subject: Marketing On The Internet: Some Basic Steps In Building A Website [print this page] There seems enough to learn about marketing on the Internet without having to learn how to build a website. But sooner or later, you will probably want your own website. The only way to do it is to start. Start with these three basic steps and learn as you go.
1. Register a domain name
In other words give your website a name, which will be its address. There are a number of companies that do this cheaply. Simply search for cheap domain names and you will have plenty of choice, as it is a competitive market. When you decide on a company you will be asked for the name of your site. You will find a facility to enter the name and have a search done to check its availability. You might be lucky and come up with the name you want straight away but it is more likely you will have to settle for a variation of it.
2. Find a company to host your site
You will need a company to host your site, which is really providing somewhere to keep your files with your content. A hosting company keeps your content on its server and is dedicated to maintaining access at all times, both for you and for prospective viewers. Here again, this is a highly competitive field so you can shop around for a good deal. Beware of companies offering free hosting. The old saying, you get what you pay for, rings true in this case. While some might be alright, there is usually a catch.
3. Learn some skills
You then need to learn some basic skills so you can create content and upload it to your site. A good hosting company will provide you with the resources you need in the form of an instructional video, a knowledge base and a help desk. You will need to spend time on this; as for most of us it is a steep learning curve. Your best back-up resource is the Internet itself. There are numerous sites telling you what you have to do and how to do it.
If you think there is a lot of work in learning how to build a website, you are right. You can avoid some of the work by paying someone else to do it, which will free you up to promote your product or service. This makes a lot of sense and could be seen as part of your start-up costs to your online business and an investment in making online money. But most people starting out either do not have the money or do not want to spend it. In addition to that, the time you spend in learning will be valuable later. Even a basic level of technical skills will save you a lot of money by making you more self-reliant.
It could be that a mix of paying for some work and doing some yourself might work for you. You could pay to have work done on those things that are beyond you and will take you too long to learn and you could do the easier part yourself. Sometimes it is a personal choice - some people like to acquire the technical know-how and others are happier paying someone else to do it. Either way, there is no easy way. You just have to spend the time learning as much as you can about the technical aspects of building a website. You will have to have some basic knowledge so you can have intelligent communication with your technical person or so you can do it yourself.
When you come to build a website follow the steps I have outlined and be prepared to spend the time to learn. Many of us have done it and you can too.
