How to Make A Website

Has the thought ever occurred to you that you would like to learn how to make a web site?

If you’ve spent any amount of time online, there is a good chance you’ve given this some thought. But how do you make a website? What do you need to know, and what do you need to get before you make a website? Don’t worry, because that is what I intend to cover in this beginner’s article.

First, lets assume you want to make money from your website rather than simply learning how to make a website. Why do I make this distinction? Because they are two completely different topics, and the first one is usually the one most people have in mind when they learn how to make a website.

Next, let’s assume that you want to learn how to make a website, an actual website, one that you have complete control over and lets you keep 100% of the returns. I have already written articles on the subject of content driven hubs, and they lie outside of the topic: How to Make A Website.

To recap, such sites are part of the current Web 2.0 trend that allow you to put your content up on the web. In return the site will share a percentage of the revenue the page generates or take a percentage of your sales. This is vastly different than learning how to make a website, because you do not control the site, and you’re often limited in how it is monetized. For example, if you’re planning on selling your products or services, these solutions generally won’t work for you.

But enough on that subject, lets learn how to make a website!

What is a website to you? Many people look at a website and think that it is simply some text, graphics and images thrown together on the page. These people will think that they know how to make a website simply by clicking a few buttons in an antiquated HTML editor. But the fact is, these people don’t know how to make a website. And being skilled in such an application doesn’t make them a professional.

Learning how to make a website covers much more and requires some understanding of the technologies that are available. So what are the options for making a website?

Static HTML and XHTML. This is how most people started out making websites. And knowing the structure needed to create a web page is the foundation all other knowledge is built on. People that use an editor won’t generally take the time to learn this crucial knowledge, and when they encounter an error they won’t know how to fix it. This article covers how to make a website. Coding one from scratch is beyond the scope, however, don’t worry, there are great resources out there, and I am going to share the best one with you.

W3, or World Wide Web Consortium, is a free resource that shows you the proper way to use HTML, XHTML, CSS and the like. You can find them under the URL: http://w3c.com

But there is much more to web development than static (X)HTML, and if you want to learn how to make a website, you will need to go to the next level. PHP. You might have heard of it or you’ve seen the file extension .php on some web pages, but it isn’t until you write your first page in PHP that its powerful and flexible nature becomes apparent.

Now I know what you’re thinking, this is all over my head, I don’t want to spend X years learning how to code my own website. And if using a HTML editor is no good, what’s left? I want to learn how to make a website!

Thankfully, learning how to make a website is much simpler than it used to be. In fact the days of static pages and web hosts charging an arm and a leg for more sophisticated server features are also coming to an end. Today PHP is a given in most plans, and access to MySQL databases is common place.

Even five years ago features like these would have frequently been tucked away in more expensive premium plans. But can now be had for as little as $4.95 a month.

When I see prices like these I have to chuckle. You see, when I was learning how to make a website for the first time almost a decade ago I was paying much more for a bare bones plan, with next to no disk space and only slightly better bandwidth. For those learning how to make a website, there has never been a better time.

The learning curve, while still steep, has more footholds and resources, the cost is lower, and there are plenty of options to choose from. Another big improvement is the availability of content management systems (CMS) and blogging platforms like WordPress (which outperforms most CMS in my opinion).

And that is where our journey on how to make a website will take us.

There isn’t even a chance that you haven’t heard about blogging, not if you’re learning how to build a website. And that is what WordPress is for. But for those resourceful users like yourself, it is much more, and when you want it to be, it is a CMS for your website.

You see, while the server is a complex and unmanageable beast for the new webmaster, WordPress sits on top of your server, a thin layer that lets you access its advanced features. Both through its powerful structure and through the ability to further strengthen it with free and commercial themes and plugins. Though in all fairness, a lot of the really exceptional themes and plugins are free.

I have seen people struggle to learn how to make websites switch to WordPress and have sites setup and promoting their products over the course of a weekend. And while this may not be the average, it shows what making a website has become.

Leveraging what others have done, and the knowledge that they share is what the Internet is all about. Learning how to make a website where your voice can be heard and your products purchased has leveled the playing field. Making an ecommerce website has become easier, and more affordable. It is no longer an area of the Internet where big brands broadcast their message without competition. The Internet has become the great equalizer.

Learning how to make a website is crucial, but it can be as simple as registering a domain name, acquiring web hosting, installing WordPress and picking out a theme that fits your tastes and market.