How To Build A Website: Tips, Tricks, & Helpful Advice
Utilize Your Skills to Create Your Own Website
Websites have come a long way in the last 15 years or so since the internet went mainstream in the mid-1990s. Basic Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) has evolved into XHTML and cascading style sheets (CSS), JavaScript and Flash have all contributed to changing the way the Web works and looks. While the programming end of things may be more complicated, in many ways, it's now easier than ever to learn how to build a website. There are numerous platforms out there where you can build your own website for free.
How to Build a Website
There are several reasons to learn how to make a website; either you want build a website for yourself based on a hobby that you enjoy, or you want to start some kind of internet business. If you want to become a designer, you're going to have to invest the time to learn about all the programming languages along with their strengths and weaknesses.
You'll also need to be familiar with graphics programs like Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator, among others. On the other hand, if you just want to build a website for yourself, there are plenty of ways to make a free website in just a few hours without having to spend months learning the programming languages.
Make a Website for Free
The internet has given rise to plenty of free ways to build your own website. Not only can you find free web hosting, but you can even get free WYSIWYG software like KompoZer to build a static website. There are some drawbacks to this method, the first being that free web hosting is often unreliable, rife with ads and offers limited storage. The other is that while WYSIWYG editors simplify the coding of the website, they offer little in the way of web design. In other words, unless you know something about graphics and design, you'll end up with a very bland-looking site.
A better solution would be using a Web 2.0 powered free website offered by sites like WordPress.com or Blogger. While originally intended for creating blogs, these sites also allow you to create static webpages like a traditional website. They are easy to use and offer powerful features out of the box like the ability to interact with your readers via comments, plus RSS feeds and the ability to schedule your content in advance.
They also allow you to create more visually pleasing sites by offering templates that you can choose from. They won't be able to compete with a custom design from a pro web designer, but they will still look far better than anything a novice could put together.
