Building Your Own Website Vs Letting Someone Else Do It
It's never been easier to create your own website, but that still doesn't mean everybody can do it. A lot of people have neither the time nor the inclination to go from being a computer illiterate to an Internet expert; they just want an idiot-proof way to manage a website and let somebody else handle all the tech work. On the other hand, if you have the right tools, you don't have to know the first thing about web programming languages to create a website--although it will certainly help.
Other People Are Reading
-
Setup Requirements
-
To build a website, the two things you absolutely need are a domain name and a web host. The domain name--ehow.com, for example--is how people get to your site. The web host stores all your website's files and databases on a server, which is simply a computer that "serves" your site to the Internet. Even if you do hire a web designer to construct your site for you, you'll often need to set up these two things on your own. Reputable sites that will walk you through the process include GoDaddy and BlueHost.
Doing All the Work Yourself
-
With a domain name and a hosting plan, you'll have a website, but it will be completely empty. If you're the type who needs to do absolutely everything yourself, you'll need to: decide your site's organizational scheme, design all the layouts yourself, create CSS and HTML page templates for those layouts, and use some combination of a server-side language (such as PHP) and a database system (such as MySQL) to create a dynamic framework for adding content to your site.
If you know what all that means, you're probably a professional web builder already. If not, you'll need to study up for months on a free tutorial site such as W3 Schools, and then spend another few months putting all the knowledge into action. Since most of us aren't made of time and need to work to pay the bills, this method isn't the most realistic unless you have a passion to learn. There is, luckily, an easier way of going it alone. -
Using a CMS to Do All the Work for You
-
A content management system, or CMS, is a program that you install on your web server that creates a user-friendly control panel for you to use. With the control panel (many CMSes call it a "dashboard") you can set up a layout for your site and add content to it without needing to know any code at all. CMSes have gained enormous popularity because, aside from being simple and intuitive, many of them are completely free. These include WordPress, a CMS optimized for blogging; Drupal, which is good at making social sites; and CMS Made Simple, which is great for beginners.
Installation is a similar process for all CMSes with only a few variations. First, you download it from its website and then upload all the files onto your server. Then, you log into your web hosting control panel and create a new MySQL database, which is a type of database that the CMS will use to store your site's content. Then, you simply open your site in a web browser and follow the on-screen instructions for setting it up.
CMS Themes and Layouts
-
All content management systems approach websites in slightly different ways, and thus a site built using WordPress, for example, is going to have a different system of files than a site built using CMS Made Simple. However, all of these CMSes come with a variety of pre-built "themes" or design layouts that you can choose from. Some are designed by the CMS developers themselves, while many are designed by freelance designers who enjoy working with that particular CMS. Because of the wealth of options, it's easy to find a theme for your site that looks unique and professional. Activating it is usually just a matter of clicks.
Hiring a Professional Web Designer
-
While it's fun for some people to get hands-on and design a site or install a CMS themselves, others would still rather let somebody who knows what they're doing take care of everything under the hood. This is a perfectly valid approach as there are literally thousands of reputable design companies and freelancers out there looking for work, but don't expecting to get good services for cheap: even a personal blog design these days can easily hit the $2,000 mark.
Feel free to do a little shopping. Search the web for web designers; take a look at their own sites to see how you like them. Professional designers should have a portfolio of work for you to look at. And if you're striking out, you can try posting the job on a site such as Elance or GetaFreelancer.
Contracts
-
When you've settled on a designer or a design team, make sure both parties involved agree on a written contract upfront that details exactly what they're responsible for doing and exactly how and when you'll pay him. He doesn't want to have his time wasted by a flaky client, and neither do you want to get ripped off by an unscrupulous freelancer. Make sure you have a transparent, communicative relationship with them right from the start.
-
