well, don’t fear because the answers that you seek are contained within this article. Everything that you should consider before you make a website is listed and explained below!

You may or may not have an idea in mind for you website. If you have one, great! If you don’t, then you’ll probably want to get back to the building part later. So, let’s assume that you have your idea already and that you are prepared to make a website. But are you really ready to create your own website? When you go to create a website, you will have a vast array of options. While options are great, they also imply that you will need to make several choices. These choices include:

-Choosing your domain name

-Choosing you webhost

-Choosing your site builder

-Choosing your template

-Choosing your page design, navigation menus, content type, etc.

The list doesn’t end there, either. As the web changes, you will have to choose whether or not to change with it or how to change with it. Creating a website isn’t difficult. Maintaining, promoting, designing and altering your website will be the main challenges that you face when you go to make a website.

Think About Why You Want to Make a Website

If you have ever written a paper for an academic class or for any other purpose; you may have heard of writing an outline. The general idea behind the outlining of a paper is to organize all of your thoughts and main points before you start writing the bulk of the paper. Creating a website is very similar in that respect. While writing an outline isn’t exactly what you would do when you go to create your own website; brainstorming to organize your thoughts can be very beneficial. Ask yourself the following questions:

  1. What is the purpose of my site?

This may seem like an asinine question if you already have a clear idea for what you need to make a website for; however, it may be helpful to ponder the question further. Are you going to be blogging? Are you going to sell something? Are you going to have advertising? Are you going to be linking to other websites? Is your site for small business or a big business? Is your site for shopping or news? Basically, you need to accurately define the reason that you are creating a website before you create it.

Understanding the fundamental purpose or purposes of your website is the first step in making your idea into a reality. Once you have a solid foundation; you can begin forming the framework of that will guide you through as you create your own website.

  1. How am I going to get visitors to my site?

So with your clear purpose in mind; you now must figure out one of the most crucial elements to the success of any website: how to get visitors. Some people believe that once they learn how to create a website, and the site is in place, visitors will just so happen to stumble upon it by happenstance. While this does happen from time to time, it isn’t very helpful to you if the visitors have no interest in what your site is displaying. Many times, these “coincidental” visitors aren’t even people at all; instead, they are just random programs that are attempting to get linked to your site in the hopes of raising their search engine optimization.

  1. Who do you want to be visiting your website?

If you have figured out the million dollar question “how do I get traffic to my website” then you’re off to a good start. But do you want everyone coming to you website? Unless you have created a “Swiss Army” website, you will probably benefit more from targeting your specific customer base or your potential blog audience. Not only will this allow you to receive traffic that is more relevant; but also, it can give you the ability to discover what it is exactly that will be bringing your visitors and how to avoid making a website that would drive them away.

  1. What are your visitors going to want to see when they get there?

So with your website’s purpose defined, your target audience in mind, and some type of method (or methods) for getting your audience to visit your site you can start to think about how your site should operate and how it should appear. For example: if you are interested in starting a blog about cooking, when you create a website, it should cater to the readers that would be benefit from reading your blog.

Making a website can be easy, depending on how you go about it. However, if you are creating your own website, you may spend a great deal more time on it after it is “completed”. By identifying the purpose of you website, determining the audience that would visit your website and testing ways to bring your audience to your website you can avoid a great deal of potentially wasted time. Before you start creating a website design, it would very beneficial for you to ponder all of the questions proposed.

The most important thing to realize before you spend hours with site builders, trying out different templates and widgets for your sidebar, ensure that it is a worthwhile effort. Not only worthwhile to you, but to others as well. There are plenty of good ideas and many good reasons to make a website; but it must be done correctly. A website doesn’t serve much of a purpose if it isn’t going to be seen by anyone; or worse, if it is seen by your visitors and they decide to leave.

 

The 10 Things You Need to Know When Creating Your Own Website

Posted by on February 9, 2012 No comments

The 10 Things You Need to Know When Creating Your Own Website

If you are thinking about creating your own website, there are several things that you should consider. A website is a great platform to market products, services or ideals. Knowing exactly how to create a website and how to make a website work for you can help you to get back what you put into creating a website; with interest!

1. Why Do You Want to Create A Website?

If you have an idea for why you need a website, it is beneficial for you to realize the scope of your needs before you make a website. Analyzing the central purposes of your site and any other reasons that you are creating a website can be helpful if you are going to need to add content or make changes in the future.

When you have a clear idea of what you want, you can identify what you don’t want. This can save you a great deal of time when making a website. Once the purpose of your website is rigidly defined, you can begin to focus on the next steps in creating your own website.

2. Do You Have the Time to Make A Website?

Creating a website is relatively simple. Unfortunately, if you are creating a website on your own, it can take a great deal of time to make. The time that you could spend on other areas of your business or your life may be more valuable to you than the cost of a website designer. But don’t worry, if you want to make your own site; you’ll be able to create a website. Just ensure that you won’t be wasting time and money before you start!

3. Where Should You Go to Learn How to Make A Website?

There are many choices when it comes to creating your own website. You can learn PHP, WordPress, HK Site Builder, Vistaprint, as well as countless other website building programs. Many people use WordPress because it is highly versatile and adaptable. However, you must be willing to put in a little bit of practice time if you are not familiar with site builders. Depending on the platform that you choose to create a website off of; the specifics of operations will vary.

4. Choosing Your Domain Name

You can’t make a website unless you have a domain name. Your domain name is the address location where your website can be found. Typically, the cost of a domain name is about $15.49 annually (000domains.com price). Unfortunately, if the name that you have in mind has been purchased by some other business or individual, the cost can be higher. In some cases it can be extremely expensive and in other cases it may not be available at all.

You can run searches on 000domains to see if the idea you have is available or not. Don’t get attached to any idea until you have received your receipt from wherever you purchase your domain. The better ideas are likely already taken. But on the other hand, the best ideas are the ones that no one else has thought of yet. Happy hunting!

5. Choosing Your Webhost

With your domain name purchased; you’re ready to pick a webhosting server. The servers exist to give customers a platform, or host, for their website. When making a website, the webhost is the location from where your site will be seen by visitors. There are several webhosts and each one offer different memberships and service options.

Establish the needs of your business or website and figure out which one will be the best fit. The more well-known sites, like GoDaddy.com and HostGator.com have top-of-line customer service and can answer any questions that you may have during the process of creating a website. Deciding on a web host isn’t terrible daunting. Simply assess your needs and choose the one that is ideal for your needs while you are creating your website.

6. Choosing Your Site Builder

Of all the available site builders, one that has substantial success is WordPress, as aforementioned. WordPress has a wide variety of customization features and is relatively smooth during the time you are creating your own website. It is fairly easy to install, but you should take the time to learn all of the various features. Some options are universal and others are specific to the site builder that you are using. Learning one won’t teach you how to create a website on all of them, but it will certainly help your overall understanding of making a website.

7. Choosing Your Webpage Design

A webpage design is similar to a template. Templates are specific designs that have been created by other who were making a website and contributed their design. You can alter existing templates to fit your needs or you start with a clean slate. It could save you time to avoid concentrating on your template until you have all of your needs clearly defined.

You can also go back and alter your template, or theme, at any time. This is helpful if you want to change your site later or if you need to make slight changes.

8. Adding Content

When you create your website, you will obviously need to put something on it. If not, it will be an extremely boring page with no purpose and no traffic. Adding pictures, videos and textual information is what sets your site apart from others. You can add or remove content as you see it necessary.

Some builders use a drag & drop method to allow you to interface with your site. If you are better at using HTML code, it may be a good idea for you to use a site builder that is more HTML based. When altering an existing template or changing your site, HTML can make a world of difference. However, if you are not familiar with HTML, it isn’t advised that you use it when you first create a website.

You can also add text directly by using the text boxes available on all site builders. Your content will depend on your websites purpose and should be relevant to your goals. You can copy & paste text, images or videos on some site builders, like WordPress; which can be a very helpful function if you aren’t familiar with HTML code.

9. Publishing Your Site

Once you find the builder that is best for you, you can add all of your content and publish your website. Publishing your site is typically achieved by one simple click on the “publish” or “publish site” button, depending on your chosen builder.

Once your site is published, you can begin receiving visitors, views, comments and posts. The power limits of your visitors must be established in your site building software. Study the builder that you are using and learn how to divvy out control of your site; that is, if you want to give up any control at all. Trial and error will ultimately teach you many things about creating your own website.

10. Maintaining Your Website

Once your site is public and you have learned how to make a website, you can make others. But remember to maintain your websites. Keep them up-to-date and relevant to the needs of your visitors. Otherwise, your visitors may not come back and that’s not the goal of making a website!

 

 

 

How to Easily Create Your Own Website on a Budget

Posted by on February 5, 2012 No comments

How to Easily Create Your Own Website on a Budget

It can be difficult for beginners looking to design their own website to know which direction to head in when beginning the search into building their own website. If you are looking to create a great website on a low budget, the possibilities are today plentiful in the website creation marketplace. For those who are looking for tips on how to make a website, this article will serve as a primer in giving some vital advice in getting started. Creating a website on a budget is now easier than ever with the emergence of new website and blog platforms that enable website owners to create a website without a large amount of technical knowhow. You can now make a website quite easily through the use of these new Web 2.0 platforms. Many of these platforms even offer a multi step guide or tutorial that will allow website owners to create a website quickly and easily.

How to Create a Website without Coding Skills

Many different platforms are available today that will aid website owners in creating their own website, without the expertise of knowing how to write web code. Point and click setups through popular providers like WordPress, Squarespace and Tumblr. Each platform is better for different uses, so doing some research into what platform is best for the style of your own particular site is recommended. The point and click website making tool includes many different customizable elements on many of these platforms enabling website building beginners to create professional websites easily. This is quite a welcome change to days past where setting up a successful website took a considerable amount of capital and a highly skilled developer to create and maintain your personalized website. Today this is no longer a necessity and it is possible to create a great website by using the easy step by step process that these platforms provide. These platforms have been designed with novice designers like you in mind and the ease of use in designing your website is incredible.

Learning To Solve Web Design Issues

Inevitably, at some point you will likely encounter issues that prohibit you from designing your website in the exact manner that you wish too. You must realize that with many of these platforms there will be certain restrictions in place as you’re not actually actively creating the code that designs your websites customizable elements. Still learning how to solve issues through tutorials, website support outlets and community forums can be immensely useful to novice web developers. In learning how to properly use the platform you choose you are then able to consistently manage and maintain your website which will without a doubt save you headaches down the road. Knowing that there will be limitations and basing your design off of what is possible with your chosen platform is a necessary sacrifice. Working within the constraints of your platform is a much easier proposition than learning to write code on your own, so be willing to make certain design sacrifices along the way as not platform you will choose will be perfect.

Expect To Pay For the Extras

When browsing various website providers many so called free providers will likely pique your interest but you should take a deep look at what each provider is offering before signing up. While many aspects of the site may offer free service for your website, you should not that all of these sites make their money by charging for the extras. Whether it is bandwidth, page count or custom domains, you should expect that many of these platforms are going to have added fees. Looking at what your site needs and does not need and comparing those needs with the available features offered by each provider will be essential in helping you select the right provider for your individual needs. Do not be fooled by gimmick that get you in the door and spend countless hours designing your website before learning that you are in a trial period or that elements of your site that you need will cost you. Do the research upfront as all providers are different and determine which platform fits your own individual needs.

Do You Need A Web Developer?

The scale of your website as well as your level of expertise will ultimately be the determining factor in whether you need to go out and find a professional web developer. For simple websites where website owners are only looking to create a nice professional landing page to manage their online efforts, the use of a web developer may not be necessary. Larger scale websites, professional E-commerce websites or websites in which you want to incorporate you own unique design ideas without interruption however will likely be situations where you will want to consider bringing in the pros. For many of you reading this a professional web developer is likely not necessary as modern platforms have made created easy to use websites that are semi-customizable and will give you the professional look that you are after without breaking the bank in the process.

Are You On a Tight Budget? Keep It Simple

If you are looking to stay on a strict budget and create a nice professional basic website, there is no need to go out and find a professional developer and you are now able to build a great website on the cheap. Furthermore these new platforms are much more easily integrated with modern social networking sites as they are set up to do so already. You can now keep your costs low while building your web presence and creating a landing page where you can draw in your online marketing and networking activities. The world is changing quickly and there is still time to build a web presence. Those who are first to the plate will reap the biggest rewards and gain recognition in a world where we can find people and businesses in seconds with a simple web search.

 

How to Make a Website – A Basic Guide for Beginners

Posted by on February 3, 2012 No comments

How to Make a Website – A Basic Guide for Beginners

Making a website can be an intimidation proposition for many people who are not familiar with how to get started. The good news is that with the technology that has emerged and the various web platforms available to assist new website owners this is a step that can be very easily and even enjoyable, allowing website owners to impose their creativity and design skills on an easy to use web platform. There are many options available to first time website developers and the option that is right for each person depends on their current capabilities and know how in using the web. For beginners, choosing the right platform to use is essential in enabling website owners to build a website that fits their own individual needs.

Why You Need a Website

In today’s fast paced, well connected world having your own personal website or a website for your business is becoming a necessity. The first place many people go today to search for a person or business is online and having a hub that can draw in people who are looking for you is becoming more important every day. Having a site that you can draw people into can enable you to build a base where you can draw your audience or customer base through other platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Having a place that you can setup as your landing spot for your online marketing or networking activities is an essential when trying to build a web presence.

The Top Low Cost Website Platforms

Whether you are an individual or a small business owner there are great platforms available that can help you to create a website that fits your individual needs. Creating a website using platforms like WordPress, Tumblr, Squarespace or Google Blogger can enable website owners to have a free or low cost platform that is easy to use and can built in very little time. These are providers that enable users to create their own websites with easy to use point and click platforms that make it easier to create your own website. Many of these sites have a 5 step guide, or similar tutorial that will allow website owners to learn how to use the specific platform that they choose to incorporate with their website. If you are using a less user friendly platform and having trouble making your website, it may be a good idea to take a trial run on these platforms which are much easier to use.

The Platforms for Web Developers

If you are hiring a web developer or have experience in writing code, there are other platforms that may be more suited for your website. While both WordPress and Squarespace are set up to enable users to write their own code, these are platforms that are more designed for point and click web builders. For tips on how to make a website with other platforms that enable you to write code, simple do a web search of the top low cast website hosting companies. To make a website that allows for your own custom domain, you must first find a domain registrar and find a domain that is currently available for sale. Upon buying the domain it is then possible to point the domain to whichever platform you choose to use in developing your website.

Small Business Websites for E-commerce

If you are looking to set up an e-commerce website for your small business, there are many different things that you will need to understand. Platforms such as Shopify, Ebay stores and Yahoo Stores enable small business owners to sell their products to consumers through their own personal customizable web store. The main thing to consider here is the freedom in which you are able to operate on these platforms as some allow for more customizable elements than others. Shopify is without question the most easily customizable platform and this platform also allows for integration to a variety of different e-commerce plug-ins such as Amazon fulfillment and PayPal Payment processing.

For beginners looking for a flexible platform with great tutorials that will coach them in how to create a website that will enable them to sell their products online, Shopify is a great platform to use. Ebay Stores and Yahoo Stores are also interesting platforms to utilize as well and clearly with the backing of such large company’s behind them, they are a great way to draw traffic to your e-commerce website. Many companies will choose to implement a strategy that uses more than one of these platforms. For example this may be a small business that runs their main website through Shopify, yet also uses an Ebay store to reach out to consumers that are looking to purchase on the Ebay website.

Get Your Website Started Today

The best thing that you can do to begin building your web presence today is to choose a platform and begin building your website today. There are great platforms available to you that can make your web building process very easy and there are support systems in place through many of these platforms that enable you to solve issues that may arise along the way. Whether you are looking to build your own personal site or if you are trying to build a quality e-commerce site for your small business, the aforementioned platforms will allow you to create a dynamic, user friendly website that will project a professional image to your audience. By reserving your domain, Facebook fan page and Twitter account and directing them to your website, you will be able to advance your online marketing or networking activities exponentially and gain a following that keeps up to date on what is happing with you or your business. In today’s changing environment this is essential in getting you or your business consistently in front of the most eyeballs as possible, creating a web presence for people to find you from anywhere in the world.

 

 

 

The How to Guide in Creating and Managing Your Own Website Today

Posted by on February 1, 2012 No comments

The How to Guide in Creating and Managing Your Own Website Today

Creating and designing your own personal website is something that can be done easily with the tools available to you in today’s dynamic internet environment. In past years the use of a web developer and possibly thousands of dollars were necessary just to create a basic webpage for yourself or your company. Today with the new, easy to use web design tools at your disposal, designing a great website is easier and cheaper than ever before. What is even more important is the fact that monthly maintenance costs associated with consistent website updates are longer essential as these platforms have made web design and maintenance a much easier proposition. If you are currently exploring ways to make a website and get it up and online today, this article will explain in detail how you can do just that.

Picking Your Platform- Find an Easy To Use Design Platform

The first steps to take are finding a provider that allows for website builders who are not necessarily adept at writing code since most website owners will not be. Many platforms are available that will enable you to immediately set up free or low cost website from which you can begin to implement customizable elements to personalize your website. Making web design tools easy to use for site owners is something that has been a priority in recent years for the top website providers. Of these providers there is perhaps no easier and more popular platform for new website owners than WordPress. If you are just getting started in an effort to create your own website, keep in mind that no matter which platform you use, creating a website is something that will require some time and patience. Luckily many of these platforms allow users to learn how to use the provided web design tools through helpful tutorials and guides that will you the create a website that is both professional and easy to maintain.

How to Make a Website with Your Own Custom Domain

Every platform you use will provide you’re with a domain that people will be able to plug into their web browser in order to visit your website. However if you are looking to buy, or already own a custom domain through a popular registrar such as GoDaddy.com or Register.com, you will have to make sure that the platform you are using allows for custom domains to be pointed at the website you are creating. Doing a quick search on the features of the provider you are using should answer this question quickly and let you know if this service is allowed as well as if there is a charge associated with doing so. If you do not yet own a domain but you would like to do so, you should first go to a web registrar and search to see if the domain you desire is available. If you can find your preferred domain available, you then must purchase the rights to ownership of that domain and subsequently utilize your registrar’s DNS manager to correctly point the domain to your new website. This sounds rather complicated, however all of these providers have step by step guides that will make this process easy to do in mere minutes.

Setting Up Your Web Presence

Of course when building a website in today’s internet environment, the use of social media as a means of drawing in traffic from your target audience is becoming more and more important each day. If you already have a social footprint and have a twitter account or Facebook page setup, transitioning links to these platforms are very easy with popular providers such as Squarespace, Word press and Tumblr. On all of these platforms there are plug-ins that are set up that will take you account information to these social outlets and link them to your new website, making this a seamless process and linking up your important web properties in seconds. When you create a website using these popular platforms it is often times easy to find support and how to advice from other users as well as these platforms are immensely popular among beginners who are trying to so just as you are and create their own websites. This create a community of internet users who can share their knowhow and technical expertise which can be found with a simple search enabling new users to learn from the providers existing members of their community.

How to Create a Website That You Can Manage Personally

Perhaps the biggest advantage to utilizing these low cost, point and click platforms as a means of designing your website is the fact that once you have built your site, you will not be reliant on a webmaster to maintain your website and make changes and updates. This can save website owners quite a bit of money and also improve their technological knowhow in the process, giving them a crash course on web design in the Web 2.0 era. This can be a liberating step for many website owners as it is no longer necessary to pay large setup and maintenance fees in your quest to create a professional and user friendly website. Implementation of social media accounts is also much easier when using these popular platforms as they have been designed specifically for easy implementation from novice web designers. It is clear that choosing a platform that is made for novice website designers may well be a good idea, as there are so many more design elements that will be easy to change because they have been designed for beginners without web design and coding expertise. By picking the right platform, reserving and pointing your domain and researching how to properly build your website through users who have already been successful in building their own, you too can have a great website set up in no time. The path to getting started in building your web presence can be started today and soon enough you will be showing off your professional website for the world to see.

 

How to Make a Free Website

Posted by on December 6, 2011 No comments

How to Make a Free Website

Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, revealed in the first Transformers movie that they learned how to speak man’s language through the World Wide Web. The World Wide Web or simply the Web, is a system of information containing text, pictures, videos, etc. from a collection of publicly accessible websites. It was created by physicist Tim Berners-Lee in 1990 free to be used by anyone. It is the highway of unlimited information about anything under the sun, and it’s just a click away. This information is accessed using addresses formatted in Hypertext Transfer protocol (http). The Hypertext Markup Language (html) is used to create websites.

A website is hosted in at least one server accessed through the internet or a private local area network through an internet address known as Uniform Resource Locator (URL). There are a thousand and one website categories, each one created for purposes as personal, government, business, education, health, and others too many to mention.

Purpose

Why would anyone think of creating his or her own website? If you would create one, what would its purpose be? Some people create websites for their hobbies; others to showcase important events in their lives; and still others use it as a blog. Thousands of people around the globe have created their own personal websites for small businesses to earn money. Yes, in this day and age it is possible to earn money by simply creating your own website where you can advertise your skills, talents, training, and genius.

Planning Your Website

In creating your own web, you should keep in mind some principles that would enable your users fast and efficient use of your website. The web design is as important as the content of the website for it will determine if your visitor will stay on your site or move on to the next. Consider these tips:

  • Make sure your users are able to navigate your website easily.

  • Make sure they are able to get the information they need at the shortest possible time.

  • Avoid having to ask them for too many clicks.

  • Make sure the site content is relevant to the audience.

  • It would be best to make the site as appealing as possible by using graphics, photo galleries, and videos.

  • Make sure each site loads easily and so do the graphics.

  • Make sure the links to the website have been tested.

  • Make sure grammatical and spelling errors are non-existent.

Creating your Own Website

Create your Domain Name

To create your own website, the first two things you should do is to sign up for a free website hostingprovider and choose a domain name (e.g. —-.com). The internet address of a website or blog is called its domain name. Your domain name should be short and simple, obvious, accurate, and easy to remember.

Choose a Free Web Host Provider

Once you have a domain name, it’s time to pick out a web hosting provider which will show you exactly what to do to set up your website or blog for free. Make sure you choose an established provider that has a track record in the field already.

Install Word Press on Your Website

Word Press is a user-friendly, highly powerful tool in creating websites. It allows you to build websites even with little or no technical know-how by allowing you to use free pre-designed themes so you won’t have to hire professional webdesigners. All you have to do is type in your text and add your pictures, if any, and Word Press will create the pages, apply the chosen layout and add a link to each one of them from the menu bar. Word Press works on any computer or browser, even on smart devices like iphones since it operates from the internet.

Configure Your Website

Try to access your website and check the default theme. Follow the log-in link located at the right sidebar of your homepage. You should be able to see the Word Press (WP) Dashboard and be familiar with it because whatever changes you make on your website will be made using it. You can play around with Word Press and experiment on themes and the like to make to make your website more interesting. Install relevant plug ins which can enable you to speed up our website’s and search engine’s performance, enhance appearance and more. You can also find submenus at the left hand side of the WP Dashboard each with a purpose worth studying.

More About Websites

A website can contain an infinite amount of pictures, texts, links and pages. It can be created just for that if one wants it to be. Some examples of websites that can be created easily include business sites with contact details, a family blog with photos and text, and a photography site. The important thing is, once started, a website should be launched no matter how inadequate it is for the moment. Standard practice is to write ‘Under Construction” on the front page of the site.

Websites have simple beginnings and they only get better through time by careful nurturing. Find new ways to improve and expand your site. Keep building it by responding to feedback.

Website neophytes are often concerned with spam. However, a new site usually does not attract spammers since it does not initially get much attention.

How to Make a Website for Free

Posted by on December 4, 2011 No comments

How to Make a Website for Free

It has always been said that there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Indeed, with economies crashing down, unemployment rates rising, and people running out of cash, freebies are just too good to be true these days. However, it is also true that freewebsites can be obtained and it is possible to create and maintain a site without having to spend anything on domain name registration and monthly hosting. One can sign up for free web hosting and free web pages can be updated any time with new information.

Free Website hosting is applicable to the following basic websites which can be completely free:

  • Personal Websites – web pages created by individuals showcasing personal information and often used for entertainment purposes.

  • Family Websites – usually created by families to keep members connected through sharing of family photos, keepsakes, and genealogy to preserve family history in the process.

  • Special Occasions or Announcement Websites – websites for special occasion announcements such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and the like.

  • Hobbyist & Special Interest Websites – websites created by people sharing the same hobbies and special interests.

 

  • Clubs, Organizations and Associations – websites dedicated for various organizations mentioned.

 

Word of caution against free websites and free web site hosting

Alas, there is, indeed, no such thing as a free lunch. When somebody offers you a free website, you will be required to sign up before you can start building yourown website. Once you sign up, you may find yourself committed to extra costs and hidden charges imposed by the provider. Here are some other problems you might belatedly encounter:

  • Intrusive pop-up windows and banner ads

  • The free website does not include a free domain name

  • The good features are a part of a premium package you have to pay for

  • The need to use the online point and click tools provided by the free service in creating your own site

  • Unreliable technical support

  • Difficulty in switching to other host service providers

Since free websites are not really free in the real sense of the word, it is best to register your own domain name to get your own web address. This way, your website will not be at the mercy of the company which provides your free website. When the provider decides to implement changes, your website will be safely intact.

Create Your Free Website

The first thing to do in creating a free website is to choose a free web host. In choosing a free web host, you need to consider the following:

  • The purpose of your website should be compatible with the capabilities of the free web host.

  • Does the free web host offer an easy builder system for beginners?

Most site builders of hosting companies work only on that company’s server making it impossible for your site to be moved to another host without rebuilding it from scratch.

  • Will the free web host allow you to get email through your website’s domain name? It’s best to choose a host which provides unlimited autoresponders so you can stay in touch with your visitors or potential customers.

  • Does the free web host provide enough space for your website’s growth?

  • Does the free web host provide enough speed for faster loading?

  • If you’re planning a website that will generate a lot of traffic, free hosting is not advisable.

You should be able to choose a web host that would suit your needs and provide the technical support you need.

The next step is to build your website.

The simplest way to build your website is to use your web host’s free website builder, that is, if they have one. If not, you will need some type of web building software available from outside sources.

In building your website, you need to keep in mind some reminders:

  • Keep your web site simple but eye pleasing. Avoid clutter and unpleasant fonts and color.
  • Avoid blaring music or sound on your site that might startle people away.
  • Avoid slow loading graphics on your page. People will not stick around to wait for the loading.
  • Show your visitors what your site is all about in a glance.
  • Avoid annoying pop-ups on your site which tend to annoy people.

The third step in creating your free website is to upload your website to your web host account. Some call this “publishing your website”. If you are using your web host’s website builder, your website files will automatically be on your web host’s servers. You can do this just by clicking a button.

If you’re using an independent software website builder, just log on to your web host account and click the upload button.

Now that you have created your own website for free, you may want to use it now to start a small business, or to start a blog. Whatever you decide to do with it, always remember to evaluate your web site periodically. Make the necessary improvements to update it. Remember the purpose you had in mind when you created it. Make sure your web site has personality so as to attract visitors. Design is just as important as the content. Make it simple yet elegantly attractive. Always remember that a great website shares meaningful and useful content that gives information, entertainment, and satisfaction.