Should You Try to Create your own Website?
YES, definately!
But there are some things you should know before starting:
Creating a website is not so much a feat, if we compare it to the education of other technical skills. Most people tend to give up and pack their bags as soon as they hear the word programming and technical. They think it`s too much of a hassle to actually learn a whole computer language. HTML, the most basic computer language in building websites, is actually pretty simple to understand, as long as we have the interest in learning new things.
What is HTML?
HTML is the acronym for Hyper Text Markup Language. For learning purposes, just think of it as a language that the computer understands. For example, as humans, we were taught different languages; i.e. HTML as a language, is mostly and specifically used to create a website. The web browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox, will then decipher and interpret the code or rather, language(HTML), and display it in a way we can understand it, just like in a basic webpage.
Coding.
Coding the HTML language might be a bit tough for some people, so we can actually purchase programmes, such as Macromedia Dreamweaver, or even Microsoft Frontpage. These programmes are solely created to help individuals in designing professional webpages/websites.
Furthermore, one could also gain access to online web-builders, website builders that are inbuilt and can be directly controlled from the net. There are many different and specific builders online.
Books and magazines contain guides that can help in offering tutorials and ways to put up our own websites. Even online tutorials are credible, as in the modern world, information technology is the best and most cost efficient way in retaining knowledge, especially in this particular field.
So, you can start and build one right away. If you enjoy coding, it might even become a favourable past-time.
5 important Rules in Website Design
When it comes to your website, extra attention should be paid to every minute detail to make sure it performs optimally to serve its purpose. Here are seven important rules of thumb to observe to make sure your website performs well.
1) Do not use splash pages
Splash pages are the first pages you see when you arrive at a website. They normally have a very beautiful image with words like "welcome" or "click here to enter". In fact, they are just that -- pretty vases with no real purpose. Do not let your visitors have a reason to click on the "back" button! Give them the value of your site up front without the splash page.
2) Do not use excessive banner advertisements
Even the least net savvy people have trained themselves to ignore banner advertisements so you will be wasting valuable website real estate. Instead, provide more valueable content and weave relevant affiliate links into your content, and let your visitors feel that they want to buy instead of being pushed to buy.
3) Have a simple and clear navigation
You have to provide a simple and very straightforward navigation menu so that even a young child will know how to use it. Stay away from complicated Flash based menus or multi-tiered dropdown menus. If your visitors don't know how to navigate, they will leave your site.
4) Have a clear indication of where the user is
When visitors are deeply engrossed in browsing your site, you will want to make sure they know which part of the site they are in at that moment. That way, they will be able to browse relevant information or navigate to any section of the site easily. Don't confuse your visitors because confusion means "abandon ship"!
5) Avoid using audio on your site
If your visitor is going to stay a long time at your site, reading your content, you will want to make sure they're not annoyed by some audio looping on and on on your website. If you insist on adding audio, make sure they have some control over it -- volume or muting controls would work fine.
A Good Design is very Important
Your website is the hub of your online business; it is the virtual representation of your company whether your company exists physically or not. When you are doing business online, people cannot see you physically like how they could if they were dealing with an offline company. Hence, people do judge you by your covers. This is where a good design comes in.
Imagine if you are running an offline company. Would you allow your salespersons to be dressed in shabby or casual clothes when they are dealing with your customers? By making your staff wear professionally, you are telling your customers that you do care about quality. This works simply because first impressions matter.
Similarly, the same case is with your website. If your website is put together shabbily and looks like a 5 minute "quick fix", you are literally shouting to your visitors that you are not professional and you do not care for quality.
On the opposite, if you have a totally professional looking website layout, you are giving your visitors the perception that you have given meticulous attention to every detail and you care about professionalism. You are organised, focused and you really mean business.
On the other hand, you should also have anything related to your company well designed. From business cards to letterheads to promotional brochures, every little bit matters. This is because as you grow your business, these items become the face of your business. Once again, think of the "salesperson dressed shabbily" anology, and you will get my point.
5 Ways to Keep Visitors Coming Back
A lot of successful sites depend on returning visitors to account for a major part of their traffic. Returning visitors are simpler to convert in to paying customers because the more often they return to a site, the more trust they have in that site. The credibility issue melts away. Hence, keep your visitors coming back to your site with the following methods:
1) Start a forum, chatroom or shoutbox
When you start a forum, chatroom or shoutbox, you are providing your visitors a place to voice their opinions & interact with their peers -- all of them are visitors of your site. As conversations build up, a sense of community will also follow & your visitors will come back to your site religiously every day.
2) Start a web log (weblog)
Keep an online journal, or more often known as a weblog, on your site & keep it updated with latest news about yourself. Human beings are curious creatures & they will keep their eyes glued to the monitor in the event you post fresh news often. You will also build up your credibility as you are proving to them that there is as well as a actual life person behind the website.
3) Carryover out polls or surveys
Polls & surveys are other forms of interaction that you ought to definitely think about adding to your site. They provide a speedy way for visitors to voice their opinions & to get involved in your web-site. Be definite to publish polls or surveys that are strongly relevant to the target market of your web-site to keep them interested to find out about the results.
4) Hold puzzles, quizzes & games
imagine how plenty of office workers procrastinate at work every day, & it is possible for you to to gauge how plenty of people will keep visiting your site in the event you provide a fascinating or addicting way of entertainment. You can also hold competitions to award the high score winner to keep people trying continuously to earn the prize.
5) Update often with fresh content
Update your site often with fresh content so that every time your visitors come back, they will have something to read on your site. This is the most widely known & most effective method of attracting returning visitors, but this is also the least carried out one because of the laziness of site owners. No one will require to browse a site that looks the same over ten years, so keep your site updated with fresh bites!
