Hi maxi_prince~
There are several things you will need to do in order to create a website.
The first thing to consider is: Are you going to learn HTML (the code
or language that creates all websites)? Or are you going to use a
WYSIWYG (?What you see is what you get?) program to create the HTML
for you? If you don?t already know HTML, you can learn the basics and
create a simple website.
To learn some basic HTML code, check out these websites:
? ?So You Wanna Make A Webpage? by Joe Barta, PageTutor,
http://www.pagetutor.com/pagetutor/makapage/
? ?Contents Page,? Introduction to HTML,
http://www.cwru.edu/help/introHTML/toc.html
? ?FAQ,? A Beginner?s Guide to HTML,
http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/General/Internet/WWW/HTMLPrimer.html
If you decide that creating a website with straight HTML requires you
to learn too much right off the bat, consider purchasing a WYSIWYG
program. Ideally, such a program will get you started, while you brush
up your HTML coding skills. Perhaps the most popular WYSIWYG program
available today is Microsoft?s ?Front Page.? It?s less expensive than
many similar programs, and is generally considered easy to use. This
software is available at almost all software stores, but here?s the
Amazon listing: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005AFI2/qid=1077653489/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2_etk-software/002-4921771-5364023?v=glance&s=software&n=229534
DreamWeaver is generally considered the best of the WYSIWYG programs,
but it?s considerably more expensive. See the Amazon listing:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000050B9M/qid=1077653560/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2_etk-software/002-4921771-5364023?v=glance&s=software&n=229534
The next step is to figure out who will host your website. Most
smaller websites are hosted by a company, not the website owner; some
companies offer free hosting, others charge. Some popular free hosts
include:
? Geocities.com (which also offers a free WYSIWYG program)
? Bravenet.com
? Freewebsitehosting.com
? Homestead.com
? Tripod.com
You?ll probably also want to check out CNET?s ?100 Best Free Web
Hosts? at: http://100best-free-web-space.com/index.htm
Free hosting usually means your website viewers must put up with ads
of some sort. Most of these hosts also offer paid hosting, without
such ads. However, there are a vast number of web hosts that offer
their services for a fee. For a sampling, check out this Google search
for ?website hosting:?
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=website+hosting&btnG=Google+Search
Also check out ?100 Best Web Hosting? site, which reviews a variety of
web hosts: http://www.100best-web-hosting.com/
You should take some time to consider what your website address will
be, also. If you use a free host, you?ll have limitations in this
area. For example, if you?re hosted by geocities, your address will
have to start: www.geocities.com/
However, if you?ve paid for hosting, you can choose your entire
address. If you?re creating a website for an existing business, it
makes sense to use that name in your address. For example, if your
company is named Alpha Glass, your website address might be:
AlphaGlass.com If you aren?t working with an existing company name,
consider carefully what words describe your website topic, and try to
use those. For example, if your site is about how to do stained glass,
your address might be: StainedGlassHowTo.com
You can also choose what your ?domain extension? is. Here are the most
common extensions:
? The .com extension is the most popular, and what most website
viewers will try before any other, if they?re typing an address from
memory.
? The extension .net is mostly used by hosts and network providers.
? The extension .edu is used by school.
? The extension .org is typically used by organizations that are not-for-profit.
Once you have some ideas for a website domain/address, you?ll need to
see if anyone else is using it. To do this, visit a site such as
Whois: http://www.internic.net/whois.html Simply type in the address
you want, make sure ?Domain? is checked, and the search engine will
tell you if the domain is available.
After you?ve chosen your domain or address, and have checked that no
one else is using it, you?ll need to register that domain. This
ensures that no one else can use your address. There are a number of
websites who can register your domain for you. For a list, visit ?The
Accredited Registrar Directory,? InterDic,
http://www.internic.net/regist.html
The next consideration is how to design your site. For a beginner,
it?s an especially great idea to browse the web, critiquing other
websites. Which websites do you find easy to navigate--and *why* are
they easy to navigate? Which websites do you like the look of?and
*why?* Etc. Make notes as you go. Then you may want to look
specifically at sites that would be in competition with yours. Going
back to the stained glass example, you might want to do a Google
search for: ?Stained glass? ?how to? Examine other sites that have
the same theme as yours. What?s good? What isn?t? What makes the
websites work? Try to ovoid the pitfalls of others, and improve upon
the good points of other websites.
In closing, here are several websites that offer good general advice
on creating websites:
? Killersites.com
? Websitegear.com
? Webmasteryellowpages.com
And once you have your website up and running, you?ll want to consider
how to get people to come to it. The above sites offer some tips, as
do:
? Great Website Design Tips: http://www.unplug.com/great/tips/tip69.htm
? Promoting A Web Based Business, Google Answers:
http://www.answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=109051
? Announce & Promote Your Website, Tips-Tricks,
http://www.tips-tricks.com/announce.asp
Good luck!
Kriswrite
KEYWORDS USED:
"how to" HTML
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%22how+to%22+HTML&btnG=Google+Search
designing website
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=designing+website
"how to" promote website
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%22how+to%22+promote+website&btnG=Google+Search |
