After identifying your niche and a possible domain name, then the next thing on the list is somewhere to host your website.
There are lots of different web hosting companies all offering different services.
Some offer free hosting (which may suit your first site) but they may put adverts on your site.
What To Look For In Your Web Host ?
When looking for a host there are a few important things to keep in mind.
For instance, as you build a website, and it is your first, then you may need help with basic things, which some hosts simply won't do.
Other things to consider are:-
How much space you will need to store your pages, and images when building a website ?
How much Bandwidth for transferring data?
When you build a website and it is going to be less than say 200 pages, then 50Mb will be ample, as the average web page should be between 2Kb and 50Kb.
This would leave plenty of room for any images you may want to use (200 times 50Kb is around 10Mb).
Bandwidth is also important. Bandwidth is a measurement of how much data (information) can be transferred over a set period of time.
For instance every time someone looks at a page or image on your website, this increases your bandwidth use.
The average hosting company offers between 1Gb (1024 Mb) and 20Gb a month.
Work out the size of the pages or images viewed by each visitor, and multiply by how many visitors visit each month.
Space maybe needed for a CGI-BIN script.
CGI stands for Common Gateway Interface.
This script allows you to run special scripts that can make your website more interactive.
Another extra you may need is a database to store and retrieve information,.
The Web host should also offer several email accounts.
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If however, you wish to understand the workings of a web page when you build a website, then read on:-
There are interesting notes on some common mistakes further down the page.
4. Set Up Email Account
obviously so you can be contacted through your site
5. Text Editor
A HTML Editor or text editor allows you to make the code, which makes up the website pages.
HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language.
There are lots of different options, and your choice will depend largely on whether you want to learn HTML, or you just want an easy program that will let you create a site graphically instead of coding.
There are a few text editors that are free, and make HTML coding that little bit easier.
One text editor you should already have on your computer is called Notepad (windows), or Simpletext (Mac).
If you are running something other than Windows or the Mac operating system, then you will need to use a standard Text Editor.
Every web page gets its own file.
The file name should end with .html (.htm in Windows) .
The Home page usually has the ending
index.html
You can launch NotePad in Windows from the Start button: click the Windows Start Button, select Programs, select Accessories, and then select NotePad.
There are many sites on the internet which provide tutorials on HTML.
Once you have created a HTML file then save it.
Save the file, just like you would save a word processing file, by selecting Save from the File menu and typing in the name of the file.
Just remember the location of the folder in which you save it!
Now you can launch your browser and look at your file, just as if it were a real web page, which it is!
You can use your browser to look at files on your disk as well as pages on the Web.
In Netscape or Explorer, select Open Page or Open File from the File menu, locate the folder where you saved it, and open it.
Congratulations! You've just written your first web page.
Rather than dumping all documents and images into one folder, you should create separate folders for images, text documents and other related elements.
Now That You Have Mastered HTML,, The Real Work Begins
Whether you're writing a novel, a newsletter or building a website page, the process should begin with an outline.
An outline presents the main topics, or principal ideas of a given subject.
It is the author's map to his destination.
Home Page
The Home Page, is usually named index.html.
It is the most important page on your site.
Hopefully most of the traffic that comes to your site will enter here.
First impressions are the key to whether or not your readers will stay or press the back button.
A good page should start with the most important information at the top.
Try to organize your page so that viewers can scan through it quickly.
Don't forget at the bottom of your page put in the following:
Author , Date revised, Copyright.
Presentation
Next thing to look at when you build a website is the presentation, can it be improved?
1. Can the presentation be enhanced with images , sound, or multimedia?
2. Make a diagram of a template page. Include placement of logos, navigational aids, footers and other information that will appear on every page.
3. Choose an overall structure, and the same basic colours.
4. Try out several template pages and select the best.
5. List of links to and from page
Common Mistakes
Some of the common mistakes when you build a website are:-
1. Long loading times.
The average surfer will wait no longer than 30 seconds.
2. The latest multi-media functions that you have put on your site, whilst extremely nice, slow the whole loading process.
3. Poor Navigation.
Nothing is more frustrating than to enter a site, and then sit there and ask yourself, Where do I go now?
The home page should contain Navigational aids.
It could be a small image map, or it could be a map made with text links.
Give your reader some options.
4. Poor Content
Ever been surfing, entered a site and then sat there and said, "What is this?"
Your home page should be begin with a clear explanation of what your site is about.
So to sum up, Short load times, good navigational tools and clear content will give you a better chance of presenting your information, product or service to your visitor.
6. FTP Program
Once you have built a website page, the next program we need is an FTP program.
This allows you to transfer your files from your computer, to your host, so they are viewable via the internet.
Some hosts also allow you to transfer files directly from your control panel.
If you find this an easier way, then you will have to consult your host.
If however, you use a standard FTP program, then this will put you in good stead if ever you change your host.
There are a few FREE FTP programs, and the one you use will be up to you.
If you want a more stable FTP program ,then I recommend CuteFTP ,which is one of the easiest to start off with.
to actually get into a search engine !
For Search Engine Submission and getting traffic, why not try my other web pages on Internet traffic, and search engine optimisation.