How to Create a Website

Lesson #7

If you want to get started online but you're being held back because you don't know how to create a website, here are the 3 basic steps to follow: 

•   Choosing a domain name 
•   Finding a Web Host  
•   Designing and Building your site

We've previously discussed in this course how to choose a domain name and find a web host, now your ready to find out how to create a website.

Creating Your Website

Before actually creating your website start by familiarizing yourself with the basics of html. This is not mandatory but it's a good idea to have a few basics under your belt in case you want to make custom site adjustments. Html is very easy to learn and it will come in very handy later on.

Next, you should have a basic idea of what a good website design is and be familiar with search engine optimization techniques as well as web page optimization strategies.

Before getting started think about how you want your site to look and what it will include. For example consider things like colors, headers, graphics, etc. Next, make an outline of topics and sub-topics that you will include on your site. This will ultimately determine what your navigation will contain.

Most websites follow clean organization and design and layout.  Here's what the typical web page layout includes (this is taken from the layout instruction from XsitePro.

Header - This is located at the very top of the page. Often it will include a logo or header graphic that includes the web site name.
 
Info-Bar - This is a horizontal section of the page where you can insert navigation, banner graphics, adsense or other elements. It sits directly below the Header.

Left Panel - Under the Header and to the left of the Main copy Panel. This is where the links to all of the important pages on a web site, as well as mailing-list sign-up forms, advertisements, etc.
 
Main Panel Header - Immediately above the Main Panel is the Main Panel Header. This panel only spans the width of the main panel itself (unlike the main Header Panel, which stretches across the whole page, not just the Main Panel). Suitable uses for the Main Panel Header might include navigational elements, graphics, advertising or textual elements - all of which will appear in this same position on every page, just above your Main Panel content.
 
Main Panel - This is where the body copy for your web site will appear. This is of course one of the most important elements of your page - the informational element - and not something that can be pre-written for you. You need to spend time on your Main Panel content, creating genuine, quality content (or sourcing ready-written content of comparable quality). The 'Pages' you create within your site are what populate the Main Panel.
   
Right Panel - This is the space between the Main Panel and the page margins. People often include testimonials or banner advertisements in this section.
 
Page Footer - This is the section that appears immediately below the left and right columns and the main body of the page. It often includes copyright message, Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions pages, etc.

Web Page Content

If you're not sure what topics and categories to include use a keyword tool to help you.  If your niche is skateboarding for example, typing the word 'skateboarding' into your keyword research tool will display plenty of topics that you may want to include on your site.   Here's what I turned up:

skateboarding games 
skateboarding trick tips
skateboarding videos 
skateboarding tips for beginners 
skateboarding stickers 
skateboarding clothing 
skateboarding posters 
skateboarding shoes 
skateboarding clothes 

Once you have the basics outlined you can begin to think about what website creation tool you will want to use. Using easy website builders keeps you from having to code your site in HTML, which not too many people do anymore. There are far too many advanced tools to do it for you.

You may also want to consider learning how to create a blog. Blogging software is free and they are a popular platform for all kinds of websites, personal and business.

Learning how to create a website isn't hard, it's just a matter of finding a niche that suits you, getting a domain name, finding a reliable host and finding a site builder that includes features and tools that make building your site as easy as possible.

Continue with Lesson #8: Promote Your Website

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