I Can Create My Own Website

You might be sadly lacking in internet savvy. Heck, you might even be almost computer illiterate. But guess what? You CAN make your own website – and it’s a lot easier than you might think. In fact, there are just three main components needed to get your site up and running.

1. Pick a domain name

This is the first and possibly most important step. The domain name is the address where people can find you on the internet. However, it’s more than just a name – it’s your online identity, so it needs to properly identify you for who you are and what you do.

Many people choose to use their registered business name, and this is often the best route. If, for any reason, this doesn’t work for you, choose something that is relevant to your business or product. For example, if you breed and sell pug puppies, go with something relevant and searchable.

Stick with something fairly simple as well; no one wants to type in a long URL.This step might take a little while, as your desired domain name may already be taken. Pick carefully though, and don’t settle for less than the best.

2. Pick your hosting

Your website hosting is kind of like renting your space online. There are loads of options to choose from, and they all compete with different offers, gimmicks and pricing. While they might have some cool offers like free hosting, free software, etc. it’s best to look at what real customers are saying about the actual service.

Pick a hosting company that has been around for a while and has a good reputation. They should be reliable and secure, and should guarantee at least 99% up-time. Their servers should be fast and customer support should be good.

If you’re trying to make your own website and you’re not sure where to go for hosting, you may be better served by an all-in-one type service that offers a package solution for your website. We’ll discuss that next.

3. Build your site

If you’ve never built a site before, it might seem pretty daunting. Fortunately, technology has made website creation easy even for those of us who have no design or programming experience. Rather than discussing building a site from scratch, I’ll tell you about the simple solutions that are easily accessible.

Your best bet is a CMS (like WordPress) or website builder (like DoodleKit). There are loads of options available that provide full templates or the bits and pieces necessary for putting your site together right in your internet browser. Just click and drag the various pieces, then add your own photos and content. And voila! Website complete!