söndag 29 april 2012

Simple "How to Create a Website" Help For Beginners




Many small business owners and individuals who don't know how to create a website may think that they have to hire some company to create a website for them. For those who were very inexperienced with programming and design, this may have been true in the past, but it is true no longer. Creating a professionally polished website that is ready for publication has never been easier, and even someone who knows nothing about programming can do it -seriously, anyone!





Those who, in the past, have had to hunt for someone to help put their website together, already know the amount of frustration that can involve. For those who have begun a search for outside website-building help, it is good to be prepared for long waits, delays and finished projects that very well may miss the vision you had in mind for your site.





In addition, you are also at the complete mercy of whomever you hire -deadlines and turnaround times may be missed, delayed or ignored. In some cases where you're not familiar with the company you hire to do the work, you take a complete gamble, banking on them being fully capable of doing the work. And in some of those cases, you end up on the losing end of that gamble. A good thing to remember, especially if you don't have a great deal of money to throw into your website development, is that when it comes to hiring on the cheap, that is what you will end up with - cheap quality.





The Internet is growing exponentially, both in terms of size (the number of sites) and the number of users. Each hour people are online searching for things. This has generated a huge upsurge in interest by people hoping to bring their ideas and businesses to their respective niche markets. The competition is furious, and each individual needs all of the advantages they can possibly find. The ability to create a website in less than a week, and get it up and running is a tremendous advantage. Not to mention that the savings alone will more than make it worth the time you will spend.





There are some software programs out on the market now that show you how to create and design your website from the beginning all the way to the last page. Such software enables you to generate as many websites as you should need, without the need to pay a penny in fees for any outside help. By using a website creation program, you will be able to transform your ideas and visions into the world of virtual reality to compete with any website around.





When you begin using a website creating software program, you will be given a choice of different styles and templates. Many of these will be familiar to you from your own experiences surfing the web. They will also be well designed and of equal quality. Once you choose your template and colors, then you are ready to begin. Additional details to be added to the site will be easy to include, and you will receive instructions showing you just how to do it, guiding you step-by-step.





Picture this: you are the sole creator of a website and you are the one who carries the ball, no one else will change or tweak anything. You are the decision maker. For those who have had their entire vision turned inside out by other well-meaning web builders, you will definitely enjoy the opportunity to learn how to create a website, and the chance to be in charge creatively.


fredag 27 april 2012

How to Make a Website Fast and Easy




Anyone can make a website these days using the services and products readily available to us all. But for a first-time web master, it can be a slow and frustrating process, as you figure out how everything works, what is compatible with what else and how everything slots together.





A simple website can easily go from nothing to a finished, published site in less than a day *if* you know what you're doing. Otherwise it can take weeks if not longer - and that assumes you get finished at all!





So in this article we're not just going to look at how to make a website, we're going to be more specific and consider how to make a website fast and easy so you can get your site online sooner rather than later.





Okay, well the good news is that with all the software and services around at the moment there is a greater chance to make a website fast and easy than ever before.





Let's take a look at some of the resources that will help you achieve this...





1) Wordpress





You can use Wordpress software free of charge to make a blog super-fast. Within minutes you'll have a basic website set up for you to tweak when you have time. Add some articles and you're done.





2) Blogger





Google's offering for bloggers offers a similar service to Wordpress though differs being easier to use but less fully-featured.





3) Nvu





Nvu free web design software lets you make a website easily on your home computer without splashing out cash.





4) Free Website Templates





Whether you decide to make a website from scratch using software like Nvu or using an online blogging solution like Wordpress or Blogger you will be able to find a host of free site templates that you can either use as-is , or modify to perfectly suit your needs.





A quick search in your favorite search engine will likely turn up hundreds of sites listing these template files.





5) CoolText





Allows you to create your own logo free of charge. Just visit the site, type in your website name, select the color, the font and so on and out pops your finished logo. What's more, they look great!





6) Royalty Free Images





Websites like IstockPhoto allows you to get royalty-free images to use on your website so you can add professionally-photographed pictures, animations and cartoons to your site, without breaking the bank or risking a letter from a solicitor.





7) Low Cost Web Hosting





There is plenty of competition in the market now for web hosting. If you're wondering how to make a website fast and easy, then select a budget web hosting company to host your site. Then consider using Wordpress or Blogger to actually build a site, together with a free template to give it a professional look. You can be set up for under $5 a month with this solution, including your own website address.





The end result is fantastic and it's quick and easy to set up. This is my own personal favourite technique for making a website fast.


torsdag 26 april 2012

How To Build a Popular Website According to Google




If you want to build a successful website, do the following things. According to an ex-employee of Google, this will work good. Always!



1. Add content


Add content, add content, add content. Before you even register your domain, you should have enough ideas to build 100 pages on your site. Start brainstorming and see what you can come up with in 10 minutes. If that's not enough to fill 50 pages, consider not building the site at all. Having lots of content is important.



2. A simple design is better


The text content should outweigh the html content. Stay away from heavy flash, java, javascript, etc. Don't add to much stuff like 'best viewed with'... Your website should be viewable with any browser. Keep it clean and professional.



3. Keep the pages small


Smaller is better. Keep it under 15k if you can. Your site should be fast loading, or people will leave. Speed is everything. Next to content, that is. Keeping it under 10k or 5k if you can. Difficult, but people love fast sites. Throw away all the trash on your pages.



4. Content length


Put a new page online every day of about 200 to 500 words. Go to the overture keyword suggester to find ideas of what to write about. Spell check your content. Search engines can do it, and so should you. If you have a blog, go for article-like posts as opposed to the personal diary kinds of posts.



5. Use keywords


Use your keywords in the following places: title, description tag, heading, url, once bold, once italic and once high on the page.



6. Link to other sites


Put 2 links to other, high ranking pages on your site. They should be relevant to the content of that page and use keywords as your link. Don't add every link that's requested. Check their relevance first.



7. Link to your own site


Put links from one page to other relevant pages on your own site. Again: use keywords as your link.



8. Submit your site


Submit your site to Google, AltaVista, Yahoo, Msn, Hotbot, etc. Then forget about that for 6 months. Also submit it to every single directory you can find. Do a check after 6 months and resubmit if you're not listed.



9. Log and track


Most hosts provide these. Don't use a lame graphic counter. Check where your visitors are coming from to find out what traffic methods work best for your site.



10. Write for people


People are not coming to your site for your content. They are coming for their content. Try to write as if you are writing to one specific person, such as a friend of yours who's interested in the same topic. Don't try to write for 'all of your visitors'.



11. Stay ahead


If you know that something big will come out in a few months, build a page about it now. It gives search engines time to index that page so they can feed it to the growing anticipating crowd.



12. Add more content


This is so important: keep adding content. Do this for a year and your site will be a top ranking website within one year. You could've been there now, if you started last year. So start now, so you'll be there next year. You'll thank yourself (and me) later.


onsdag 25 april 2012

Top 4 Reasons to Create a Customized Website




If you've chosen to create a website either for your online business or for your bricks and mortar store you've probably realized that there are two basic choices. You can use a prefabricated template to create a website that will generally do what you want it to. Or, you can choose to create a customized website or hire someone to create it for you. While this second option is more expensive, hiring someone to create your website is worth it in most cases for several reasons.





One of the keys to attracting attention online is to stand out from the crowd. A website based on a template is going to look a whole lot like any other website that was based on the same template. If you are starting with a basic format there's only just so much you can do to make your website stand out. On the other hand, if you create your website from scratch it is almost certain that it won't look like anything else out there on the web. This will enable your website to stand out from the crowd and attract more attention than if it looked like every other site in your niche area.





If you create your own website or hire someone to create it for you, your website can more accurately reflect the personality of you and your business. Designing your website based on an existing template severely limits the amount of freedom you have to personalize your site. However, if you choose to create your website from scratch you can be sure that it will more closely reflect your business. A good website designer will be able to take your vision for your business and translate that onto the internet.





Creating your own website enables you to make sure that the site does exactly what you want it to do. If you are starting from a pre-made template you may have a hard time getting particular add-ons or applications to run within the template's design. However, if you start from scratch you can make sure that the features you want are considered and included from the beginning.





Lastly, hiring someone to create your website for you is a long term investment in your business. Sure, it costs a bit of money up front but it will pay for itself quickly. Any good web designer will offer some degree of technical support once your website goes live. This can be invaluable if your site gets hacked or if something just doesn't work right. A dedicated tech person can save you time and money by reducing the amount of downtime that your site experiences. Since your site can't make money when it isn't up and running, a web designer who offers quality tech support can be worth his weight in gold.





If you are thinking about designing a website for your business you might be tempted to just go with a pre-made template. However, if you want your website to stand out this may not be the best way to go. Hiring a web designer (or learning to do it yourself) and creating a custom website will enable you to be sure that your page does exactly what you want it to and is a good reflection of you and your business.


tisdag 24 april 2012

Learning How to Make a Website Which Will Attract Potential Customers




How to make a website may seem incredibly daunting, however, if you take the time to research correctly, you can achieve incredible things. If you own a business, you want to ensure that you reach as many people as possible. Therefore, having a top quality website will ensure that your customer base increases significantly.





A successful website does not appear overnight, and you will need to spend time and effort creating the perfect platform for your business. If you are committed to your website being a success, you are more likely to create a website that people will enjoy using. There are millions of different websites available for potential customers to browse. Therefore, you need to ensure that yours is a high quality website.





You need to focus all of your attention on designing the ultimate website that will become the gateway to your business. Regardless of the size of your business creating a website is essential, and ensuring that it is top quality is vital. Your client base will be able to grow, and you will appeal far more to a wider audience. With a modern, up to date, stylish, easy to navigate website, you will be maximizing your potential.





Learning how to make a website will take a basic level of understanding and technical knowledge. You will need to understand how computers work, and have an idea of the style of the website that you want to create. There are many different templates on the Internet that you can use, to ensure that you do not need a professional website designer.





Having the confidence to make your website is the first step, and once you begin, you will enjoy the process. You will be proud of the website that you have created, and be able to learn from the experience. By taking the time to plan, design and put the website in place yourself; will ensure that you understand every element.





Being able to make changes to your website is essential, and will guarantee that your customers are kept informed of changes as they happen. People like to see modern and updated websites, and will prefer to use these over abandoned websites. You need to consider what you want to achieve from having a website.





Once you have done this the creative side of you can take over, and create a fantastic platform for your business. Choosing the name for your website is incredibly valuable, and you need to spend time researching potential names. Registering your name, and purchasing the domain are vital to ensure that your website is unique.





Every element of your website needs to be thought about carefully to ensure that the writing, colors, styles, and layout are all user friendly. People like using websites that are user friendly, and easy to navigate through. Using a free template is often the best way to learn how to build a website, and there are some brilliant templates available.





Having your website up and running is essential before publishing to the Internet, and allowing customers to access the information. Expanding your business through the Internet is a powerful platform. If utilized correctly, the Internet can become one of the best tools to promote your business.


söndag 22 april 2012

How to Make a Website




A tutorial of making websites can very well be written into a lengthy book as it involves a lot more than you think. This article serves as an introductory guide on how and what you should do to have or create your own websites. You should research and find more detailed information on each of the steps. You may or may not need programming background, depending on how you want to create the website.





Obtaining a domain name





A website starts at its domain name. Think of a cool domain name first, short, meaningful, preferably not a generic one if you intend for.com because that would very probably have been registered by someone else long time ago. Choose a domain registrar such as GoDaddy. It's the biggest domain registrar globally. After registration, they should send you an email confirming that you are the legal owner of the domain name.





Finding a web hosting provider





There are an abundance of them. In fact, we wouldn't run out of web hosting companies even after we have run out of mice. You can find something pretty decent to trust your website with at less than $10 a month. We recommend rackspacecloud.com and pair.com. After payment, they should be emailing you a bunch of important account details such as the login details of the web control panel that you can use to control your web hosting account, as well as the IP address, username and password of your FTP account that you use to upload your website data / files to the server.





The hosting control panel should be easy to use and both of the providers I recommended above have detailed tutorials on getting newbies started. Otherwise if you have gone with other hosting businesses, chances are you will be using a rather popular generic server control panel called cPanel.





The first thing you need to do in the control panel is to add your domain name to the hosting system and change the name servers of your domain name to that of the hosting account. It's all about authority delegation. After you have finished both steps, you should be able to type in the domain name address in the browser address bar to access your website, albeit an empty one simply with a list of files in the document root directory.





Create some web pages and upload it to the website directory





You may need to take a few courses on making web pages with easy to use IDE such as Dreamweaver or Expression Web. After creating the web pages and testing them on your local browsers, you are ready to upload them to the website directory on your hosting account (hosting server) via FTP.


fredag 20 april 2012

How To Make A Website And Make Money - The Basics




One of the most common questions I get asked these days by those looking to make money online is how to make a website and make money. I always try to advise people not to over complicate this business and start simple, don't try to build complicated websites that require a lot of PHP programming and require high maintenance, but instead start out in affiliate marketing and make money this way, because the type of website that you build for this purpose doesn't take long to accomplish.





In order to make a website for affiliate marketing so you can make money online you need to understand the process. Firstly you need to find a profitable niche and this isn't as difficult as it may sound and I'll be covering more on this in my next article. Once you have a profitable niche you need to build what is known as a squeeze page or lead capture page around this niche.





When you make a website of this type you will only create three pages. The first page we have already mentioned and it's sole purpose is to have a great free offer of value and quality. Do not try to give away something inferior as your prospects will not be impressed and will probably unsubscribe from your list and you will damage your reputation before you even get started.





In order to collect peoples email addresses you will need an opt-in form linked to what is known as an autoresponder and the best one on the market which is often referred to as the Rolls Royce of autoresponders is called AWeber.





Do not think you can do this business and not build a list, I can't stress enough how important this is because around 80 percent of your online income will come from your list. It's also important to build and maintain a good relationship with your list.





The next step to take once you have your squeeze page is to create a thank you page, this is a page of your website that your visitor who signs up will be taken to where you have the opportunity to thank them for subscribing and to let them know that an email has been sent asking them to confirm their subscription and that the link will also take them to the last of your three pages which is the download page, as this is where your subscriber will access their free gift.





Once you make a website and you begin to build a good relationship with your list, you can start to promote niche related products to your list and you will make money and one of the best places to find products to promote is an affiliate network called ClickBank and you can find products with commissions as high as 75 percent.





So what tool will we use to make a website and make money? I use a free HTML editor called KompoZer to make a website for this purpose. This tool is known as a WYSIWYG editor, what you see is what you get. You can insert images, type text, insert videos and do this without ever much having to look at the HTML code behind the scenes and you will see the page pretty much the same way as your visitor will and HTML simply means hypertext mark-up language.





You'll also need what is known as an FTP client in order to transfer your website files from your computer to your hosting account, FTP simply stands for file transfer protocol and I'll be covering this subject in more detail in a later article along with hosting and how to get set up, but the most widely used FTP software used is called FileZilla.





Now that we are aware of what we need to know to make a website and make money, we need to find a good tutorial to take us step by step through the whole process in an easy to understand way. The best tutorial I used when I got started using KompoZer was Chris Farrell's Create Your First Website By 3:45 This Afternoon.