Build Your Own Web Site
So you've decided that you want a web site, a presence of some sort on the Internet. Indeed if you are a business a web site is more of a necessity than a desire these days, it's difficult to see how any business can survive for much longer without one. But where do you start? I believe that a good place to start is by learning something about how to design web sites but you don't have to build the site yourself if don't want to.You might already have some experience with building or maintaining web sites but, like all of us, you feel that a few more skills would come in handy for what you are about to do. Never be afraid to admit that there is something you don't know because believe me, nobody knows everything about how to design web sites, we are all learning all of the time.
You may feel at this point that it would be better for you to outsource the job of building your web site to a reputable web design company. Developing web sites is a time consuming activity and you might well have better things to do with your time. If you have a business and you are creating a web site for your company then you should be carefully considering what you are spending your time on. Your company will probably be better off if you concentrate on your core business and not become diverted into setting up a presence on the web.
How To Design Web Sites is designed for people who want to design their own web site or for those who want to become familiar with web site development techniques so that they can confidently outsource the work. If you would like to have your site built by a professional then please contact me to discuss your personal requirements.
I'm going to show you how to build and design web sites from the ground up. I shall try to keep things as simple as possible because that's the way I think it ought to be. Building web sites doesn't have to be difficult but it can become as complicated as you want it to be.
Before we get started on how to design web sites we should take a moment to look at some of the options that you have if you haven't yet decided on how or where you are going to build your web site.
You have three options at this point:
- Buy a Web Site
- Build a Web Site Online
- Build Your Own Web Site
If you aren't fussy about what it is you want then you could buy a web site. You may not need to learn anything about designing web sites yourself at all but I don't recommend this approach. You might take this option if you are simply looking for a web site that you can make money from or you simply want one to play around with without all the hard work of building it from scratch.
You can pick up simple web sites very cheaply, even for free, by searching the Internet or buying on ebay but you will have to be prepared to accept what is on offer. Occasionally you will find large, profitable web sites offered for sale at prices appropriate to their earning potential. If you are looking for a ready-made business at any price then this could be an option for you.
Be careful with this approach because you could end up with a site that is poorly written, is not profitable or has been banned by the search engines. You must also remember that you will need to find hosting for any web site that you purchase if you are going to make it available to other Internet users. Find out more about this option in the article buy a web site
Build a Web Site Online
The fastest and simplest way to get a web site up and running is to sign up for one of the many hosting packages that allow you to build a web site online without the need for any html or other web site building skills. Some of these packages are excellent and provide you with all the tools you need to create full featured pages and add them to your web site, even things like product databases and shopping carts.
The downside of this option is that the packages tend to be inflexible because you have to take what is on offer within the package that you purchase. You could also find it very difficult to move your web site to a different hosting company.
Build Your Own Web Site
The final option on our list is to build a web site yourself. Building a web site from the ground up is fun and very satisfying. You will also be creating something that is potentially far more flexible than would be possible by using the alternative options. You can feel safe in the knowledge that you will be able to move your web site to a different server and hosting company with the minimum of effort.
Building your own web site is the theme of this site and I've prepared a brief introduction to the topic in the article Build Your Own Web Site followed by an article on affordable web site hosting to help you get started quickly.
In the article Web Site Design - The Basics The design process is taken a little further by showing you how to design web sites the easy way. With the help of a free web site design template I show you how simple it can be to make your first web site.