How to build your world on the world wide web

Creating a website on your own may sound complex, but it isn't.

There are hundreds of free programmes that let you choose templates (like a blog) to get going.

All you have to do is to follow the steps and get your very own website:

STEP ONE

The first thing you need to do is to get your own domain name.

A domain name is your address on the web, or the information that users type in to find your website.

For example: www.domainname.com. It's best to keep your domain name less than 15 characters.

A shorter name is easier for people to remember and it also reduces the chances of typos or misspelt words.

Remember that the domain name should be registered in your name, not in the name of the web designer or host provider, and your domain name provider should only be listed as a technical contact.

Also do remember that the domain is leased and you would have to renew the lease (usually annually). This is usually renewed automatically by your name registrar.

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STEP TWO

Choose a good webhost.

And good doesn't mean expensive but a reliable one with great support.

A web host stores the website you create on servers and transmits it to the internet so that when someone types in your domain name, your website appears.

We won't recommend free webhosts, as they are too unstable and they don't allow you to own your site or receive a true domain name.

Instead, your address will be something like http://freewebhost.yourdomainname.com.

We tried portals like www.bigrock.in, www.Yola.com and www.sites.google.com to build both free and paid websites.
Most charge a minimum of Rs 99 to get your desired domain name and about Rs 99 per month to host your site.

Portals like Yola, Wordpress, Google Sites and Blogger are the ones which are easy to use and are free website builders.

With BigRock you can buy a customised domain name for as little as Rs 99.

When looking for a free web hosting company, the most important thing to consider is its reputation.
Free webhosts come and go.

If one of them happens to go off the web while you have a tie up with the host company, your website would be gone forever.

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STEP THREE

Some of you may just want a small personal website while others may want a more comprehensive, interactive website for personal or business use.

Be sure you've made up your mind about the type of site you want to build because it has great impact on the type of webhost you need.

Once the nature of website is decided, look for cost-effective webhosts like BigRock.

It offers several different monthly rental plans, starting at Rs 99, which lets you design a website with its website builder software and even hosts it for you.

Choose webhosts (Blogger, Yola, BigRock) where you have an option of hundreds of customised website templates and various widgets and applications that can create a professional website for your business using simple steps.

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If you prefer a non-technical approach to building your website, then start out with Wordpress for personal websites and BigRock for business.

While choosing the template design or creating menus for your website, keep in mind that your visitors should be able to get to the desired area of your site within one or two clicks.

Once your site is up and running, ensure that it is optimised for search engines by identifying 8-12 keywords that people will use to find your site, then incorporate these keywords in your site content (to drive relevancy with search engine spiders/bots) and then get lots of links to your site.

It is estimated that as much as 70 per cent of all traffic to most websites comes through search engines.

If you want to attract visitors to your site, this is an important step.