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Post by ŋєт™ on Dec 22, 2009 0:55:58 GMT -5
Net’s easy guide to get started with making your website.
Before you read this please realize that these are not the only options you have available to you. Feel free to ask any questions in this thread and I’ll be happy to answer them.
Step 1: The name
You want to come up with a lasting name for your online home because the more you change it the more you’re going to have to start over. Many times I’ve gotten a website off the ground only to turn around and do something major like a name change and I’m back to square one. You want the URL to be short, catchy, and rememberable. Your best bet is honestly to go with your name as the URL for example: jonsmith.com. This is the best route in my opinion because when you talk to potential clients or just want to direct people to your portfolio they’ll remember your name and all they have to do is slap .com behind it.
So .com, .net, .org, .biz, etc, etc? What should I go with you ask? .com is your best option because it is the most recognizable and easy to remember, but if you have to settle on a .net domain it’s not the end of the world. I would personally stick with one of those 2 personally.
I really can’t say much more seeing as this is your site and you can name it what you want. I’m just throwing out some pointers.
Step 2: Register your domain and find hosting space
This step is more like 2 separate steps, but I put them together for a very good reason. Most hosts nowadays are packaging hosting packages with domain name registrations. The site I personally use that does this is BlueHost.com. When you buy a hosting package from them you get a free domain name and can add unlimited more on top of that for $10 a year. Many other hosts out there do similar things. If you already have some kind of storage online you can go directly through a domain registrar like GoDaddy.com. Register your domain and direct it to the server you already have.
When looking at hosts there are a few major things you need to look at:
1. Storage Space: The more the better…unlimited is ideal.
2. Bandwidth/Transfer per month: The more the better…again, unlimited is ideal.
3. Email support: It’s more professional to have your own email address hosted from your site than something like Gmail or Yahoo.
4. Domains/Subdomains: This is not a huge issue, but you might want to see how many domains or subdomains you are allowed to have.
5. Figure out what CMS you want to use: Certain CMS’s need certain requirements to run such as a Windows or Linux based server, the latest PHP version, etc. Most popular CMS’s work on just about anything. Only worry about this is you want to use some obscure CMS.
6. What extras does the host offer? A lot of hosts may offer extras such as SimpleScripts that can install software on your server with a simple click of a button. You no longer have to manually install programs on your server! Support is also something to look at as well.
Step 3: Choose your Content Management System (CMS)
Back in the day if you wanted a website you put together an HTML/CSS site and you were done…this is the 21st century and static content is the way of the past (for the most part, although there are pluses of running an XHTML/CSS site which I will discuss). You might want to look into a CMS for your site. One that I really like is Wordpress. There are many skins out there that cater to photographers looking for a portfolio. WP has really come a long way from just simply being blogging software. Do some research and find one that suits your needs. As I stated before building your own XHTML/CSS site from the ground up is not a bad idea either. You can literally shape the site exactly how you want it. If you do this I would suggest you have a blog to accompany your static site so you can easily get updates to your followers.
Step 4: Choose a Design
If you went the CMS route look for a theme that fits your needs. There are a lot of photography portfolio themes out there for various CMS’s. Find on that works for you, or if you have the money pay a designer to make a custom one. The same goes for if you went the XHTML/CSS route. The actual look is up to you. Remember stay classy, but don’t get to complex.
Step 5: Content, Content, Content!
Get posting your content! Try to keep your site as fresh as possible. If it stays the same for months people may not return. Even if it’s maybe just updating your blog or posting a new picture.
This is just an “easy” guide as to how to get started. I know I did not go into detail on every aspect, but I provided links along the way that may help you on your way. Feel free to ask me questions here or elsewhere. If you are really hardcore interested in getting a site up feel free to add me on AIM: OMGiTzAnTiPRO WLM: anti@armtheflag.com or Skype: antiprox and I’ll be glad to give you a hand.
