How to Get Started in the Web Design World
It is very easy to get lost in the sea of information about starting your own web site. If you have tried to build one in the past or are looking to try it for the very first time it’s not as bad as it looks.
FIRST:
You will need to get a domain name. If you are not sure what a domain even means, that’s fine. Your domain name will be your address. It’s what you will give people to get to your site.
Example: If you wanted to have a site about rocks and you wanted to name it art rocks. Then your domain name would end up being World Wide Web.artrocks better known as www with either a.net/.com at the end or whatever you choose to go with.
There are many places to get a domain name but it will cost you. Prices depend on where you go but can be in the ballpark of $7 -$12 a year. It’s really not that much money no matter where you go. If you are not sure what you want your name to be, it’s fine. No matter where you go, once you start putting in names it will let you know if it’s available. If not, it will give you a list of options with that name, that are available.
SECOND:
Now that you have a domain name you need to have it hosted. Many places will host your name for you but it will cost you. Prices depend on where you have it hosted but it will be in the ballpark of $10-$15 a month. Every place that I know of will offer you a discount of some kind if you pay the entire year up front. By hosting your name people will be able to search for it on the internet and find your site.
THIRD:
The easy part is done. Now begins trying to figure out what kind of site you want and how you want it to look. Some people who really know what they are doing can build a site from scratch. If you are reading this, then chances are you are not one of them.
Don’t worry though, you can find templates all over the place. A template is a basic layout of a web site. There are thousands to choose from so you can find the look you are going for. When you have your name hosted it will be attached to a basic template to begin with. You can go into your admin where you will find the tools you need to change your site around. From there you can make changes to the template you have or download the new one you just found.
If you have never done anything like this before it can take some time to figure out. If you are not sure about something or how to make a change, you can find forums at almost any template. There you can find the answers you are looking for or ask questions. Even if it takes days to get things figured out, you will be so proud of yourself when you do.
FOURTH:
Now that you have a web site up and running start putting your own touches on it to make it stand out. This is something you should always be doing. Start looking for traffic and ways to make the traffic want to come back. There are many other things you will learn along the way but those will come in time. Just focus on the first parts listed here and get your site online.
