Let's face it, everybody knows somebody that can make you a website. From your weird neighbor down the street to blaring TV commercials, it's now easier than ever to get your website up and running. WRONG. With so many options, it's hard to even begin. This guide is meant to guide you through everything you need to know to get a website up and running in 2018.
PICK YOUR GOAL
What is the reason you are building your website? Is it to gain social media followers, sell products, get people into your shop, or something else? Defining your goal will make everything else much easier.
PICK A CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMS)
There are many CMS options available that allow a beginner to get everything they need from the beginning. The only CMS's I recommend to people without any prior skills:
WordPress.org — this is made primarily for bloggers. You have lots of content, plan to post often, and don't plan to sell very many goods. This is great for people trying to increase their social media presence as well.
SquareSpace — this option is great for small businesses that need to share content. You don't have as much fresh content as a blog, but do need to share some crucial information with potential or current customers. You can sell some products on here, but not looking to open a full Ecommerce store.
Shopify: this is THE only option for people looking to create a store with more than 20 products. If you have less, you can get away with other CMS options. If you're looking to grow your store over the next year, I highly recommend starting with Shopify.
Open a Word Document
Content is one of the most difficult and time consuming parts of creating a website. I recommend opening a blank Word document, and allow your content to pour out. Make a bullet list of the pages you want on your website (Home, About, Services, Contact) and then type up text for each page and section. If you need to include case studies, type those in this document as well.
Create a new Folder and Move Photos in It
If you have photos already, you can move these to the folder for quicker access when building the website.
Create Pages
Based on the bullet list you created, start building pages by added content and photos. Don't forget to proof read your content after hitting save.
Share with Your Friends
The best part of creating a website is sharing it with the community. Get feedback, make updates to your website, and keep growing it. The more practice you have with your website, the better it will be.
Call Gibson
If, at any point, you get a headache, frustrated, can't finish reading this article, send me a message! I am happy to help you from wherever you leave off.
