Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Make A Website


Some people are petrified by the thought of trying to make their own website. It can look, and sound complicated to them. They worry about how to lay it out, and to ensure that they attract plenty of visitors. However, you can make your own website in 3 simple steps.

Not everyone understands things such as domain names, nameservers or web hosting. So if you want to be guided through the processes so you can make your own website, this tutorial will be ideal for you. With no technical jargon, all you need to do is follow these steps, and you can have your own website up and running within 30 minutes. 



A blog is a simple website, which is organized in such a way so that you can post your own content. This content is usually published showing the date that you have posted it.
Blogs can be used as a website to promote your business or services, or to simply write your thoughts and feelings. They can be a powerful tool in a world where the internet is used on a regular basis. The more that you promote your blog or website, the more visitors you will have viewing its content. 

You may wish to use your new blog website to discuss issues regarding a certain subject. For example pregnancy, health issues, or even the travel industry. Maybe you are an aspiring writer, and would like to promote your writings to potential clients who may wish to employ you. Then there are blog websites that can provide a particular product or service. Perhaps you work freelance from home, either as a book-keeper or maybe a fitness instructor. Blogs can be an invaluable tool to have in any form of business, or even just for fun to voice your own personal opinions.


1. Choose a Domain Name – this is the first step to make your own website

Anyone can have a domain name. Some choose to use their own name, for example “KatieSmithsBlog.” While others may just wish to promote a particular item or business, and choose a domain name which will promote this, such as “TrendyClothing.” However there are some things to consider when choosing your own domain name, which are as follows:

     ·         It is important that you don’t use a brand name or registered trademark in your name. This can lead to legal problems, which no-one enjoys. If you choose to write about a particular brand or trademarked product on your blog website, you also need to be careful of any potential legalities that may arise by doing this.

·         Make your domain name something that is easy to remember. You want to be able to promote your website as much as possible, and a person in the street isn’t always likely to have a pen with them when you are referring them to your use your particular products or services. Or perhaps just to read your writings, and to get more visitors to your website.


·         Don’t make your domain name too long. It needs to be something quick and easy to type. Don’t fill your domain name with unnecessary characters that will prevent people from finding your website easily. You need to choose a domain name that is catchy, and which people will be able to call to mind in an instant.


·         Use the correct extension at the end of your domain name. The most popular in use today is .com, but if your chosen domain name is already taken under that, you can use .org or .net as an alternative extension.
          
To check whether your chosen domain name is available, you can use one of the numerous tools that can be found online. Then you can be sure that your particular domain name is unique to you. Now you are able to continue onto the next step to know how you can make your own website.


2. Find a Web Hosting Service – the second step in learning how to make your own website

With a wide range of web hosting services available online, you need to be sure to find a reputable company to use. There are some that provide a good service, but can be prone to be rather expensive. Then there are cheaper alternatives, but you may find yourself offline due to their downtime. 

web hosting service needs to be easy to set up and use, ensuring that you can make your own website with ease. No-one wants to be bombarded with technical terms that they may not understand. Making your own website from scratch can also prove tedious and time consuming. At a time when you want to be promoting your website, you don’t want to have to time out trying to create something that will be complicated, with no guarantee of being listed highly with popular search engines.

One such company that you may wish to consider for their web hosting service is GreenGeeks.com, which is based in California in the USA. They provide a fast internet connection, with very little downtime. The customer services agents answer any queries that you may have quickly and efficiently. Offering an all-round competent web hosting service for their clients, GreenGeeks is a company that you can trust, and rely upon for all your web hosting needs.

To create a web hosting account with GreenGeeks, you can click on the following link:


You can then click on the link called “View Shared Hosting Plans and Prices”. This will then direct you to a page showing their latest offer. Simply click on the “Order Now” button to be forwarded to the official order form.







The first thing you need to do is enter the domain name that you chose in the first step of this tutorial. This should be done in the box on the left hand side of the screen where it says “I Need a Domain,” and then click the “Next” button.




You can then choose the web hosting service that best suits your personal requirements and budget. Simply enter your details on the order form, and click on “Create My Account.

A tip to consider however, is that you need to set up a plan which is for at least 12 months in length so that you qualify for the free domain that they offer.

All you need to do now is wait for an email from GreenGeeks to confirm that your web hosting account has been set up. This usually arrives in your inbox within seconds, but could take a little longer if the website is busy.

Once the email has been received you can continue to the next step to make your own website.


3. Set Up Your Blog Site Using WordPress – the final step in making your own website




WordPress is a free site, created for users to access and make their own website with ease. WordPress is a blogging platform that is called a CMS (Content Management System). It is a very flexible and powerful platform, and over 16.7% of the top million websites use it as their CMS.

WordPress can be easily installed to your computer, but by signing up with them through GreenGeeks you can use the free tool that they make available for you. This means that your own website can be created automatically.

All you need to do is login to your GreenGeeks Account Manager. The link for this can be found in the welcome email that they sent you. You will also find the user name and password that you need to use here too.

Once you have logged into GreenGeeks you will view a “Quick Login” page. On here you need to click on the blue “cPanel Login” button. There are several icons here that you will be able to use at a later stage to set up any relevant emails, and to see how many visits your website has generated. At this point though, we will just proceed to install WordPress.

You will then find a blue smiley face icon, referred to as “Fantastico De Luxe.” You need to click on this to progress to the next stage to make your own website. 




You now need to click on the WordPress link, continuing to the “New Installation” button. Then, all you need do is select your domain name from the drop down list. You will then receive an option to create a user name and password for your new WordPress account.

There is an option to install WordPress as a directory. However it is important to note that, unless you are confident in this area, it is best to leave most of the boxes blank here, and at this point in learning how to make your own website.

Then, you are able to run the WordPress installation, clicking on the “Finish Installation” button once it is complete.

Now, you can type your domain name into the search engine that you use, and find the very basic blog that you have created. However, once you are feeling more confident, you can view your WordPress Dashboard and make numerous alterations to your new website. You can personalize it for your own individual requirements, and even view how many visitors your website has received. 

You are able to customise your blog website by entering the following details:
www.yourdomain.com/wp-admin



Then you have just to log into your WordPress account again, using the user name and password that you created when first installing WordPress and setting up your account with them. You then need to click on the WordPress Dashboard icon to begin making any amendments to personalize your blog website.

Through the WordPress Dashboard you are able to add new content, images and even videos. Or you can choose to install different themes, and plug-ins. All processes are explained to you step by step, to ensure that you can make your own website quickly and easily. 




WordPress and Using Different Heading Styles: A Consideration When Making Your Own Website

It is important to use different heading styles when you make your own website. This will then highlight specific points that you have added to your new blog website. Not only can the headings that you choose allow your content to stand out, they can make your blog website look more interesting. Using different heading styles will also make your blog website look better visually, and make it appear more organised and professional.
Search engines use headings differently to the normal text that you will use to post your content. So, by using different heading styles you can drive more traffic to your new blog website. If you are using the website to promote a business or service, these visitors could all be potential clients or customers. 

All you need to do to use different heading styles is to log into your WordPress account. You then need to ensure that your post editor is set to show the second row of formatting options. This is also referred to as the “Kitchen Sink” so you need to click on this link in your account options. Then you are able to choose from one of six heading styles via the drop-down box on the screen. 



It is usual to make the main heading the largest in size, and it should contain the most important information. This will be the main title that people will come across when they have typed in your domain name.

Any further headings should be slightly smaller in size to the main heading, and will contain less important information, but still needs to highlight all the different posts and pages that your blog website may have. 

Once you have amended your WordPress headings for your website, you must remember to click on the “Publish” or “Update” button to save the changes that you have made.



Should you encounter any problems when learning how to make your own website, you can always ask for further assistance. By sending your specific question to customer services staff, you can make your own website speedily and easily. There are also several extra tutorials available for your reference, should you wish to access them. 

Now you have your own personal and individual blog website, you can start promoting it straight away. Then you can feel confident that you have taken all the easy steps to make your website a big success on the internet, reaching people on a global scale.