A seasoned veteran may laugh at the article title and laugh - there is no defined methodology of getting your own website and becoming a webmaster.
Looking back in hindsight after 8 years, I would disagree - while each website has its own intricacies and nuances, there is a straightforward way of having a basic website.
To that end, I have given a breakdown of the necessary steps to take - follow them and you can be the proud webmaster of your own little website.
Do please note that having a successful website is not easy nor is it an overnight process. One must be dedicated, hard working, and willing to put in the extra effort - because if you aren't, someone else will.
Also note that I have taken the liberty of simplifying things. It can be a bewildering experience at first, and my aim with this article is to remove some of the mystique/confusion to what it takes.
So lets get down to it. I am going to use real estate as my real-world comparison to a website to help explain some details.
Step 1 - Get A Domain
A domain name is your identifier online - once registered, it is yours (provided you keep renewing your 'lease' on it). A domain name is made up of two parts - the name itself, and its extension (.com, .net, etc). Comprised together, the name is unique. The extensions (also known as TLDs) usually do have meaning behind them - .com is meant for commercial use, .org for organizations, .edu for educational institutes, and so forth. There are also non-generic country specific extensions (ccTLDs). Examples include .us for the United States, .co.uk for the United Kingdom, .de for Germany, and so forth.
Imagine your domain name as your street address - the extension is like a zip/postal code, defining which region you are in. The name itself then uniquely identifies where you exist.
Domain names vary in cost - for a .com domain, domain registrars usually charge between $7.00 to $35.00 per year. The basic function is the same no matter - the higher cost is sometimes justified by more features (buzzwords such as nameservers, WHOIS protection, etc) and superior support. Also remember that buying a domain is not permanent - you are leasing it for a set number of years (usually one or two years on initial registration). You must keep renewing the domain if you wish to keep it.
Good domain names are fairly hard to get - the aftermarket for generic domains (books.com, cars.com, etc) is very lucrative, and for the more popular extensions (.com, .org, .de) almost all dictionary words are already registered. So choose carefully - changing a domain name is usually more hassle than it is worth.
For more background information on domain names, I recommend you check out Domain Name Palace. For domain registrations, I recommend DirectNIC - good price, excellent support, and an intuitive member’s area.
Step 2 - Get Web Hosting
Now that you have a domain name for your website, you need to somehow put this website onto the internet.
Referring to our real estate analogy, imagine a web host as a commercial building - it gives you a physical place to store your equipment, files, etc.
In that same vein, a web host provides you with disk space, bandwidth, and other features - a place to store your files, downloads, etc.
To quickly explain, disk space is the allocated space you have on the web host's server. Bandwidth is the amount of traffic your website can send. Imagine bandwidth as a highway toll - your website is only allowed so many visitors. Again this is a bit of simplification, but one to get the general idea across!
Web hosts come in all shapes and sizes - scammers, kids, and reputable companies. A good place to start looking for one is through a web hosting directory - comparing web hosting plan features and also user reviews. Do note that most web hosting directories are also scams - the featured hosts are paid advertisers. Product placement gone rampant! I recommend Webmaster Web Hosting - simple to use, good search, and user reviews.
For more background information on web hosting itself, I recommend checking out the Web Hosting FAQ. We also have a category on web hosting - even my article from 2002 is worth reading.
Step 3 - Get A Web Design
Your online identity: check. Your base of operations: check. A web design to display your information: next on the list.
Imagine the web design as the interior design of your office - deciding where the desk goes, where the cabinet goes, etc. Only in this case, you are deciding where your menu goes, where the text goes, where links go, etc.
For a beginner, this can be the most difficult. And there are four possible approaches:
- Do it yourself. Learn HTML itself, and throw together a design yourself. Not for the faint of heart, but it gives you complete control.
- Use an HTML program like Dreamweaver. Instead of having to know the nitty gritty of HTML, you let another program do it for you. Upside: easy to do. Downside: Less control, and your HTML could be bloated. This means longer download times for users
- Buy a template. Get a design already built, and modify it for your needs. The modification process can either be done by hand ala #1 or using a program ala #2.
- Get a professional. Creating a web design that is aesthetically pleasing, easy to use, and quick loading is not an easy task.
For the brave, I recommend checking out the Web Design FAQ - it can help you get over the quick bumps. For a program, I recommend Dreamweaver, and for templates check out Web Alley. And when it comes down to professionals, it can be hit and miss. Check out various design firms and see their previous work - go with someone you feel comfortable with.
Step 4 - Get Your Content Managed
All the pieces are in place. The only thing left to do is to get your content up online.
But how? Upload each file one by one? There must be some tools written that can make this job easier.
The next step is to build the base that you will use to run your website. Most websites either feature content (in the form of articles) or are personal websites (in the style of blogs). And to make the experience of running either type of site easier, there is a lot of software found online that can eliminate the tedious parts - allowing you to focus on writing content for your website.
No software will work for everyone - each person's requirements differ from the other. Nevertheless, we can recommend two great products to make your life easier. For article management, we recommend evoArticles - powerful article managerment. Not cheap, it is very powerful, easy to use, and chock full of features. This website itself uses evoArticles! For blogs, we recommend Movable Type - very popular with bloggers.
Please note that every piece of software has its own requirements. EvoArticles requires PHP (a programming language) and a MySQL database. MovableType requires Perl (another programming language) and supports various databases (including MySQL). Some software requires ASP.NET, which only works on servers using Windows. Make sure that your web host can support the software you wish to use.
Step 5 - Get The Word Out
The old adage of 'If you build it, they will come' does not apply to the web. If your website is JoeSixPack.com, how would I even know it exists? Even more important, if I did know it exists, what would compel me to visit the site?
While the previous steps are easy to summarize, web marketing is far more expansive. Nevertheless, a quick run down of things to do:
- Links - The more links your site has, the more likely someone will end up at your website. Get sites similar to yours to link to your website (and remember to link to other sites).
- Directories - It can also be considered under the previous point, but are often overlooked. At your site to directories like The Open Directory. It may also be worth paying for a listing with Yahoo! Directory. And don't forget specialized directories for your area - they can provide excellent traffic.
- Search Engines - Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a whole world upon itself. I suggest you checking out our Three Main Facets of SEO article to get a basic understanding.
- Advertising - It has worked for hundreds of years across any medium. Works on the internet also.
- Word of Mouth - Get your friends to tell their friends about your website. With a unique and catchy hook, word of mouth can drive a lot of traffic to your website.
