This is the first part of a ten part series called; Building Your Own Website. This part will detail some of the tools that, at a minimum, you will need to build a website. The focus will be on simplicity and cost efficiency.
Please see the Preface for the directory.
The Basics
So you want to build your own website? Great! Here is a rundown of what you will need. A lot of these points will be elaborated upon in further posts but this should give you a good idea of what you’ll be getting into.
1. Your own computer with internet access! This isn’t a deal breaker but it will make your life a lot easier. Also, keep in mind that for security reasons having a secure internet connection is very important.
2. You will have to decide whether you want to use a hosted service (your site is hosted on their server – but usually with limitations to you) or a self hosted service (you purchase server space and a domain address from a host but have essentially unlimited freedom).
There are dozens of popular hosted services. Some require that their domain be appended to yours (yoursite.wordpress.com) while some make their money from ad revenue on your site.
A couple examples of hosted services are:
Hosted services, on the other hand, allow you to work within the limits of the particular service you use. Most are infinitely flexible and use a plug-in system to extent a light weight core. There are also dozens for you to choose from. In fact, the bar has been set so high by the free packages that I will rule out any that charge.
Here are a few examples of self hosted services:
The package you choose will ultimately depend on your needs. It’s perhaps one of the most important decisions you’re going to make, so take your time and review all of the links above and any that you come across elsewhere. I will go into greater detail on the subject in the next couple of posts.
I should also mention that Devtronik is powered by Wordpress.org and hosted by Bluehost.
3. Once you’ve decided upon a service (we should probably be using the term CMS – although it might not apply to the most basic blogging software) you will have to choose a template, or theme. Chose a theme that fits your needs the closest as you will have to make the least amount of customizations. There are some fantastic themes out there. Generally, each CMS will have a theme directory to help you select a theme that works with their product.
4. You will need some kind of editing program. I use CSSEdit for CSS (I’ll elaborate upon this later) and TextWrangler for HTML and PHP code.
5. Some kind of image editing software if you plan to include custom images on your site. You can go with Photoshop on the high end or any of the free packages, such as Gimp. A lot of great websites don’t use any image editing software at all. Things like font color and size, header color can all be changes using CSS.
6. Most of all, you will need patience and persistence. Stalk the forums for information. Use Google. If you are stumped on something and can’t find a solution ask on the forums.
So, in summary, to begin building a website you will need…
- a computer with internet
- a CMS and perhaps a host
- some style and code editing software
- some graphic editing software
- patience!
Please feel free to post any questions or comments below! The next installment will be about choosing a Host.
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Good post. Outsourcing IT support to a Hosted Service is underestimated by small businesses who see the cost attached but it can save them thousands every year just from avoiding downtime!