REALLY easy ways to create your own website or blog!
At simplersteps, our aim is to simplify things that often
seem difficult.
To lend a hand with the tough stuff.
We know that many of you would love to get online, but find the
whole idea much too scary. You've got the ideas and the
potential - but it all looks SO darn complicated. HTML? Optimization?
Servers? What's all that about?
If you're terrified by technology, we're here to help. Getting
online really is within the reach of everyone. You'll
LOVE our plain English approach to jargon and technical issues.
Set up a website? We promise that with our help anyone can do
it!
To make things as clear as possible, we've divided our guide
into various sections. Feel free to dip in and out as you like!
But however you decide to take the plunge, your starting point
needs to be the same: what's your site going to be about?
choosing your topic
If
your aim is to create a popular website or blog - perhaps even
make money online - your
sites will need to appeal to plenty of people. Specialist interests
can attract surprising numbers, but if the subject's way too obscure,
you'll probably find yourself with an audience of several rather
than many.
On the other hand, the web is already full of sites covering
obvious areas such as fashion, music, food and travel. Opt for
something too mainstream and you run the risk of getting lost
in the crowd.
Think about it carefully. But even if you've already got something
in mind there's one more issue you'll probably need to consider
before you get going.
website or blog?
Yep - these days we're spoilt for choice when it comes to online
options, though luckily anyone can start making money with either
format (OK - we know that blogs are really just another type of
website, but hopefully you can see where we're coming from).
So - will you opt for a 'classic' website, or go instead for
a blog? And what, really, are the essential differences?
If you need help deciding, we've listed some of the main pros
and cons for each. There's a lot of info here, so view
or hide it just as you wish.
website |
blog |
Getting it online
All in all, websites are generally slightly simpler to
put online than blogs - although they may require more
design work at the page creation stage. However, even
if you're a complete novice don't be put off - we've found
several ways to create fully-functioning web pages without
any technical knowledge at all. |
Getting it online
Professional blogs aren't necessarily that easy to set
up, especially if you're aiming to place ads on your site.
However, absolute beginners can breathe a sigh of relief
- we've found several ways to create fully-functioning
blogs with no hassle at all. |
Content
Although many websites need to be updated consistently,
others, once completed, need very little further work.
A well researched site on, say, the history of Tamla Motown
records should remain relevant with minimum effort. |
Content
Because blogs are like an online journal, users will
expect updates on a very regular basis. You'll need to
be sure you have the time and enthusiasm to keep your
blog fresh and lively. |
Do you enjoy designing?
If design and layout are likely to be key features of
your online output, standard web pages tend to offer more
flexibility than blogs. |
Do you enjoy designing?
Although a blog can usually be customised with a choice
of colour schemes, fonts and graphics, the standard layout
is generally a rigid, box-like structure. |
Do you enjoy writing?
Most websites have at least some text, but are flexible
enough to feature any kind of content from image galleries
to video. So if writing isn't your thing, or your web
idea is more visual, a standard site is what you'll want
to aim for. |
Do you enjoy writing?
Blogs, almost without exception, depend on the written
word. So it goes without saying that if you don't enjoy
writing - or suspect you might not be very good at it
- a blog probably isn't for you. |
Updating
As we've said, not all websites need regular updating,
but if they do, the task can be time-consuming and even
perhaps a little tricky. This is especially the case if
pages have complex layouts. And while not absolutely essential,
a knowledge of html (a simple web code) and other coding
languages is definitely an advantage. |
Updating
Although, as we've said, blogs do require regular input,
they generally have their own updating system, which means
that adding new entries is very simple indeed. At more
advanced levels, though, it can be difficult to move beyond
the standard blog structure without at least some knowledge
of html and other web codes. |
Making money from your site
You'll almost certainly do this via advertising or product
sales. Generally this involves just cutting and pasting
coded text into your pages - don't panic, we'll show you
how!
Ads are the main income option for the vast majority
of websites, except shopping sites, which we cover elsewhere.
|
Making money from your site
You'll usually do this via advertising or product sales.
Generally this involves cutting and pasting coded text
into your blog - just a little trickier than most standard
web pages although we've found options where you don't
need to go near code at all.
Other money-making opportunities for blog owners can
include 'product placement' - where you're paid to promote
items of merchandise - or even writing for other sites.
However, you'll generally need a large audience to qualify
for these opportunities. |
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hide
We hope that's helped you make a decision. And now let's get
to the best part - setting up your site!
As promised, we've made this so easy that absolutely anyone can
do it - and if that's just what you're looking for:
here's more about total beginners
websites
and here's more about total
beginners blogs
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2008