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So You Need To Have A Website
ou may have (or work for) handle many of the software
a small business, run a packages that are freely
youth club or other available to design and build
organisation and have decided to your own website. However, even
(or been asked to) build a if you decide that building the
website for it. Where do you actual website yourself is beyond
start? you, getting some initial ideas
on design together will save you
Well, you don't start by spending too much money paying
commissioning expensive web someone else to tell you what you
consultants to do to the job for want. After all, no one knows
you! Consider doing it yourself - your business or organisation
or at least part of the work. like you do!
What you need to do can be
divided into three stages. Knowing where to start is often
the hardest part. This article
1. Designing your website aims to give you some ideas. So,
2. Build your website using lets look at what you are going
computer software to have on your website first -
3. Publish your website via a remember you can start small, and
hosting company (you can host a then grew. Make sure you have the
website on your own computer, but essential information together
this is an option for the more first, you can always add more
technically advanced) detail later on. Your website
should show who you are, what you
1. Designing your Website want people to know about you,
what you have on offer (either
If you know how to switch on a for sale or by way of
PC, have experience of using Word facilities), where you are and/or
and Outlook you will be able to how to contact you. You may start
of with a list of headings such competition - what can you offer
as: that is different? Are your
prices or membership fees higher?
Organisation name Maybe you can offer higher
Short description of what you are quality. If your prices are
and what you do cheaper you may want to focus on
Where you are located the good value you can offer.
(particularly necessary if Even if you are thinking about a
customers or clients are to come site for a youth club there what
to your premises) makes your organisation different
Separate pages for each of the from the others?
activities you carry out (or
ranges of goods or equipment you Remember that all material on the
sell) internet is protected by
Prices (for membership or goods) copyright, so you must not copy
Contact Details blocks of text or pictures and
present them on your own site as
Do some research - there will be your own work. You can, however,
other organisations similar to reprint articles such as this (as
yours. Search Google or Yahoo and long as you credit the original
look at what information they author), and articles relevant to
carry, and how they are your business may be a good way
organised. Put yourself in the of putting content on your site.
position of a customer - is the
information you would require When you are looking at other
easy to find? If not, why not? sites look at the layout and
Make notes on what you would colour schemes. There is a large
improve about their sites. variety in the way sites are
presented - some are simple black
Then think of yourself as the text on a white background
(probably the easiest to read and will hopefully have come up with
good for putting across large some ideas about how you want
blocks of information), some are your website to look, what
very colourful. You should content you think you will need.
consider your target audience - a What then is the next step? Well,
youth club will want to appeal to you could now approach a website
the younger generation, and so developer to turn your ideas into
may have a more bold use of a website - but why not try this
colour. Sites to appeal to older yourself? It will be a lot
people may be more subtle. Look cheaper in the long run.
at the gimmicks that are used -
sound, pictures, movies, flash Even if you are unsure of your
intros, web polls and RSS tickers skills, it will cost nothing to
(news feeds). These gimmicks are give it a try.
not necessary when you first
build your site, but if you like Let's talk about the software for
the look of them file the a moment. Websites are usually
information away - you may think mostly written using HTML which
adding these to your site will stands for Hyper Text Mark up
always be beyond you, but if you Language (but you don't need to
decide to take the step to build remember that). You can use a
your site yourself you will be software package such as
surprised at how soon you will Frontpage or Dreamweaver, and can
become an expert. build your website using HTML.
But this is a lengthy process,
2. Building your website and will involve you in learning
all the code. Unless you wish to
So, having done your research, become a computer programmer you
and having gathered the basic should consider using an HTML
information about yourself, you generator.
free website building tool - but
An HTML generator is a web beware, the free tools on offer
building tool that allows you to are very good, but you will
design your website using similar normally be limited to publishing
functionality to Microsoft Word. your site with the hosting
It allows you to insert a text company who provide the building
box, for example, together with tool. This is not necessarily a
images, and uses drag and drop problem, but does mean that you
functionality to enable you to should look into how much the web
place your elements where you hosting package will cost you
want them to appear on the page. with that company before starting
There will be easy ways to build to build your website. It can be
a menu so that your visitors can very disappointing to build your
find their way around your site, site and then find the hosting
and, as you get more proficient, package is too expensive for you!
will enable you to add items like Just remember, nothing is ever
movies or sound to your page. The completely free - but that does
HTML generator will work behind not mean you cannot discover an
the scenes, turning the page that excellent package! Vodahost, for
you are working with into HTML example, offers a good value
code which can then be published. hosting package and an excellent
The beauty of the web building web building tool with easy to
tools which work this way is that follow online tutorials.
you will be looking at the page
very much as your visitors will, 3. Publishing your website
and so can try out different
layouts easily until you get the As we mentioned above, you will
formula you think will work. normally be restricted to
publishing your website with the
Many web hosting packages offer a same company that provided your
web building tool. will not happen! As in a ‘real
world' business you will need to
Once you have designed your first do some marketing before the
page you can publish it on the world will be able to find you.
world wide web. It is actually
ridiculously easy to publish a Finally, good luck and have fun!
website. With the click of a Website building is a great new
mouse your business will be part hobby for the 21st Century which
of the internet community. just about ANYONE can do!
However, it is necessary to give
a word of warning. You will For more information see the
publish your website for ‘Joe website
Bloggs Widgets'r'Us', and will http://www.webmasterproductins.co
expect to find it when you look .uk.
for it in a search engine - this
About the Author:
Pat Ransom has worked in the IT industry for 15 years and is experienced with local government and company websites. Having designed and published a successful and acclaimed website in her own right the secrets of website design and publishing are now shared at http://www.webmasterproductions.co.uk
Read more articles by: Trish Haill
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
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