How to Create Your Own Website

1. Getting a Host

   The first thing you're going to want to do is find a host. You can start testing things out on a free host; although usually they have several disadvantages. Such as, very low bandwidth and diskspace, advertisements, no top-level domains, few or no MySQL databases and only standard HTML coding platforms, no support, and bad uptime. Free hosts generally have limited or no FTP access, and especially no CPanel access. The upgrade packages that they provide are generally very expensive for what you get and you receive the same poor service. If you're creating a website for anything more then blog or a personal site, free hosts aren't the way to go.

   • Piczo Free
     When using Piczo, you do not need any coding skills whatsoever. It is also made very easy to get hits and manage your pages. However, you pay the price of disorganization and many advertisements. Your URL will be {yourwebsitename}.piczo.com
   • Freewebs Free
     If you choose to use a template that they provide, minimal HTML and CSS skill is required, if none. If you do choose to use their templates, there is little room for customization. The templates are also easily recognizes as Freewebs templates, and they will place up ads. If you choose not to use a template, their will be no ads but the want you to have a link to them on every page. Also, Freewebs is becoming more and more popular, and so they have been having many errors, saying that your site is not found or something, when really it is just fine. Your URL will be http://www.freewebs.com/{yourusername}
   • Bravenet/Bravehost Free
     Bravenet comes with many features that are great for expanding your website. Almost anything you could think of adding, they provide you with for free. They also have a wizard so that you can EASILY create a professional looking website without the use of iFrames. Really, there is no HTML experience required for the most part. The only issue is that you may run across some advertisements. Other than that, I really like it! Oh, but they can be awfully slow at times. Your URL will be http://www.{yourwebsitename}.bravehost.com
   • Freehostia Free
     Freehostia is ad-free on your webpage. It is almost as if you are PAYING for a host (although it IS free!) because you can upload just about any format of file, or create any format of file, on Freehostia. The only issue is that sometimes it runs impossibly slow and oftentimes the files do not work correctly. If you can get the hang of it, though, then go for it! But HTML and coding skill IS REQUIRED! They DO NOT provide ANY help with the coding process! Your URL will be {yourwebsitename}.freehostia.com
   • Awardspace Free
     Awardspace can cause a hassle when signing up and receiving emails and logging in. It often is slow at sending the emails and your passwords are quit complicated. They can occasionally run very slowly on your website, annoying visitors. They often have errors such as an internal server error or database error, shutting down your website for a few hours. If two pages are edited at once, they will become duplicates of each other, so if you do this, do not give staff passwords unless they are guaranteed to be on at a different time than you! Your URL will be {yourwebsitename}.awardspace.com
2. GoDaddy Starting at $4.99/mo
   Godaddy offers a great service for webmasters both new and expert. Not only do they offer advanced shared webhosting services, they also offer dedicated and virtual private servers. I use them for domain hosting; GoDaddy's wide range of domains and features really come in handy. Their team offers webdesign and logo design if you're willing to dish out some cash. Of course, this is a paid host so you get a top level domain such as {yourwebsitename}.com or {yourwebsitename}.net.
3. Thinkhost $7.95/mo
   Thinkhost is a pretty amazing host. For starters, they are completely run on green energy. They offer unlimited server space, bandwidth, MySQL databases, websites, email accounts; along with unlimited other features. What really makes them distinct from the others is their free dedicated IP and SSL support. Of course, you get a free top level domain with this host such as {yourwebsitename}.com or {yourwebsitename}.net. Use the coupon oak_aridseas for 30 bucks off any order!
4. Dreamhost $8.95/mo
   Dreamhost offers a great webhosting service. From their completely unlimited plan to their 50 GB backups, they are all around amazing. DreamHost offers virtual private and dedicated servers as well. All my experience and everything I've been told about them is very positive; additionally they offer account add-ons such as unique IP addresses, VPN access and SSL access.

5. Creating Your Site

   
   There are many other options to making a site, but these are the ones we are most experienced with.
   The next step is to create your site. Before you do anything, think of a name. It should have something to do with what your site is about, or something brandable. You can edit the pages and add content however you wish! It just depends on the theme of your site. Read a few of the web host's help pages so that you can learn how to use all the spectacular features! If you're new to webcoding and graphic design, you are free to use our graphics, which include layout templates. You can also use our Graphic Design tutorials and our Coding Tutorials, which includes a comprehensive HTML guide, a CSS guide, and a list of Javascript code snippets.

6. Domains

   If you picked a paid webhost, skip this
   It is completely up to you, but you might (and probably will) choose to sack your free subdomain with one from a bigger site or a free domain name. Our site also offers free subdomain hosting. But you can always get a {yourwebsitename}.co.nr, {yourwebsitename}.net.tf (and many other things .tf) , or {yourwebsitename}.makes.it or .zor.org .

   Anyways, that's completely up to you. If you want someone to take you seriously online, it's generally suggested that you get a top-level domain. I strongly suggest GoDaddy for domain hosting.

7. Getting Visitors to Your Site

   
   Generally, your goal should be to provide quality content (something that is unique), and drive as much content as possible to your website. Traffic is important as, first off, more people are there to read what you have to say. If you're trying to make money, the more traffic (and targeted traffic) the better. Targeted traffic is traffic from people who actually want to read the type of content on your site. Again, if your goal is to sell a product, it takes an average of 7 exposures to sell something. For free hosting, some ways you can do this are:
   • Tell all of your family and friends to visit. They most likely will at least once to be nice, but make sure you tell them to come back daily!
   • Advertise on other site's forums or advertisement spaces if allowed. For example, some sites will, just for the fun of it, allow you to put up a free banner linking to your site on theirs. It depends on your niche (most websites can be categorized into niches, such as webdesign, or fitness, or really anything); but usually sites that allow free advertising have little traffic or are lower quality.
   • Join a link exchange (or sometimes called Affiliates, although affiliate programs are generally programs that offer pay for referring people to products). Basically, you apply and put a link to a website on your site, and they will link back to your website. It's free and can be a great way to receive traffic. If the website doesn't offer an affiliate program, it's best not to email them as they generally aren't interested in link exchanges. You should pay attention to your affiliates
   • Join Topsites. Topsites are lists of sites that rank sites depending on the number of visitors they receive and also other people can rate your site. By joining Topsites, people who are going to view other sites from the topsite list may also choose to view yours! Arid Seas has a topsite!
   • Plug on plugboards! They actually can get you quite a few hits!
   • Use your own content on as many sites and places as possible. Seeing it out around the net encourages people more and more to come to your site.
   • For paid advertising, Adwords is usually suggested although my experiences haven't been great. Text Link Ads can really go a far way and I do suggest it. Bidvertister is usually pretty decent but I've had some sketchy experiences with them (when I logged on, for example, it logged me onto someone else's account)

8. Some Parting Words

   
   Now before you leave this guide, I would like to give you a few tips and words of encouragement.

   Here are the tips:

   • Always, always, ALWAYS, be as kind as you can be! It will pay of so much!
   • Stay updated as much as possible
   • Visit other sites regularly to get ideas and also know what most people are interested in
   • Don't steal -- JUST DON'T DO IT!! You could easily lose all visitors and that's how you get sued..
   • Don't waste away all your time on your site -- you'll get sick of it, and your site will just end up terrible.
   • Don't focus on making money right off the bat; get your website established.

   And the words of encouragement:

   • Be determined. If you're determined, you can get so much farther! Many people lose in everything for lack of determination.
   • Be creative. If you're creative, people will like your site better because it's different, and refreshing.
   • Never let your hopes down. Just because things aren't going great, doesn't mean it'll always be that way

   Good luck, and I hope this has helped.