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Are you thinking of creating a website but don't know how to do it? This article will guide you start the correct way.

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Steps

  1. Start Making a Website Step 2.jpg
    1
    Plan Your Website. You should begin by thinking of the purpose of the website, and how it will fulfill this purpose. This will help you decide who your target audience is.
    • Plan your website’s structure. Think about the webpages you’d like to have on your website, and how will you inter-link them.
    • Divide your work. Dividing the work will help you ease your work. If you are planning to build the website by yourself and maintain it when it's done then be prepared to invest a major amount of time in it.
    • Put all of the information above into a document that you can print out. This document is called a brief.
    • Collect the content for your website. This includes the text (called 'copy') and the media, such as photos, videos, etc; as well as any other info and elements.
  2. Start Making a Website Step 3.jpg
    2
    Choose a Website-Building Tool or Software. This is the most crucial decision you will take in the entire website making process, choose wisely and use the one which suits you best.
    • There are an uncountable number of ways to make a website, ranging from fast and easy, to long and complicated; and from free to expensive. You may choose one of these four completely different approaches for making websites:
    • All-in-1 Website Makers: These are the easiest and often the fastest way to make a website. They help you design and build a website, and host it for you. Although they have free packages (sometimes with ads), upgrading for more features will (in most cases) be a monthly cost. This option is best if you’re completely new to making websites. Some of the most popular ones are: Yola, Wix, Weebly, Tank, Webs, and SquareSpace.
    • Visual website-making software: These are software applications you can buy or download that help you design and build websites – as many as you want. You’ll still need to sort out hosting for the websites. These range from beginner applications to professional software suites. Some of the most popular ones are: Adobe Dreamweaver, Microsoft Expression Web, WebEasy Professional, KompoZer, Serif WebPlus, Xara Web Designer, Web Studio, RapidWeaver, Amaya, and Contribute. Note that some of these are Windows-only or Mac-only, some are simple while some are powerful, and some are expensive while some are free.
    • Content Management Systems (CMSs): These are powerful packages of software that provide you with the ability to design a website, add content to it, and maintain and optimise it in any way you need. Although some CMSs are simple and easy to use (even for beginners), some are more complex, and are powerful enough to make almost any kind of website imaginable. The most popular of these are Drupal, Joomla, and Wordpress.
    • Custom developed websites: Making this kind of website requires you to learn and write code in several programming languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP (there are many others too). This approach gives you complete control over every aspect of your website, and provides a great sense of achievement when complete! Using this approach will also require you to design the webpages yourself, and find a suitable web host.
  3. Start Making a Website Step 4.jpg
    3
    Find a Useful Course, Tutorial or Book to Guide You.
    • You’ll need to find a course, a tutorial or a book that can teach you how to make a website using your preferred ‘tool’ from start to finish.
    • You can find any of these online, however it may be easier to read something very long (many pages) if it’s printed; as a book. Keep in mind that online resources are often shorter, more detailed and cover a specific aspect of the process, meaning that you’ll probably need to read more of them to make a website from start to finish.
    • You’ll need to find one that balances these features:
      • Is written well and presented clearly, so that it’s easy to read and understand
      • Has enough detail to help you through even the most difficult parts of making a website
      • They may not be unnecessarily long because you may lose your interest half way through reading.

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Tips

  • Write / type all the content down. All the words and phrases and paragraphs of information that you want to put into web pages on your website should be written into a word processor (such as MS Office Word) first. This is helpful because:
    • 1. This will provide you with a saved backup in case you lose the content on your website
    • 2. This will help you identify spelling errors, grammar mistakes and other similar problems
    • 3. Word processors are distraction-free: they let you focus on the content
  • Read what’s on your screen. Most modern software is made to be as easy-to-use and intuitive as possible, and provide most of the information you need to know to use the software within the user interface. In simpler terms, the software tells you want you need to know to use it. When something goes wrong, read the error and warning notifications so that you know what might be the cause of problems you may have.
  • When you don’t know what to do, use Google (or another search engine). Almost every question you could possibly have about building websites has been answered on the internet. Think carefully about exactly what you need to know, and write the question into a search engine. Also, be as specific as possible by including relevant information like the software you’re using (and its version). Using Google (or another search engine) is usually more helpful than asking a person because:
    • 1. They provide you with the most relevant results / answers
    • 2. They can provide you with the most up-to-date information
    • 3. You will get answers / results immediately

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Sources and Citations

Article Info

Categories: Stub | Creating and Enhancing a Website | In progress articles removed from NAB

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