How to Make a Website
Do you know how to make a website? Don't worry if you don't. There are many experts out there who are more than willing to build successful websites that will benefit your business or allow you to share your life with the whole world. Here's an example of a site I created for a client: Bilingual business website.
Why would you want to build a website in the first place? Like most people, you are probably looking for ways to make more money, expand your client base, share your knowledge with the world, or simply publish your own writing or promote your art. You can have a website about any subject. However, if you're in it for the money, you must take the time to carefully think about the subject or theme of your website. It's not because travel sites are successful that YOUR travel site will be successful...
To succeed, you need to find a niche that will allow you to be more competitive. For more information, feel free to download these free e-books and other resources on how to create successful websites.
How to Build a Website
There are many ways to build your website. If you have enough time and sufficient computer skills (e.g., HTML, XHTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, Flash), you should be able to create your own website without too much trouble. You still have to make sure the layout is clear and easy to navigate and will appear properly on PCs and MACs as well as on all major browsers.
For those who aren't lucky enough to have all the knowledge and/or time required to build a website, you can use the services of a professional webmaster like me to create your own website according to your specs. I can even help you pick a specific niche within your theme or adjust the focus of the site to increase your chance of being found by the search engines.
After all, if the search engines can't find your site, visitors won't find you either.
Unique Web Content
You must have unique and interesting web content if you want your visitors to stick around long enough to buy your products and/or services. Web content also affects how the search engines like Google rank your pages. You can learn more about unique web content right here.
Some Website Tips
If you are thinking about creating a website, you may want to spend a little bit of time weighing your options when it comes to the codes that you will use. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- A Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) may require a little more time at the beginning, but these sheets are used to format all of your headings (i.e., h1, h2, h3, etc.), paragraphs, background images, tables, footers, column widths, navigation bars, so that your pages maintain the same look and feel.
- You should create a CSS sheet for on-screen viewing and one for printing. You could even create a different CSS sheet for viewing on phones and Blackberries if you want. Such sheets are easy to modify and you can quickly change the format of all your pages at once.
- For static sites, you can use either XHTML or HTML. XHTML is stricter than HTML, so in a way, it helps you create a better page. If you want to create a dynamic website, you have lots of options to choose from, depending on what you want. One great option is PHP.
Here are other website tips to keep in mind when building your website:
- Keep the structure of your website clean and simple and always include your navigation bar on all your pages.
- If you link to different sites, make sure that the link opens in a new tab or new window so that you don't lose your visitor.
- Include a "Contact Me" page where visitors can send you questions or comments. Avoid listing your e-mail address on a page as it will result in you getting a LOT of spam.
- Stick to one "theme" for your website. It will help improve your rankings at the search engines if these engines can figure out what your site is about.
If you need help creating your website or adding interesting content, I'm here to help. To find out more, you can view my current rates, look at my website portfolio or you can contact me to discuss project rates.
