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Starting A Website


The_Munchmaster

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Hi,

 

Simple answer, pay someone to do it :)

 

Seriously though, it depends a bit on your needs. Do you want a 'real' website or just a blog?

Do you want your own domain name? What about hosting?

 

I guess what you could do is get a template from one of the template sites (I would have recommended templatemonster.com, but had a horrible experience with them recently), get a domain name and hosting from GoDaddy.com, and take it from there.

 

You probably would still need some HTML knowledge though.

 

Sanuk!

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Simple question. What's the best way to start a website?

 

1) It depends how complex your website shall be

2) Will you want/need your own domain name?

3) Will want to have it on your own server space for full control over the site? (this comes usually with the domain name).

 

If it's a more complex website, with your own domain name and on your own server space (this doesn't mean to rent a server actually) I would go for provider which offers an auto install of Wordpress. Actually Wordpress is a blog software, but it can easily (mis-)used for having your own website as a real CMS (content management system**). It's open source and constantly being upgraded. It's the best blog software available hand it's highly regarded as a basic CMS system, by easily installing webpages and hiding the blog part. Even major companies have their websites based on Wordpress.

Hundreds of free Website designs are available for Wordpress as well has hundred of free plugins.

 

My recommendation for a provider would be Bluehost.com. Bluehost offers Wordpress as auto install and it can be installed within 1 minute. And it just takes one evening to understand how it's working and for to find a nice template (design). You don't even need to know HTML if you find a template which suits you (I use free template and have modified it, but for this you need at least basic knowledge in HTML.) BUT Bluehost is from Utah and kills your website if you published nude images. I have published some nudes on my Wordpress blog, but I guess there weren't aware of this.

 

Anyway Bluehost receives excellent reviews since years used the latest server software, is fast and offers of 99% uptime. And Bluehost has an excellent online support. A few years ago my WP blog got hacked and they helped me to find the hack and to restore it.

Don't go for providers like Godaddy which are mainly domain name dealers and are not that good in support for websites, blogs e.g.

 

If you don't need your own domain and don't need 100% control, go for one of the free website builders. Here is a list for example:

http://www.beautiful...bsite-builders/

But be aware, as soon as you want to upgrade to your own domain or so it's usually more expensive than Bluehost and similar providers.

 

If you just want to post photographs and short texts go to Tumblr.com (free) or to Wordpress.com (free as well, hosted by Wordpress. A Wordpress.com blog can easily be moved to a self hosted Wordpress blog). Wordpress aside I use Tumblr as my side blog. Both hosted systems, Tumblr and WP, are easy to use. Tumblr is very image orientated, while WP is used by amateurs as well be professionals with thousands of readers for personal or highly professional content.

 

Conclusion: you can own your own, fine website for a basic fee of around 5-10 USD per month without the need to learn HTML or to employ a webdesigner to do it for you - unless your website is essential for your business, or you want a specific design.

 

**CMS means that changes of the fonts, colors e.g. applies to all pages to your website and if you add new content you don't need to deal with the design of the content at all. Today every website which has more than one/two pages usually is based on a CMS.

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And this is the truth!

 

it depends. If you like to learn basic HTML it take just a few days/nights and you can have a well designed WP blog/webisite outfitted with the latest plugins (visitor analysis, facebook integration, e.g.).

 

If you don't have any interest/time to deal with setting it up at all, of course a paid web designer is the best option.

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