What you need to make a website

By Catalogs Editorial Staff

Even non-nerds can get onnline once you know what you need to make a website

Whether you want to provide information, inspiration, a product, or a service, it helps to have a web presence to help you find your audience. A well-crafted website will help get you noticed; here are some tips for what you need to make a website.

Domain Name

Before you can create your website, you need to decide on a domain name?a name for your website?that is unique and memorable. In order to obtain a domain name, you will need to pay a fee for the use of the name for a specific period of time, such as annually. There are many websites that you can use to register your domain name, such as GoDaddy or Network Solutions.

Web Hosting

A web hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service which allows individuals and entities to make their websites accessible via the World Wide Web. Your web host is also often referred to as your ?server? and is the place where your web pages and files are located.

Web Page Design

Once you have settled your domain name and web host, it is time to design the actual web site. Website design can be handled by a design firm, or it can be a simple DIY project with the help of your web host. Many web hosts also offer templates to enable individuals and small businesses to create a simple website on their own in order to save expenses. If you decide to design the site yourself, you need to keep some basic considerations in mind:

Provide contact information – If readers might need to contact you, make sure to keep that information in an easy to find location, such as a ?Contact Us? page in order to avoid frustration.

Don?t Keyword Stuff ? Google hates keyword stuffing, and no one likes to tick off Google!

Provide links to social media ? People can?t ?Like? you on Facebook if they don?t know that you are on Facebook.

Nix the Bells and Whistles ? Keep the swirly graphics and moody music to a minimum; often what may seem cutting edge is actually a bit annoying. It is also worth noting that many people surf the ?net at work (most certainly it is only during breaks!), so don?t rat them out with loud music or other noises.

Proof Read, Proof Read, Proof Read

Nothing destroys credibility like a typo on a web page. Silly mistakes can bring a lot of unwanted attention to your site, and will almost certainly be shared and re-shared. With the internet, typos can live on long after they have been corrected.

Test Your Website

You will need to test your web pages in the major browsers (Internet Explorer (IE), Firefox, Chrome); such tests are the only way to ensure that your website works the way you want it to on your visitors’ machines. Make sure that web pages do not cut off when printed, and that the font can be enlarged for viewers with difficulty reading smaller fonts.

You should also check that the underlying code of your web page has no syntax errors. If you lack technical knowledge of HTML, you can use one of the numerous free web page validators, such as HTML Tidy, to perform this step.

Accepting Payment

If you are selling products or services (or if you want to accept donations), you need the ability to collect payment. PayPal is an easy way to enable visitors to make purchases or to donate to your site.

Getting Noticed

When your site is ready, you can submit it to search engines like Google. Website owners can help increase the visibility of a website by submitting and optimizing it for Google search. You can also help make your website popular by providing links to the website on your business card, on your Facebook page, and on any other social media platforms.