How to Create a Website

 

If you're like most people, the thought of creating an online presence is daunting. If you have never built one before, it can be even more intimidating. But don't worry -- we've got all the answers! In this article, I will walk you through every step in building a professional-looking website that you'll love using.

Step One - Sign Up For A Free Website Builder  -- The best way to start off on the right foot is by signing up with a reputable platform such as Wix.com or Weebly.com. You usually only pay around $10 per month (or less) after they take care of setup fees. This makes them great options because they offer unlimited pages, images, videos, etc., but there are also some drawbacks. They do not allow you to upload files larger than 2MB, so if you plan on adding media such as photos or music then this could pose problems down the road. Also, their customer support tends to be limited at times. It's always good to shop around and see which services work well for you.

Step Two - Pick What Kind Of Site You Want To Build -- There are many different kinds of websites out there. Here are just a few common ones you might choose from:

Blog -- These sites typically provide blogging functionality along with other tools such as ecommerce capabilities. Blogging is a great option for those who enjoy writing or need a place to track their thoughts over time. WordPress is probably the biggest name when talking about blog software.

Portfolio -- Portfolios consist of nothing but pictures and video clips organized into galleries. Most often these types of sites are used to showcase products or services.

Ebook Store -- An ebook store allows customers to purchase digital books without ever leaving your own domain. Typically you would use something like PayPal's shopping cart system to handle payments.

Forums & Discussion Boards -- Forums are meant to host discussions between visitors while discussion boards are intended to host messages posted publicly from anyone. Both allow users to post comments back and forth.

Social Networking Sites -- Social networking sites are places where people share information via text posts, links, photos, status updates, and more. Popular social networks include Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Reddit, Google+, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Vine, Yahoo Answers, Digg, StumbleUpon, FourSquare, Yelp, MeetUp, Classmates, Match.com, Flickr, Ask.fm, Foursquare, and much more. Many people use multiple platforms simultaneously.

Online Magazine/Journal -- Online magazines and journals contain articles written by authors, photographs, scanned documents, audio recordings, and video content. Users may subscribe to receive new issues automatically or manually.

YouTube Channel -- YouTube channels feature short vlogs called "videos" uploaded directly onto the channel itself. Some people prefer to keep their personal brand separate from the rest of their internet identity. Others find it easier to build relationships with others within their niche market. Either way works fine.

Membership Community -- Membership communities focus on offering paid memberships to subscribers. Examples include membership forums, blogs, private groups, clubs, events, newsletters, and more. Members get access to special benefits, discounts, and exclusive deals.

eCommerce Platform -- An ecommerce platform offers merchants a simple interface to set up an online storefront. Merchants can sell anything including physical items, downloadable products, subscriptions, advertising space, etc.

Once you decide how you'd like to proceed, make sure you pick a service that has everything you need already built in, otherwise you'll end up spending hours trying to figure things out yourself.

Step Three -- Customize Your Template Or Start From Scratch -- Once you've chosen a service, it's time to customize your page appearance. With certain providers such as Squarespace, Wix, GoDaddy, Shopify, Big Cartel, and Weebly, you can select a pre-built theme based upon your choice of category. However, if you wish to start fresh, each provider has its own unique layout tool. For example, here's what my first custom web page looked like on Squarespace:

And here's what my second look was like on Wix:

As you can tell, themes vary widely depending on the service, but both allowed me to drag and drop elements into place. While customization isn't necessary, having control over your page does give you peace of mind knowing exactly what you're getting. On top of that, being able to edit HTML code gives you complete freedom over your webpage's overall appearance. Just remember, however, that the final product won't necessarily match what you get straight from the source due to differences in browsers, screen resolution, font sizes, image quality, browser compatibility, etc.

Step Four -- Add Content And Make Changes -- Now that your background looks nice, add some content! As mentioned above, since you aren't restricted by file size limits, feel free to add multimedia such as photos, videos, maps, embedded code, charts, logos, sound effects, and graphics. Don't forget to check spelling and grammar too. Always double check your page for mistakes beforehand. Sometimes adding hyperlinks to external sources helps drive traffic back to your main site. Try placing callouts on your homepage directing readers towards deeper sections of your site.

Also, consider whether or not you should put captions under each section heading. People tend to read headlines first and skim until they either find what they're looking for or lose interest altogether. By putting descriptions below those headings, you help guide them further.

Step Five -- Tweak Page Elements -- After laying everything out, now comes the fun part -- tweaking and changing colors, fonts, icons, backgrounds, banners, menus, widgets, and more. Adjust margins and spacing accordingly to fit whatever dimensions your device uses. When choosing color schemes try matching colors to your company logo, branding, or target audience. Use contrasting colors to draw attention or complement existing content. Take note of any changes you want to make ahead of time so you know what colors to expect. Also, be careful not to change everything at once; scale back gradually so you don't overwhelm yourself.

Finally, think outside the box. Experiment with different layouts, designs, and styles. No two pages are alike so play around with various templates until you find one that really speaks to you.

Step Six -- Publish Your Pages -- Finally, publish your website onto whichever server you chose. Depending upon your hosting package, you may want to wait 24-48 hours just to ensure stability. Then sit back and watch your beautiful creation come to life!

Congratulations! That wasn't hard, was it? Building a website doesn't have to be difficult or expensive. All you need is basic computer skills and creativity. Best of luck getting started!