Web Site Building for Novices

by H. John Johnsen

Web Page Building Hints for Non-Webmasters (Newbie's)

I am definitely not a webmaster, but have built and won an award for my site. I have learned very quickly over the last few months how to get caught up and how to get un-caught up in the web site building game. There are a ton of web site hosting servers and web site building, seo and other types of software available. It can be overwhelming- unless you focus on what you really need and don't get caught up in the miles of hype. Decide on a Name for Your Site

The first thing to do is decide on the name of your site. Bounce around some names with your friends and family. Try to come up with at least 10 names and start elimination by asking friends which ones they would choose. You will be surprised at the amount of names you can come up with and which ones people prefer. Number the choices from one to whatever number you list contains. This will come in handy as you will read in the next paragraph. Once you have decided you should register the name if you are planning a serious web site. You can use free web hosts like yahoo and others for the personal-family type site; so check them out also before investing any money. Writing Copy of Your Site

Writing for your site can be an easy task. Jot down some notes and ask friends and family their opinions about the copy. As you build your site you can add more copy, but you will want to get the basics figured out first. Of course, if you have the money you can hire a writer to do it for you. If not just review some similar sites, but don't copy them because that could become a legal problem down the road. Reviewing sites is just to give you an idea of what others are doing with their web sites. Site Web Hosting

Now think about whether the site is going to be small or large. Meaning; how many pages will you be making. The reason for this is too decide on whether or not you need a free or paid web hosting service. The free ones will allow limited space and put advertisements on your site. Do some comparison shopping to find the one that best fits your needs. Site Building Software

Many hosting sites provide web site building software. But, consider the fact that you have to be on-line to work on your site and if you leave that particular host the software stays with them and you have to start building all over again. My suggestion is to consider desktop site building software. This software allows you to ftp (file transfer protocol) your newly built pages to your host. All that means is that the software will send your new pages to the internet for all to see. But, be sure the software website provides excellent help or has a chat for help. Search Engine Registration

Once you site is built (no under-construction pages) you will need to register it with search engines so they can find your site. There are some software products that claim to be able to automatically submit your site. Today the search engines have learned about this software and now you have to hand enter the information to each one. This means they have a code you have to copy exactly as it appears on the search engine site. Software can't do that! Don't waste your money you will still have to do it by hand. Email Lists

If your site will be selling or providing newsletters, you will want to develop a mailing list. Finding emailing list can be tough, but there are ways. Depending upon your sites requirements there are list brokers and email spiders. The spiders find email addresses of information (URL) that you enter. However, they get all the emails. Which means you will be getting emails you don't need or want. So, you will have to sort through the lists. Also, with the new anti-spam laws these spiders (or harvesters) are gaining notoriety as a spammer's tool. List brokers have specific types of list but will cost money depending upon the amount of emails you need. Watch out for the brokers who have a lot of freebees attached to their lists. You don't want to be accused of spamming. Ask the brokers if their lists are qualified and what type of lists they are. In-other-words are they a list of homeowner's or wealth making requests. Join Chat Rooms

This is another way to get your site noticed quickly. Join chat rooms that relate to your site. Don't join a horse lover's chat if your site is about plants. The same is true about blogs. And, be sure to sign your name and web address so people know where to see your site. Always check the chat/blogs rules about advertising your sites name. If not sure, sign your web address (URL) and see if you get a notice. If not, you're set. If you do, then find other chats/blogs that will let you use your web address (URL). Submit Articles

Submitting articles which relate to your website is another good way of drawing viewers. These are called 'quality inbound links'. These hold high values according to Yahoo and Google; so you will want to try and write some articles about subjects that are similar to your site. You can, of course write about most subjects. Write about subjects you know. They don't have to be lengthy. Look at some of the articles submitted to get some ideas of their structure and length. Just be sure to include your web site URL with the article so it links back to your site. Links to Other Sights

Another way of drawing viewers and search engines is to link to sights which compliment your website. If you sell furniture look for decorating, fabric and similar sights. Many sights offer reciprocal linking. This means you link to them and they link to you. Your site will be seen by viewers who visit their sights. You can find them by doing a search and link to the ones that have the highest search rankings. But not all sights will link. You have to find the ones that do and see if they will link back to your site. Keeping Records

Keep a list of all the chat rooms, blogs and links to other sites. You will want to check with them periodically. Also, keep a list of your "user name" and "password" for all sites. You will be surprised at how many passwords you can acquire in a short period of time. It will be easier to find them when you need them.

I have just completed my free ebook which contains more detailed information and can be downloaded at: Free Ebook

About the Author

Background in Advertising, Marketing, Interior Design and Writing. Designed and built the Home Design Sense web site. http://www.homedesignsense.com