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How to create a website is probably the first question posed by every new webmaster. After all, the web platform you use to create your site will determine the flow and growth of your online project. Therefore, it is important to have a solid plan and evaluate all available options.
In this guide, we will discuss how to create a website using:
- Content management systems (CMS)
- E-commerce programs
- Website builder
Each path is unique and carries a set of pros and cons. That is why we will try to highlight the most important aspects of the creation of websites to facilitate the decision-making process.
These five simple steps encompass everything you need to know about how to create a web page:
Define the Idea for the Website
First things first, you have to decide what your website will be about. There are many website ideas that are worth considering, and with the right execution, they have the potential to generate very good money online.
Start by deciding the main purpose and functionality you want to have. Some of the most popular types of websites include:
Electronic E-commerce websites. With ecommerce website, you can sell both digital and physical products to large audiences around the world (which would not be so simple with a physical store).
Blogs. Many successful webmasters started their journey with a simple blog. With the possibility of covering a variety of topics, blogs can be either a business (for example, affiliates, reviews, specialized blogs) or a leisure activity (travel, food, music, books).
Educational websites. You can also create your own digital courses or a membership website, if you are a big fan of a hobby or have a particular skill, creating an educational website can help you position yourself as an expert in the niche.
News websites. People seek information every day through various sources. If you’re interested in publishing innovative stories, creating a news website will make it much easier to convey your message.
Online communities. The large number of successful online communities is a clear message that the most important thing is to start. Since the creation of large audiences takes a long time, the sooner you start the better.
Portfolio sites. With this niche you can show your skills and strengths.
Once you have a clear goal in mind, choosing the correct website building and hosting platform will be much easier.
Register a Domain Name
Before creating a website, you will have to devise a striking name.
To obtain a domain name for your site, you must:
- Think of ideas for potential website names.
- Find a domain verifier
- Perform a domain name search.
- Choose the best option.
- Complete your order and register the domain.
There are many great registrars out there, but one we’ve come across recently is nameocean.net. They give $100 worth features free with every domain name, such as 24/7 free technical support, and free configuration of DNS and SSL for customers.
Acquire Web Hosting
The next step in the journey of creating your website is to choose a suitable hosting provider. While there are several types of web hosting, the one you need depends on the size of your project.
And with the holiday season just around the corner, you can find incredible offers of New Year web hosting everywhere.
Shared Hosting
Shared hosting is a type of server that hosts multiple users, and is ideal for small and medium websites. All websites use the same set of resources from the same physical server.
Shared hosting offers a variety of tools that will help you create a website.
Easily install the most popular tools, such as ecommerce platforms, content management systems (CMS), blog platforms, forum software and more!
When working on a project with several people, sharing personal account information can be a sensitive issue. With shared hosting, you can easily avoid problems and grant access to the services you choose without sharing personal information!
You can also properly edit your files, directories or code using web-based file managers. Or use your favorite FTP clients like FileZilla.
Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting or hosting in the cloud seeks to replicate the simplicity of shared hosting while offering all the power of a virtual server.
With the help of cloud computing technology, this solution provides the most uptime available by keeping a copy of your website on several physical servers that work in harmony. In case one of the servers fails, the others in the cluster ensure that everything works correctly.
You will get a free SSL certificate for life. Keep your visitor’s data safe! As HTTPS is becoming the new standard of the web, it is important to keep up with the latest practices.
VPS Server
VPS is the acronym for virtual private server, and is a unique alternative web hosting that provides more control and freedom. However, it requires management skills of the server.
In general, a VPS server provides the most customization among all the options seen. Everything will be under your control, from the operating system to the set of solutions, thanks to root access.
Choose a Platform and Build your Webpage
Here the real work begins. The process of how to create your website will depend to a large extent on the basis you choose. And the idea you want to execute will also play a role in the final decision.
Although in general, the best options are:
Websites developed by you. If the web development does not displease you, creating a site programmed by yourself is also a great idea. While it takes more time and effort, you can implement any feature that is crucial to your project.
Content management systems. Ideal for blogs and websites that publish many articles / content. Some notable examples are WordPress, Joomla and Drupal.
Ecommerce platform. It is the perfect solution if you want to have a virtual store; this is the software that will do the job. Some examples are PrestaShop, Magento, WooCommerce.
Website builders. A simple way to create a website without having programming knowledge. They contain a drag-and-drop interface with many customization functions included!
For example – Lodgify.com is a website builder with software built in to help people with a vacation rental website business.
Publish, Grow, Monitor, and Improve
Now you know the different types of web hosting and the best tools to create a website. But the trip does not end here. In fact, this is just the beginning!
Here are few tips that will help you turn your project into the best website of all:
Know your niche. Perhaps one of the most important things you should do is to decide the niche and the direction that your website will take. Without proper planning, things can start to go very badly quickly.
A good place to start is:
Know your passion. You will always get better results if you enjoy what you do. Also your chances of success will increase. For example, if you are a big fan of reading, starting a blog of books can be the perfect start.
Evaluate the market. Knowing what people are looking for can give you a rough idea of what type of content / product you have to develop. Use tools such as Google Trends, KWFinder to see the search terms and frequently asked questions of your niche.
Analyze your competitors. They can be a great source of inspiration, especially strong ones. You can get some new ideas and have an image of how your website might look when it expands. In addition, many of them offer affiliate programs, where you can earn money by bringing new users to platform.
Open a word processor and write down all your unique ideas.
In general, you will achieve the best results if you create a website about a topic or niche in which you are very interested. Helps you in producing top quality content and you will also remain quite motivated.
Implement Google Analytics
It can be difficult to make important decisions without having data to support them. That’s why collecting statistics is crucial if you want to succeed. One of the best tools to do the job is Google Analytics (GA).
You’ll get useful information about your audience, such as how users found your website, whether they made a purchase, how long they stayed on a certain page, and much more.
If you don’t know anything about GA, don’t worry. Google has in-depth documentation and courses that will get you on the right track:
Use the HTTPS protocol
HTTPS encryption is becoming the new standard of the web. If your site handles confidential information, you MUST have SSL certificate it. This feature also helps in improving of your website SEO. Search engines like Google prefer sites with HTTPS.
Other benefit is your visitors and users will know that your private information is safe.
Browser such as Google Chrome version 71, indicate websites that use HTTP will sign “not safe” warning next to the URL.
Improve the speed of the website
The speed of the page and the loading time play an important role in the user experience. As a result, a faster website not only has a better SEO, but its visitors are much more satisfied and the conversions improve.
Use tools such as GTmetrix or Google PageSpeed Insights, to see how well your site works.
Final words
With this guide you have explored the different ways on how to create a website.
You also learned about various tools and SEO tips and learned that will make you stand out from the crowd.
So what are you waiting for?
Originally posted 2018-12-30 15:53:29. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
