Steps for Creating a Web Site
It's pretty easy to have your own Web site these days. Here are some questions to ask yourself and basic steps to follow:
| Are you sure you need a Web site? | Maybe all you need is a Web space where you can display photographs or start a journal. These spaces are sometimes referred to as weblogs or blogs. You can usually create your own Web space for free by visiting Web sites such as Blogger at www.blogger.com or the Microsoft® Windows Live™ Spaces site at http://spaces.live.com/. |
| How about a free Web site? | One easy way to create a small business Web site is to use Microsoft Office Live which includes a free Web hosting service called Office Live Basics. This free service includes your own domain name and easy-to-use design tools and templates. With this service, you may be able to create your site by yourself - or if you wish, find someone like me to help you. For further information, go to http://officelive.microsoft.com/ or go to my own free Office Live Web site at http://clivesoden2.com/. |
| Do you need a custom-made Web site? | If the services mentioned in steps 1 and 2 do not meet your requirements, you probably need a custom Web site. First, decide on the purpose of your site. Is it a personal Web site or is it for business? If it's for business, what type of product or service are you selling? Also consider the layout and navigation structure of your site. |
| Have you chosen a domain name for your site? | The domain name gives your site a "location" or "address" on the Internet. For example, the domain name for this site is clivesoden.com. If possible, register the domain name with the same company that will be doing the Web hosting for your site. This avoids the process of having to "move" a domain name from one company to another. |
| Have you found a Web hosting company? | Find a Web hosting company to register your domain name and to host your Web site. Or have someone like me handle the domain name and Web hosting for you. Domain name registration is usually a yearly fee, typically around $15. Typical hosting fees for personal and small business Web sites start around $8 per month and go up to around $50 per month. There are many companies that specialize in Web hosting but make sure the one you choose supports the Web creation program you plan to use. For example, CrystalTech (crystaltech.com) is one of my choices for Web hosting because they are reliable and support many Microsoft® Web products and services. |
| Create your Web site. | Some Web hosting companies have their own special Web editing programs that are easy for beginners to use. If you do not wish to create your own Web site, contact a professional Web developer (such as myself) to do it for you. In the past, I used Microsoft FrontPage® but now I use the newer Microsoft program called Expression® Web. |