Remember back in the day when you had to be an expert in HTML and have a degree in computer science to make your own website? Okay, well maybe I exaggerate a little, but years ago it was not easy for the average person to make their own website. These days technology and entrepreneurs have stepped up and have made it possible for the most computer illiterate to make their own website.
HTML – Say What?
HTML is not a texting term for Hey, that’s my laptop! It is a programming language that identifies the structure and layout of a Web document by using a variety of tags and attributes. Huh? Years ago if you wanted to produce a website you needed to know this computer language in order to get your content online.
These days there are plenty of HTML editors and web hosting companies that do all the hard work for you. Basically, you can type up your content in your word processing program and their software converts your material into the HTML format needed to produce your content.
Are You Ready?
So, you have finished the family tree and now it is time to make your own website. Where do you start?
Let’s pick a web hosting company. There are many to choose from. For a personal website that you will use for blogging, posting updates for family and friends or displaying a hobby, you will probably want to choose a low cost site. Yahoo!GeoCities has a basic web hosting option that is free.
Building Your Website – Step-by-Step
1. Go to http://geocities.yahoo.com/home/. If you currently have a user id with Yahoo go ahead and sign in. If you do not, click on the Sign Up icon and follow the instructions.
2. Once you are signed in you need to determine which option is best for you – GeoCities Free, GeoCities Pro, GeoCities Plus or Web Hosting. I am cheap. I am choosing the free service.
3. Click on the “learn more” option under GeoCities Free and click on Sign Up.
4. GeoCities will ask you a few questions. Fill out the survey and submit.
5. Next, you will get a confirmation page with your Yahoo!ID and your homepage URL shortcut. Click on the “Build your web site now!” link.
6. Here is your control center. You will find several options such as GeoCities Tour, Create a Website, and Start a Blog. Click on Create a Website.
7. Now, you need to choose between the different page builders. For amateur website builders I suggest choosing options 1 and 2 (Yahoo!PageBuilder or Yahoo!PageWizards). The third option is for those who have third-party tools, such as HTML editors, to make your own website.
8. Let’s choose Yahoo!PageBuilder. Go ahead and click on it.
9. Here you can choose some of the most popular themed webpage templates. There are templates for an advice column, celebrity fan pages, baby pages, support groups, personal ad pages, etc. They even have the Family Tree Template.
10. Pick the template that best suits your needs and click on it. Launch PageBuilder will appear. Go ahead and click on it.
From this point PageBuilder is self-explanatory. You can type in your own content and add your own pictures and links. Everything is explained in the appropriate sections and if you run into trouble there is a help file that should be able to aid you. Once you save your page, you will be taken step-by-step through the final steps to get your website published.
Domain Names
In order for someone to find your website you will need to have a domain name. Your domain name is basically your online signature. You want to pick a name that is catchy and memorable, especially if your website is for business purposes. Here are some tips:
-Keep is short – this will be easier for your friends, family or customers to remember.
-Keep is clean – no one wants to type a domain name that is embarrassing.
-Keep it attractive – write out your domain name ideas. Is it catchy? Which looks better? (AbcLandscapingLLC.com or abclandscaping.com)
Remember, your domain name is the first impression of your website.
Other Options
When you are ready to make your website investigate all your web hosting options. Yahoo!Geocities is only one option.
Free sites are economical, but they are limiting in terms of space ,content and customer service. For reviews of the top 10 web hosting companies you may want to check out WebHosting-Top-10.com (http://www.webhosting-top-10.com/). This website lists details such as price, space, bandwidth and support services for 10 of the top web hosting companies. This is definitely worth the time to peruse when you a shopping for a company to help you make your own website.
Final Thoughts
Don’t hesitant if you want to become part of the Internet and leave legacy in cyberspace. When you decide to make your own website, you do not have to get bogged down with complex computer programs. Investigate the do-it-yourself services that are available to you and I am certain you will have a website that will do your purpose justice.
