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Design and Build Your Website
- 1Choose a theme. If you already have a fairly good idea about what your website will focus on, skip this step. If not, here are some things to help you figure that out. First, understand that there are billions of people on the Internet, and a healthy percentage have websites. If you limit yourself to something that hasn't been done, you'll never get started.
- The best advice from the start would be, "Do what interests you." Take a topic you're familiar with, and focus on it. Your website will reflect all the care you put into it.
- When you think, "Internet," what is the first thing that comes to your mind? E-commerce? Music? News? Socializing? Blogging? Those are all good places to start. You could create a website that's dedicated to your favorite band, and have a chat area where people can talk about it. If you're a news junkie, or want something less filtered than traditional media, build a website and get publicly available feeds from news providers such as Reuters, BBC, AP, and others. Build your own customized news aggregator (what used to go by the quaint name of "newspaper"), then see and show all the news that's fit to digitize.
- Create a site about your family, life, friends and times. Granted, the world may not beat a path to your website with that topic, but your friends and family will! You can have a page for you, your spouse, your kids—even crazy old Uncle Ernie and his trained iguana. Or maybe a section that explores your family tree. Instead of sending out that yearly "family update" during the holidays, you can post it on your site.
- 2Make a plan. Building your website is going to take a commitment of time and money, so set a limit on both, and then dig in. The first thing you want to do after you have your idea and are ready to build a website is to plan it out. This doesn't have to be a big, complicated spreadsheet, or a fancy graphic presentation, but at the very least, you will want to know what goes where.
- Draw a flow chart. For most people, the website starts on the home page. This is the page that everybody sees when they first go to www.yourSite.com. But where do they go from there? If you spend some time thinking about how people might interact with your site, you'll have a much easier time down the line when you are making navigation buttons and links.
- Draw a flow chart. For most people, the website starts on the home page. This is the page that everybody sees when they first go to www.yourSite.com. But where do they go from there? If you spend some time thinking about how people might interact with your site, you'll have a much easier time down the line when you are making navigation buttons and links.
- 3Make it happen. When you have the basic idea down and have a plan for how it will be laid out, the next thing you'll want to think about is how you're going to build it. The options seem mind-boggling, and people will try to sell you this, and that, and every other thing that you "absolutely must have" on your site. When you get right down to it, though, there are only a few basic choices to make. Here are the pros and cons:
- Build it yourself. If you have a website-building application like Adobe Dreamweaver, it is not very difficult to create a website from scratch.
- Pros: website design software simplifies the process of building sites by letting you drag-and-drop images, text, buttons, movies, and anything else you can think of, all without ever having to dig into HTML. Many web design applications will even let you create sites specifically for your smart phone or pad. If you are building a basic, personal website, this is really a great way to go.
- Cons: there is a learning curve, and though you don't have to dig into HTML, it's not totally geek-free. If you are in a hurry, this might not be the best solution. Perhaps the biggest con, though, is that if you are not a graphic designer, you could end up with a page that hurts the eyes. To mollify this somewhat, there are a number of free templates in the applications, and on the internet, but be aware of your limitations—if you have any!
- Use a hosting site. Wordpress is a great option for building websites. Wordpress features almost 200 themes that you can start using immediately. There are some options for customization, and you can manage your site from anywhere that has an Internet connection.
- Pros: Very easy to use, quick to get started, and lots of options for the beginner (with enough depth for more experienced users).
- Cons: Some themes are limiting, and not all are free.
- Learn HTML and build a website from scratch. HTML looks complicated, but it's like listening to Shakespeare—it's hard at first, but once you get the feel of it, it's not that difficult.
- Pros: You will be able to tweak your website any way you want, and not have to pay anybody else to do it.
- Cons: Programming is not for everybody. Your brain may be wired for art, or business, not for a new language and syntax that seems totally foreign (but be aware that it's consistently methodical rather than difficult). There is also a learning curve, so as with using a site building application, time considerations play a factor here, too.
- Extend your knowledge base. If you decide to go the programming route, there are ways to extend your HTML skills, and add more features and more depth to your website. If you are developing a professional website, these tools will help you get that edge that is needed in any business venture.
- CSS, which stands for "Cascading Style Sheets". CSS gives more flexibility for styling the HTML, and makes it much easier to make basic changes—fonts, headers, color schemes—in one place, and have those changes ripple through the site.
- XHTML is a web language set by W3C's standards. Almost identical to HTML, it follows a stricter set of rules for marking up information. What this means, for the most part, is minor changes to the way you write code.
- Look into HTML5. It's the fifth revision of the core HTML standard, and will eventually subsume the current version of HTML (HTML4), and XHTML as well.
- Learn a client-side scripting language, such as JavaScript. This will increase your ability to add interactive elements to your site, such as charts, maps, etc.
- Learn a server-side scripting language. (PHP, ASP with JavaScript or VB Script or Python) can be used to change the way web pages appear to different people, and lets you edit or create forums. They can also help store information about people who visit your site, like their username, settings, and even temporary "shopping carts" for commercial sites.
- AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) is a technique of using a browser sided language and a server sided language to make the page get new information from the server without refreshing the page, often greatly reducing user wait time and vastly improving the user's experience but increasing bandwidth usage. For a website that will see a lot of traffic, or an eCommerce site, this is an excellent solution.
- Hire a professional. If you are not up to designing, or learning languages and protocols—especially for more advanced sites—hiring a professional may be your best option. Before you hire, ask to see a portfolio of their work, and check their references carefully.
- Build it yourself. If you have a website-building application like Adobe Dreamweaver, it is not very difficult to create a website from scratch.
- 4Register your domain name. If you’re on a budget, there are strategies for buying a cheap domain name. Find a domain name that is easy to remember and easy spell. If you use domains ending with .com, you will end up with more traffic, but most of the easy ones are taken, so be creative!
- Look to Network Solutions, GoDaddy, or Register.com to research and find the ideal domain name for your website. Wordpress also includes a feature whereby you can use a name that's tagged with their site, for example, mywebsite.wordpress.com. But if the name you choose is also available as a .com, they will notify you when you sign up.
- You can purchase domain names but it has been "parked" or is for sale online through business sales sites. It's a good idea to get legal and financial advice before purchasing an expensive domain name.
- 5Inspect your website. Before you post your site, check it out. Most web design software has a way to test your site without taking it online. Look for missing tags, broken links, search engine optimization, and website design flaws. These are all factors which may affect your website's traffic and revenues. You may also generate a free full-functioning site map to submit to search engines like Google, in a matter of minutes.
Test Driving Your Website and Going Live
- 1Test drive your website. When you finish your website, do usability testing. You can do this by asking a few friends or family members to try it out. Give them a specific task like "edit your profile" or "buy an alpaca sweater from the bargains page." Sit behind them and watch them navigate—do not help them. You will likely find areas where you need to improve navigation or clarify some instructions.
- Keep a list of things you notice that seem difficult or non-intuitive for the user.
- 2Post it! Choose a web host and upload your website. Your web host may have an FTP feature, or you can download your own FTP program like FileZilla or CyberDuck. If you hired a professional to design the website, they should be able to take care of this for you (but it still pays to ask questions so that you understand what is happening).
- Note that there are ways to host your own website for free.
Website Considerations
- 1Define your goals. The website you create may be for fun, it may be for profit, or some combination of the two. Knowing your expectations makes it much easier both to design your website, and to track and make sense of the results. Here are some things to consider:
- Content sites require less investment. But they also face more competition, since anyone can start a content site. To make money from this kind of site, you provide information and generate income from the traffic you receive through advertising, such as through Google AdSense. In order to optimize AdSense, you will have to write your content purposefully and make it interesting so that people come to your site. Use specific keywords directed at people searching for specific terms too; just don't get carried away with this aspect or the content may suffer and readers won't like it.
- eCommerce sites, which sell products, will need more maintenance and attention. You will need to think about shipping, sales, taxes, SSL, inventory updates, and everything that a person with a brick-and-mortar storefront would have to manage. A system for prompt answering of questions and dealing with complaints is essential when selling products online; many companies also offer phone help, which you can outsource offshore if need be.
- If the goal is just to add a stream of income, you can also sell other people's products through affiliate programs, letting you earn money without investing in product or worrying about shipping.
- 2Know the audience or market you want to reach. Which kinds of people will your website serve? Conduct market research to figure out more about your audience. Things to know or find out include: What do they do? How old are they? What are their other interests? All of this information can help make your website much more useful. However, be careful of assuming that your site is only targeting one group––always watch for trends that show other types of people becoming interested, so that you can cater for their interests too and make the most of new opportunities.
- 3Narrow down your concept. If you're doing this for money, which ideas stand to make the most profit? Which ideas require the most commitment? Which ideas look like they'd be fun to pursue? You will be spending time working on your website, so choose the idea you are most passionate about (that is also profitable and practical for you).
- 4Do keyword research. This is necessary to determine whether people are searching for topics that are relevant to your site and can be useful for learning more about your potential clients. Making a conscious effort to incorporate in-demand keywords into the site can also help you get a better search engine ranking. There are tools available from Google (ex. google.com/trends/ and google.com/insights/search/#), Overture, and third-party software developers that can make the keyword research process easier.
- Sprinkle the keywords you've chosen throughout your text, but not insofar as it hurts the quality of your content.
- Creating pages that are optimized for the search engines will help you get your site found which is really more important than design. What good is a site that no one sees?
- 5Advertise. Now that it's out there, you want people to come, so let them know!
- Submit your site to major search engines. There are sites that will do this for you, or you can do it yourself.
- Tell your friends. Tweet about it—constantly! Add it to your Facebook status updates, post pictures of it on Flickr, add it to your LinkedIn account—anywhere and everywhere is the key here. The more people coming to your site, the better.
- Use an e-mail address with your domain. Visit other websites that complement (not compete with) yours, and offer to exchange links or guest blog/write. Post constructively on blogs and forums, and put your URL in your signature.
- Use article marketing. Creating SEO-optimized articles and posting them to other sites is a sometimes a useful way to create back-links to your website. This might help you to boost your website’s search engine ranking but always keep abreast of search engine updates that often impact SEO strategies and can render them less helpful or even downgrade your site's ranking.
- 6Provide quality content and service. Most of all, listen to your readers and customers and learn from what their experience of your website.
- Take constructive comments seriously. Other band members, fans, and friends may all have easier navigation ideas.
- Think about your target market or audience: their needs, their frustrations, their circumstances. As much as possible, seek to make their lives easier or more informed.
Tips
- Find popular websites, even if they do not have much to do with yours, and use them as models. What are they doing right? What is interesting about their layout, their content, the way you maneuver through the website? Incorporate relevant aspects of what you learn from viewing these sites into your own website, tailoring it to fit your requirements.
- People are often in a hurry. On average, you have about 3-7 seconds to capture people's eyeballs, so be smart about what people see first when they get to your page. To minimize your load time, don't overload with huge graphics. Compress them where possible. Use flashy technology JavaScript, Flash, Streaming Audio/Video, etc., sparingly and only if it is important to your presentation.
- Begin with simple things, practice them, and then find ways to improve – even if what you create is not very impressive the first few times time. Do not attempt to rush through the process.
- If you're selling a product that users will find through a search engine, make sure that product is the first thing they see when they get to your page. The more you make your visitor click, the more likely your visitor will visit someplace else.
- If you hire a professional to code a complicated site, remember that programmers are not necessarily graphic designers. The most eye-catching sites out there have been made by or with the input of someone involved in graphic design. The best advice, especially for a professional site, is to use the right team for the job: designers design the look and feel of the site; programmers do all the stuff under the hood to make it work; marketers position the site and make sure it's relevant; and writers write the copy.
- If you intend to sell a product on your website, you will need to be able to accept secure credit card payments. You can apply for a merchant account, which charges a per-transaction fee, or use a free payment service like PayPal. Always read the fine print carefully. Be aware that many credit facilities require you to give guarantees for lost or damaged shipped items (look into insurance as well).
Warnings
- Be careful not to obsess too much about all the "latest advice" on marketing websites. While some of the advice is useful and sound, a lot of it is not. Marketing is not a science––it's an ongoing, ever-changing experiment. You are the best judge for how your own promotional strategies are working (or not). Listening to users and learning from their experience is the most valid approach of all.
- Remember, never delete the details (username, password, etc.) of your account. If you do not have the details when you forget them, you will not be able to work on your website again. More importantly, never give out your details (except for your website address).
- If you use content from another website, be it a picture, a JavaScript, or whatever, get permission and give them credit for it. If you do not, they might sue you.
- Never violate your visitors' trust. Respect their privacy. Spam, annoying pop-ups, and irrelevant ads will hurt your credibility. A clear privacy statement is one way to build your credibility. Provide a prominent link to your privacy statement from every page on the site as well as from any location that you are asking your visitors for personal information. Provide legitimate contact information online. If you need to use ads on your website, explain to your visitors why, and show them that you're doing your best to accommodate their visit. And mean it!
If you want to 
Making Your Site Mobile Friendly
Need more info? Maybe there are a few questions that you still need answered about website creation and design.
As mentioned in my article on 
This has the potential of putting your advertisement near the top of the search engine results page, and possibly even on other websites. 