How to: Make Your Own Website, for Beginners

Everybody & their brother is making their own website these days. Here's a simple guide to get you started.

The Essentials Step by Step

1. Domain Name

   If you want your site to have a professional flair, you need to get a domain name. This will make your site: yourname.com rather than someoneelsesname.com/yourname. And it's a bit less confusing. :) To get a domain name, you have to pay a yearly fee or subscription to a registrar for the right to use that name. Getting a name does not get you a website or anything like that. It's just a name. It's sort of like registering a business name in the brick-and-mortar world; having that business name does not mean that you also have the physical building to go with the name. There are many services to get you started, contact me if you would like a list of companies or you can always Google "domain name."

2. Web Host

   You will need to sign up for an account with a web host so that your website has a home. If getting a domain name is the same as getting a business name in the physical world, getting a web hosting account is the same as renting office premises for your business. Some domain name providers also provide hosting, read all the fine print for any additional and hidden fees.

3. Design

   Once you have your domain name and web host, your next step will be to design the web site itself. There are a few different ways of doing this. You can learn HTML and code your own page. You can learn some HTML and download someone else's template. You can download and use a WYSIWYG web editor (very good for the very beginner.) and some web hosts even provide an online webpage editor. This is my ideal choice.

4. Test

   Although listed separately, the whole while that you are designing your site, you should be testing. It easier to find minute errors while in the process rather than rampant errors at site launch.

   You will need to test your web pages as you design them in the major browsers: Internet Explorer 7, Internet Explorer 6, the latest versions of Firefox, Opera, Netscape, and Safari, though the list is always growing, these are the majors. All these browsers are available for free download.

5. Making Money

   If you are selling products or services, you will need some way to collect credit card information, or go simply with Paypal. You can also monetize your site with adsense and affiliate ads. 

6. Get Noticed

   When your site is ready, you will need to submit your site to the search engines. There are many and most are free. Stick with the free ones for now. If your site is worth finding, they will list it before you do! 

   You should also look into other ways of promoting your site. This might involve things, including the usual way people did things before the Internet: ads in paper, word-of-mouth, flyers etc. I don't advise investing a lot of money in at the get go, wait until the site begins gaining momentum. After all, it just may go viral, and then you won't have to advertise.

The End

          Not everything you need to know is listed and detailed above. But the generals you need to consider are. Keep a watch out for my other guides to help you on your way to a great site!

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