Want to Make Your Own Website?  Think Twice…

Have you ever tried to make your own website?  If you have then you probably know how hard it can be.  First of all how do I start? I saw that Intuit.com ad on TV that said how easy it was to make my own website, I’ll start there.  So you sign up with Intuit for a free 30 day trial and say I’m going to make my own website.  Then you login.  But it soon becomes apparent that you don’t know what you’re doing.  So you hit a minor road block.  You finally give up, until you see Danica Patrick on the GoDaddy.com commercial.  Hey GoDaddy says I can make my own website.  I’ll give that a try.  So you work on building your GoDaddy site until you figure out how slow it is which is why I like to call it “SlowDaddy”.  So you’re having a little trouble as did I.  After talking with some friends who are especially computer savvy, you finally end up on WordPress.com hoping to finally get something off the ground.     

I am by no means an expert, but I have learned a little.  I am really starting to like WordPress.  But this is beside the point.  So let’s get back to the daunting task of building your own website.  And I say building because that is exactly what you are doing.  Imagine if you were going to build a house and you thought to yourself, I’m going to buy some bricks, some 2×4’s, and some shingles and I’m going to build a house.  Then you start laying some bricks.  But wait a minute you forgot the mortar to cement the bricks together.  You have to go back to the store and buy some.  So now you’ve got your mortar and you get your foundation together.  But now you realize that you need more than just 2×4’s.  Off to the store again.  This kind of back and forth motion should be expected when you are attempting a task that you are not sure how to complete.

Trying to filter through all of the posts and sites saying how easy it is to create your own website can be frustrating but I would recommend going with WordPress.  There is so much that goes into building a website.  From choosing a Content Management System or (CMS), to choosing your host, and your domain name.  There are practically an infinite number of themes available for purchase.  And when you buy one and start using it, it doesn’t live up to your expectations.  You soon find out that you still don’t know what you are doing.  So now you’re off to W3schools.com to start learning HTML, the language of the internet.  HTML is the basis for any website and there is a lot to learn in HTML but the good news is that your CMS takes care of most of it.  But it is still a good idea to get familiar with HTML.  Then you’re off to Cascading Style Sheets or (CSS), and then PHP.   And the list of languages goes on.    

The fact is that building your own website is not easy.  Okay, so now you are starting to get the hang of things.  You are getting familiar with HTML, CSS, your CMS, and your theme, “but not really”, and you want to start monetizing your website.  You sign up for a Google AdSense account and take a while to get acquainted with the application.  You have figured out how to copy and paste the code onto your website.  Great you have advertising on your website but no content.  So you decide to write a page about a particular work of art.  This is great! You’re first post.  You post it and it doesn’t look how you want it to.  This is where your experience with HTML, CSS, and your CMS will help you.      

Building a website is a constant battle.  Don’t expect to have a website up and running overnight like you hear and read all the time.  It takes a lot of effort especially if you are like me and don’t have much experience. 

My Advice

Make a Plan – Get a notebook and write your ideas in it.  Draw sketches.  Consider what type of site you want to build.  Do you want an About Us page?  Do you want a Contact page?  Visit your favorite sites to get some ideas and inspiration. 

Write New Content – I had a college professor or two tell me to write what I know.  This is good advice to start with.  But in the long run, what you know is not necessarily what people want to read. So find a niche!

Get Familiar with HTML, CSS, and your Content Management System (CMS) – Start with W3schools.  Learn the HTML tags.

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Get Help – Ask your friends and family for help.  If you have the finances hire help.

Practice!!! Practice!! Practice!  Be persistent! – The more you do and the more time you spend learning this stuff the better off you will be. 

Here is a Great Website!