A few months ago I decided to start my own website. Being completely new to the scene I had no idea where to start. I knew that I have a deep passion for crafting and for buying handmade, so that was going to be the topic of my site.
Choosing a Website Topic
So the first thing to do when starting to build a website is to decide the topic. You can choose something that you are interested in or something that you think will generate page views, whichever you are going for.
Choosing a Website Type
After I knew what my topic was going to be, the next thing that I had to do was choose a website type. After a little research I found that there are several different types of websites to choose from. They include Commercial Website, Personal Website, Organizational Website, Educational Website, Entertainment website, Blog, News Website. Learn more about these types of websites and their subcategories by visiting this Rocketface.com page.
After some deliberation I decided that I should design a Blog type Website. After a little more research I found an awesome blogging tool called WordPress.
Finding a Host and Buying a Domain
After finding out about wordpress and viewing some of their tutorials I learned that I would need a domain name and a hosting service. I shopped around and read a few reviews and decided that GoDaddy.com would be the best place to buy my domain and that HostGator.com would be the best host to use. I purchased my domain first and then after purchasing a hosting service I had to point the domain to the host address which isn’t very hard. Find out how here.
Installing WordPress
Lucky for me HostGator offers a Quick Install method for WordPress. Which is instant. If your host does not offer quick install you can find a 5-minute installation guide here. Once you are logged into WordPress you will find that it is very simple to customize and to use.
Creating Content
After getting your blog up and running it is time to add some content. Start writing your articles! Post as many articles as you have prepared. Remember to set up clear categories and to tag your posts so that readers can navigate easily. If you are new to writing on the internet you may want to find some writing guides to study so that you can optimize your appearance in search engines.
Some Important Things to Remember
Keep your readers engaged. By constantly updating your website you will keep your visitors interested in your site.
Keep costs to a minimum. In my experience in web designing I have learned to keep my operating costs at the lowest point possible. This is hard to do with some hosting services offering unsolicited “add-ons” make sure that you are only paying for the things you need. Use social Media Websites to gain website visitors. Engaging with people of the same interests will allow you to reach out to people who do not know about the interesting articles that you have posted. Twitter is one of the internet’s best marketing tools! Work Hard and Stay Determined. This is the most important rule when first starting a website. It isn’t going to be successful unless you stay dedicated and determined. Put the time into it that it needs. Stay on top of trends and read your webstats.