Step 1 

Planning Your Website

The very very first thing you need to do is sit back and think about what kind of site you'd like to build. And what you're trying to get out of it. When you're clear on this, you'll have an easier time to choose the right type of tools and resources for the job.

Here are some questions you need to answer to help you get started:

• What's the objective your site?


• How much are you willing to invest?


• Who's your target audience?


• Do you have existing material you'd like to use? Like a logo maybe?

Case Study: Step 1 

Step 2 

Getting the Proper Tools

No webmaster is complete without his set of tools. There are many tools you can use to build your site but your webmaster Swiss knife will consist of three main ones.

1. Web building tool
   
   This is the father of all tools. Your web building tool is responsible for forming the main building blocks of your site. It can be a desktop software. It can also be an online application or even a script.
   
   And unless you're very good at HTML coding, you'll need to look for a tool that will help you set up your site without having to mess around with any code.
   
   Now comes the golden question? What's the tool?
   
   This is not so easy to answer. It depends on what you're trying to build. Or more specifically, it depends on your answer to Step 1 above. Using the right tool for the job can increase your productivity many times over.



2. Web graphics tool
   
   A web graphics software is the next tool you will want to get a hold of. Not so much to create a graphic but more to customize one. Don't get me wrong. You can create web graphics if you want to. But you'll need to take a proper course before you can create professional graphics.
   
   It's much easier to just purchase ready made web graphics on the net or grab a grab a free one and tweak it to fit your 'design'.
   
   Again, what you tool you choose here depend on your answers in Step 1.



3. FTP tool
   
   FTP is just a method of moving your files from your computer to your server and vice versa. Most web design softwares have a built-in FTP feature. So, you may not even need an FTP software. But just in case you need one, there are many FTP softwares out there to choose from.

Case Study: Step 2 

Great Books to Help You Get Started 

Web Design in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference (In a Nutshell (O'Reilly))

by: Jennifer Niederst Robbins

This is the first book I ever bought on web design. I still have it and still look through it. It gives you an overview of what web design is all about. You know ... all the technical stuffs. I have an older copy of this book so am not sure if it's been updated. But to be on the safe side, check out the next book ...

Learning Web Design: A Beginner's Guide to (X)HTML, StyleSheets, and Web Graphics

by: Jennifer Niederst Robbins

Another book by Jennifer. I love her writing style. This book teaches you how to build web sites according to modern design practices and professional standards. Which is really important these days. Gone are the days when you can just slap up a non compliant web site and get away with it.

Build Your Own Website The Right Way Using HTML & CSS

by: Ian Lloyd

Another book that will help you build standard compliant websites from scratch. I find that it's much easier to learn something new when you tackle it using different angles. So, you may want to add this to your book collection too. All books from SitePoint.com are fantastic. They're so ... practical.

The Principles of Beautiful Web Design

by: Jason Beaird

I LOVE this book. If you're not a designer and you have no artistic bone in your body, this book gives you a somewhat "scientific" solution for creating eye pleasing designs. You won't learn any code. Instead, you'll learn what colors go together, what layout is best etc.

Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition

by: Steve Krug

This book is slightly different but nevertheless touches on a very important issue. No point building websites that are so visually appealing if the visitor has no idea how to get around it. All of the tips, techniques, and examples presented revolve around users being able to surf merrily through a well-designed site with minimal cognitive strain.

Step 3 

Getting a Domain Name & a Hosting Account

Now that you know what you want to build and the proper tools to do it, it's time to shop for a domain name and acquire some web space.

Register Your Domain Name

The first thing you need to do is to register a domain name. What's a domain name? See the www.squidoo.com in your browser's address box above? That's Squidoo's domain name. Mine is www.webbriefcase.net. A domain name is the online equivalent of a business name.

These days, you can get a domain name for as little as $8.88 a year. Getting your own domain name is one of the most important investment you'll ever make for your web site.

Come on, it's only $8.88 a year. You can purchase your domain from any registrar on the net.

Sign Up For A Web Hosting Account

Now that you have a domain name, you need to find some web space to put your completed web site on. What you need is a good web host.

What's a web host?

A web host is a company that will give you the space you need on the internet to host your web site. This space is actually a section of a server that's permanently connected to the internet. How big of a section you get depends on the account you sign up for.

The hardest decision to make here is who do you open an account with? There are SOOOOOOO many web hosts out there. Where do you begin?

I don't want to put any pressure on you but, from experience, it is essential that you do enough homework and start off on the right foot with the right web host. The bigger your site grows, the harder it is to switch web hosts.

Click here for some tips on what to look for in a web host.

Case Study: Step 3 

Step 4 

Choosing a Look & Feel

So far so good. You have an idea of what your web site is about, you have the proper tools, you've registered a domain name and have space on the internet to put your site on.

Now, fire up that web building tool.

Before you start adding meat, i.e. content, to your site, you first have to deal with the skin, the outer shell, the look and feel.

Though not the main substance, the look and feel of your site will determine whether or not your visitors will choose to stay and check out your content, or leave. If your site looks amateurish, they will most likely choose to leave.

So, it's important that your site looks professional.

But how do you create a professional look when you're clueless as to what a good design looks like?

Fortunately, the answer is simple.

Use a web site template that was created by the professionals. This way, you get the superior web design quality without the hard work.

Web site templates are created by web design experts. They have the experience and skill to know what works and what doesn't. They've tried and tested more site designs than we'll ever want to see in our lifetime.

Although you can make our own web site from scratch, why should you? You have much more important things to do with our time than to tweak a web site to perfection.

There are thousands of web site templates out there at our disposal. Just go to Google.com and type in "web site template" and you'll see just how many web site templates are out there.

When choosing a template, just make sure that you can use it with your web building tool.

You can choose to get free web site templates, or you can pay a one time membership to a template reservoir, or you can even pay per template. It's up to you.

Once you've found the perfect template, you can use it as it is or customize it a bit. I recommend the later but just a bit. When I say a bit, I mean slap your own logo into the template.

And when you're done, it's time for our final step in the process.

Case Study: Step 4 

Webmaster Tips 

Fetching RSS feed... please stand by

Step 5 

Adding Content

Now, all that's left to do is to add some meat to your site.

A web site is really nothing without any content. So, your final step is to add content to it.

Content that will help you achieve your purpose.

Case Study: Step 5 

To Sum Up 

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