subject: How To Make My Own Website - A Short Guide [print this page] One of the best things about the Internet is the fact that almost anyone can make a website, and the costs don't have to be high. Many people don't know a lot about the process of building a site, however, which can make the prospect extremely intimidating. Fortunately, you don't have to feel like putting together a website is impossible. Here's a quick step-by-step guide to help you get your own place on the Web.
Hosting
The first step to building your first webpage is to acquire hosting. You have a number of options at various price levels, starting with free hosting options like Google Sites. These may be the perfect choice for someone who just wants a small personal corner of the Web, but they're often very limited in space and capabilities. If you run a business or other professional site, you'll probably need to pay for shared or dedicated hosting. These give you part or all of a server to yourself, plus better technical support and more reliable service.
Domain Name
Once you know where your site will be hosted, it's time to think about how visitors will reach it. Your host will usually automatically give you a Web address, but it can be long and hard to remember. Many page owners will need a domain name of their own, ending in.com,.net,.org or a range of other extensions. These are relatively inexpensive, but must be renewed on a regular basis. Choose something that's short, easy for visitors to recall, and that makes readers think of your site.
Page Design
The way you put your page together can be very important and depends on the type of site and your content. People who just have a basic academic or personal site can hand-code HTML or use a very simple template. If you have a business or need to host media, you will need to have more involved knowledge of Web programming. You can also choose to use a WYSIWYG editor to make a website or use a content management system, also called a CMS. If you need a very complex site, consider hiring a professional to ensure that everything will work properly.
Search Engine Readiness
Just putting the site itself up online won't bring in many viewers. In fact, your website could be lost among the large number of others. That's why it's important to build your site so that it's easy for search engines to find, index, and rank. Make sure you include text that makes it obvious what your site is about. Consider adding an XML sitemap that helps search robots index more effectively, and avoid sites that are heavy on animations and other multimedia content that can't be easily indexed. Avoid material that can also be found elsewhere on the Web, however, as this might reduce your page rank.
