With the increasing proliferation of the internet and the sheer amount of tools out there, creating your own site is now easier than ever and provided you have the necessary resources to put into creating an attractive, well function website that keeps people coming back time after time.
So what resources do you need exactly?
Time
If you don’t have time to work on a site, which is by all accounts very time consuming, at least initially, you are wasting your time. All the best sites are updated regularly – think hourly rather than daily.
Money
Creating a site is relatively in expensive. Your biggest costs will be hosting, which is typically only a couple of pounds per month. You may also want to spend money at a later date on the look of your site (themes, etc)
Dedication
You have to be passionate about your site, if you create a site on knitting, having little or vested interest in the subject, it’ll never take off because you won’t feel compelled to work on it.
Do you have these three attributes in spades? Good. Here’s how to create your site:
1. Choose a Domain Name
First, you need to pick a domain name, this will be the URL for your site, you can do so here on 123Reg. Pick something that’s going to be timeless – i.e. won’t go out of date in six months. If you are looking for targeted traffic, ensure you pick a country specific address, so if you are in the UK and want to attract local business, pick a ‘co.uk’ address.
2. Get Hosted
After you find a domain name, you need to get your site hosted. This is very reasonable, with most coming it at a few pounds month. Some hosts such as SuperGreen Hosting offer a full package including a domain name thrown in for good measure.
3. Choose a Platform
There are many web-creation platforms out there, popular ones at the moment include WordPress, Joomla and Tumblr. Once you have your domain name hosted you will need to install the software on your system. Some hosts even have an auto-install feature, making your life even easier.
4. Create Some Content
Once your site, you will need to get some content published. Good content is the basis for any successful site, many people are initially more concerned with the look of their site, but getting some content laid down should be your primary concern.
Joe is a blogger who created his own Car Rental site using these great tips!