How to Build a Website

There are many reasons for wanting to know how to build a website, from personal or hobby pages, to affiliate marketing sites, right through to full blown business websites. Unless you are competent at html or website code, and can use a text editor to build a website, you'll need to find some website design software. You will also need to make a decision on website hosting, and domain names.

Your Options Are:

Use a free website builder / Buy website building software
Use 3rd party hosting / Buy a domain name and host the site yourself.

I guess if you are asking how to create a website, then you are a relative newbie, so here's my tips for going live on the web:

Head on over to www.blogger.com - You will need a Google account, if you already have one, sign in and follow the simple tutorial to build your website (actually it's a blog - but a blog is just a type of website), if you don't already have a Google account, you'll need to create one first. Either way, you should be ready to create your first website in a matter of minutes. Write a post, publish it, and congratulations, you now know how to create a website - totally free.

Remember to make a note of the url of your site, then go back and check your site, and if you see errors, you can quickly edit them, then re-publish. Similarly, you can build a Wordpress blog for free, but it's a little more difficult to set up, you'll find the instructions at www.wordpress.org

So if you can make your own website for free, and get free hosting into the bargain, why does anyone bother to buy a domain name, buy website building software, and purchase hosting, before creating their own website?

The answer really depends on how serious you are about your website, and that means, how serious you are about other people, apart from your friends and family, seeing your work. If your site is in any way commercial, and you intend to make money from it, you need to pay close attention right now ...

The reasons are these: The website building software that you can use blogger is limited in its capability; it's going to look like a blogger blog no matter what you do. Wordpress on the other hand can be customised however you want, but it's technically difficult to do so.

On the other hand, you'll find that you have plenty of choice when it comes to buying website building software. All you have to do is select the one that performs the functions you want, and learn to use it.

Naturally, you will want people to find your websites on the search engines, this means that they have to rank higher than other competing websites, and these days, there are a lot of competing sites. Increasing your ranking means promoting your site, and that takes time, and/or money. How would you feel, if after years of effort, blogger, wordpress, or your free hosing account provider, decided to delete your site, or sell to a rival, or suddenly display their adverts on your site? It happens, and even if it doesn't, you'll always be worried that it could. Imagine that your site had become successful, and was earning you $100 a day. How would you feel if it disappeared, even for a week? That's why people buy their own hosting, and as it can cost as little as $5 a month, it's really a no brainer.

Whichever route you choose, my last piece of advice is publish, then edit. Don't try to get your site perfect, good enough will do. You can always improve, and add to your site later.