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Step 1
1. Register a domain name(web address)
What is a Domain Name?
It is your identification on the world wide web. A domain name is like buying real estate with a physical address. The only difference is that the address is virtual property. A domain name is actually an ip address e.g. 127.12.0.9 which consist of numbers and dots.
A domain name is much easier to remember than an ip address.
The domain name industry is regulated by ICANN which is responsible for the global coordination of the interent system of unique identifiers.
Now you have a couple of choices:
Register your own Domain Name e.g. www.seono1.co.za
Get a free or paid sub domain on somebody else's domain www.seono1.co.za/yoursitename
It would be better to register your own domain name, because there are benefits of having your own domain name. -
Step 2
2. Choose a web hosting company (web space)
What is web hosting?
If you want to have a website online, then you will need a web hosting company or a server of your own, to host your website. The internet or (www - world wide web) is basically a network of computers that are connected to each other, via web servers.
Website Hosting Tips - Factors To Consider When Choosing A Website Hosting Company
If you use the services of a web hosting company then you will upload all of your files to their web server (shared hosting or dedicted). An ISP (Internet Service Provider) ensure a constant, fast connection to the internet.
If you choose to host your site yourself, then you will need dedicated (24 hour) internet access for your web server. All your HTML pages, images etc. will be uploaded and hosted on a your own web server.
Web hosting choices:
Pay for your website hosting
Free website hosting
I would recommend that you pay for your website hosting, because there are benefits by doing it this way. Website hosting is so cheap nowadays, that you don't need free hosting. -
Step 3
3. Create your website (design and structure)
Website design tips
So you have decided to build your own website. Great!
Before your start with your website you will need to have a idea or mental picture of what you want to do. You also need to plan what you are going to do. Read more about conceptualization and website planning here. After you have decided what you want to do (website topic, target audience, goals etc.) then you will create your website.
What will you need to design your Website?
A PC (personal computer) with internet connection
A domain name
Website hosting
Website authoring software
Graphic design software
FTP software
..........
Quality unique content is king!
It is a good idea to write for your your audience so that they can recommend your site to their friends. Always try to write quality and unique content. Search engines and your website visitors, will love your site.
Web browser compatibility
Your website should look consistent no matter what type of web browser you use. At present the two most popular web browsers are, Microsoft (IE) internet explore and Mozilla firefox.
When you design your site it always a good idea to view your web pages in various browsers and also different screen resolutions.
W3C Consortium and html and css validator service
When you do web design then it is a good to make according to the W3C consortium standard and validate your web pages for errors. This will ensure that your web pages are compatible with different types of web browsers. You can read more here www.w3c.org
Choosing a web site layout type structure
1. Table layout
You will create your whole website layout with tables. You will have a navigation, header, body and footer cells in the table.
2. Tableless - CSS (Cascading Style Sheet)
You can have a css file that can have the formatting settings of your website layout, fonts, colors, images etc. If you make a change in the css file then it will make the changes on all the pages in the.
Navigation structure
Good clear navigation is important in your web design. Make sure you've got links back to your homepage. If you use images for your navigation then ensure that you have text links at the bottom of all your web pages.
Color scheme
Visual appearance of your site plays a role in keepng your visitor(s) engaged. Let your colors blend in with each other. -
Step 4
4. Upload / ftp files to hosting server
What is FTP?
File Transfer Protocol, better known as FTP, is a procedure used to upload and download files to and from your web server.
Most popular HTML editors e.g. MS FrontPage and Dreamweaver will allow you to edit your WebPages and upload it to your web server. It is always good to have a quality FTP installed on your pc. It will allow you to have complete control over the files on your server.
Some website hosting companies have FTP software installed on their server e.g. cPanel etc.
An FTP program will allow you to upload scripts, set file permissions, create folders and transfer files to and from your server.
In order to use FTP, you'll need to download and install a FTP software program on your computer. The most widely used FTP programs are WS FTP Pro and CuteFTP.
There are many other type of FTP software available. -
Step 5
5. Promote your website - build website traffic
Ways to promote your website
Write free quality articles that can be published by other webmasters on their websites.
You will have your Name and website address at the bottom of the article.
Join discussion boards and share your expertise. You can promote your website from here.
Get your articles in to E-zine Advertising or Ad swapping.
Exchange links with other webmasters. Preferably a similar topic website.
Write an e-book and distribute it for free
Promote your website offline
Word of mouth is still a good way to promote your site.
Participate in Forums
Get yourself a blog and write articles regularly
I just mentioned a couple of ways to promote your website, but there are many more.
Programs that you can use to promote your website
Google Adwords
Google Adwords is a program where you can buy adspace on other website owners websites. Adwords has a bidding tool where you get placement in Google search engine serps. -
Step 6
6. Monetize your website (make money)
Why make money with your website?
It is a good idea to monetize your website because it can help you pay the bills (hosting, domain name, marketing) etc. If you make enough money then you can actually get some extra pocket money for yourself. A lot of people become so successful with making money online, that they leave their fulltime jobs and make a living from the internet.
How can you make money with a website?
There are many different ways of making money online. I will just mention a couple of the popular ways of making money online.
