- 1). Decide whether you would like to purchase an existing website or start a new one. Most people, especially those who are inexperienced in website maintenance and online business, will prefer to start a new site from scratch. If you would like to purchase an established website, however, you can do so through the numerous online marketplaces. You can start your search for established websites by browsing website marketplaces, like the SitePoint Marketplace or the DigitalPoint forums.
- 2). Purchase a domain name. The cost of a domain name will vary depending on the extension. GoDaddy.com, and similar domain registrars, offers new .com, .net, .org and .us domains for low yearly prices, while less popular types, such as .info, usually cost significantly less. If the domain you desire is already registered, you can try to purchase it from the owner, but this process can be very expensive.
- 3). Find suitable web hosting for your site. Consumers have a wide variety of hosting options, from simple, free hosting to dedicated servers. Free services, such as Google Sites or Blogger, offer the best option if you simply need an individual site to post your thoughts, pictures or keep in touch with family members. Affordable web hosting options on shared servers provide a more professional feel if you don't anticipate high traffic to your website. Websites that expect high traffic (several thousand hits per day) should consider paying more for dedicated server hosting. Affordable hosting packages often offer e-commerce features, like shopping carts and SSL secure servers.
- 4). Design your website, and fill it with content. Individuals with simple web pages often prefer to use in-browser "what you see is what you get" web editors. These hosting service provided tools do not require any web programming knowledge. Business sites might also use templates, or simple editors provided by your web host, but employing a professional web designer can significantly improve results. You can seek out an established web design and web content firms, or hire individual freelancers using a freelance marketplace like Elance, Guru or oDesk. If you would prefer to design the website yourself, you will need to learn HTML, and possibly more advanced web programming languages, such CSS, JavaScript or XML. You can begin learning about web programming by taking free online courses, like those provided by W3Schools.com, a division of the World Wide Web Consortium.
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