Step 2 – Creating Your Website

1. Register a domain name

Remember when we did the keyword research in the Research section? When you register a domain you really need to have your main key phrase (in our example it was “golden retriever training”) in the domain name. Something like trainingyourgoldenretriever.com is still available and although it is a little long it explains exactly what your site is about.

You may have noticed that by using “your” in the domain name it speaks directly to golden retriever owners. This type of emotional connection is extremely valuable and profitable. You are showing golden retriever owners how to train their dog, not a dog.

People often ask me what they should do if the .com extension is taken. Try and come up with a .com that is available. Mix the order of words (it should still make sense) like I did to come up with trainingyourgoldenretriever.com when goldenretrievertraining.com was unavailable. Or use hyphens in the name separating the words.

If you really cannot come up with a .com domain name, use .net and as a last resort you can use .info. By the way, I have around 60 .com domains, 1 .net domain and no .info domains so you can see what I prefer

I like to use Namecheap for registering domain names. They have an easy to use interface and I have never had any problems with them. They also change your new DNS settings very quickly (don’t worry, we will get to that in a moment). Whatever you do, never use the same company for domain name registration and hosting. I have heard some horror stories about web hosts that can hold you hostage because they also control the domain name!

2. Set up web hosting

There are a lot of companies offering web hosting online. What they are essentially doing is offering you space and bandwidth on servers they own and run which is why you have to be careful when choosing a web host. Cheaper is not always better!

You also have a range of options to choose from. Shared servers, dedicated servers, reseller hosting, and so forth.

Well, let’s break it down.

If you want to set up one or maybe a handful of normal size sites, choose a shared server package that will enable you to include the number of sites you are planning.

If you are planning a huge site (and I mean HUGE) then get a dedicated server. However, for most people a shared server will have enough space and bandwidth to meet their needs.

If you are planning to set up loads of normal sites (read niche sites with up to a couple of hundred pages each) then reseller hosting will be your best solution.

Be sure to read the features of all the packages and think hard before choosing one. It is a nightmare to change hosting providers.

The best web host I have found is HostGator. They have a range of packages to suit everybody and they are reasonably priced as well. Most importantly, their customer service is outstanding!

After you have set up your hosting, make sure to change the DNS settings of your domain to the DNS settings of your web host. If you don’t know how to do this, get your DNS settings from your web host and contact your domain provider. Most domain providers will be happy to help you change it.

3. Creating your site

I can write a 100 page guide just on creating a site and many guides have been written about it! However, in the interest of time I will give a brief overview of the main ways to create a website.

In the future we will drill into each technique with tips, etc so be sure to check back regularly!

Wordpress

Installing a Wordpress blog as your site is probably the most popular way to create a website. It is easy to install, but you will need some technical skills if you want to customize the site with new graphics or a different template. The reason I like Wordpress is its flexibility. This site was created with Wordpress and if I decide to change the color of something it is only a few clicks away. Want to change my sidebar layout? A couple of minutes and it is changed!

Since an easy Wordpress installation option is included by web hosts using CPanel (HostGator is one) for free, you can create a site without it costing you a cent. However, unless you know your way around Wordpress as well as the different Wordpress plugins to enrich the site you might need an expert.

If you want to go at it alone, then I can recommend Caroline Middlebrook’s free Wordpress guide as a good starting point.

Website Creation Software

There is a lot of different software available that can create beautiful websites. Software like Dreamweaver and Frontpage are the popular options, but unless you have a lot of time to get familiar with the software and know HTML coding I would not recommend using it. Some people swear by them but it is just too difficult and time consuming for an inexperienced person to use.

The software I do recommend and the one I use is XSitePro. It is easy to use, it has a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) interface, it already has some nice and colorful templates to use and you can create a site without knowing a piece of code.

XSitePro automates a lot of tasks that will not only make your site look nicer but will also help with ranking in the search engines.

Now I have to confess, I started on Dreamweaver (this was long before XSitePro was even created) and in spite of all the good things I have heard about XSitePro I resisted getting it. Years later I eventually got it and I was really annoyed that I have not started using it earlier.

HTML Coding

If you want to learn the “insides” of how websites work you will need to learn the HTML and PHP programming languages. Is it necessary? No, but it will help you significantly when you want to start customizing websites.

Once you have created a couple of sites with Wordpress or XSitePro start learning the basics of HTML. It really is not that hard and you will be delighted about the flexibility it gives you. Later on learn more advanced HTML. If you are REALLY interested give PHP a go as well. A word of warning: php is much harder to learn than HTML.

Now you might ask why people would code their websites instead of using one of the above, easier options. You do get hardcore coders creating their whole website on Notepad! I was one of them for a few years and enjoyed it, but it is just too time consuming, which eats into profits.

Outsourcing

The last and most expensive option is outsourcing your website creation. Chances are the webmaster will use Wordpress, XSitePro or Dreamweaver to create your site, but at least you don’t have to learn how to do it.

You can go to places like Elance.com, post your project and see how much people bid for it. You might even get away with paying less than $200 for the site. Be warned that for such a low amount the site will either not be unique (they would use an existing template and just fill in the blanks) or be a rush job with coding errors, etc.

For a quality custom site with all the bells and whistles I would expect to pay at least $600 and closer to $1,000. Also, ask other webmasters or friends who they have used as it is normally better to use somebody referred by a friend than an unknown person.

Free Websites

“What about free websites like Blogger or Squidoo?” you might ask. I have not included free websites in the site creation options, as I don’t think it is a good business decision to be at the mercy of a third party. What if you created all your sites on Squidoo and they close down? You lose your revenue streams. I would encourage you to pay a small amount of money and get your own domain and hosting. Then you are in control.

I do use some free sites like Blogger, Squidoo and Hubpages to test new niches or products. Throw up a couple of Squidoo lenses in an hour and see if people are interested in the niche or product. If they are you can create your own site around it. So in the case of quickly testing new ideas Blogger, Squidoo and Hubpages are really useful.

Now that you have your own website up and running we can move on to the next step which is to generate content for your site.

Tags: create website, Site Creation