How does a complete numbskull about such things learn to set up a website?

blacbird

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This is not a frivolous question. I am said numbskull. I'm solid with computers, a whizbang on the major business-related applications like Excel and MS-Word and also some graphic stuff, but I've never (until now) really needed to establish a website. Actually, I need two of them, neither related to my own writing, but for two quite different reasons. And I'm just plain baffled by the entire process. Neither of these needs are very complex, so I don't need to go to a high-cost pro outfit. Both are, it seems to me, fairly simple in concept.

But I just plain don't know how or where to start. Advice like "First you need to get a web provider" read like ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs to me. How do you do that? How do you choose such a service?"

It gets worse from there. I need really really really really basic knowledge I don't have, and feel really really really stupid about not having, considering your basic 12-year-old in the U.S. knows such things better than her name and address. The Internet is. wonderfully, almost useless in searching for answers, because all you get is commercial pitches for the major WebDude services like GoDaddy, of which I have a complete aversion.

So what in . . . do I do?

caw
 

Marissa D

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First step is to buy a domain name--that will be the name that goes into your URL. GoDaddy is indeed a big name in domain registry but there are others--google "domain registry" and see what comes up. Have a few possible permutations of your name or whatever you want to use, since your first choice might be taken. When you've got one you like, buy it immediately--don't wait.

Take care of that first off. The rest all hinges on that.
 

AW Admin

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Generally speaking, you're probably going to want to use WordPress.

It has an interface that's not all that different from MS Word for basic formatting.

It's pretty common to find an ISP that has a button you click to install it.

I'd suggest using Blue Host or Dreamhost; they're large, but not Go Daddy large. If you can talk to people you know or businesses you know near you who have a Website, you may be able to find a smaller local host rather than dealing with a corporate behemoth; this is my personal preference, but it's not always practical, and sometimes, it costs more.

In more specific terms, if you would let me know (pm if you want) what kind of data you're going to want on the site (mostly text, mostly images, some of both, scientific formulas, exotic languages, video . . . ), and what you want readers/users to be able to do, I can be more helpful.

\
 

LARRYD

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Not a website designer here either. Here's how I set mine up. First, like the previous poster said, I recommend using Wordpress. I Googled "how to build a wordpress website" and found several YouTube videos which take you step-by-step through the process of building your own website using Wordpress. They explain how to get a domain name, how to organize hosting, and then literally take you through the entire process. You can start and stop the video and go at your own pace. I think the whole deal took me less than two hours.
 

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I have developed websites, manage a few now, and I recommend that if you don't want to get into the guts of it all use Blogger.com. It is pretty simple, which Wordpress is not. I curently manage a Wordpress site I didn't build and I don't like it. You will end up tearing your hair out trying to figure out where things are. If you want something more impressive and unique then hire someone. There are a lot of lower level (not meant as a judgement) web people out there looking for work. Ask around. Higher level web developers work with major corporations, etc. and cost accordingly. Check small businesses in your area, restaurants, car repair shops and such and see who does their websites.
 

remister

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A numbskull-proof alternative to Wordpress is Weebly.
 

AW Admin

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A numbskull-proof alternative to Wordpress is Weebly.

I do not recommend Weebly. They control the branding, and there's no way to take your content and move it elsewhere.
 

stephenf

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Hi
It's actuly not difficult to make and post a web site . You would be ill advised to use any free offers to register your domain name or to set up a web site for free . Pay for your domain name , and it will belong to you . There are plenty of good hosting companies
Hosting | Hosting & Applications | For Smaller Business | Zen Internet
Have a look here . Zen will register a domain name for you and you can pay the minimum for hosting your site. You can download word press and your be up and ruining in no time . Have a look on you tube , everything is explained There are other companies like zen , so shop around ,
The hardest thing is not making a web site , but to get anybody to look at it . There are over a billion web sites , all clamouring for viewers. It's can be a good experience and fun , but don't spend too much money on it .
 
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Helix

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I'm already skilled at ruining.

caw

Now you can automate it!

I'm not very skilled* at web stuff, but I managed to build several sites. I'd second the suggestions to get a Blogger and a Wordpress site to play around on, so you can get the hang of things first. You can set them both to private, so no one need see the ghastly mess/triumphant success. When you feel confident/less despondent with your efforts, get yerself a permanent site.

*Or, more accurately, negatively skilled.
 

kneedeepinthedoomed

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To merely answer the question, how to go about setting up a website? Read a good book about it, try the local library.

Technically, there are several ways:

1. You own and control everything.

To do this, you need someplace to host the website, which in itself is just a collection of files. You would usually rent a server (or a "virtual" one) from a company which provides that service and register a domain name (such as www.mydomain.com), then put your website files in a specified location on that server. When someone browses to that domain, the browser will try to load an index.html from the specified directory. You link everything else from there.

The actual content is written in HTML or XML (and optionally formated in CSS), or provided by a database backend. There are many ways to do it. You can just create your .html files by hand in Notepad (yes, that actually works), or you can use a full fledged website editor software or pay someone to do it.

You can either learn how to do all this yourself or you can pay someone to set it up and maintain it for you. I have done it myself a long time ago. I think I just bought one of these packages from a provider company where you get your own domain and such-and-such amount of storage space (on a virtual server), and the permissions to install things such as a forum etc.

2. You use something like a blogging website or provider, such as wordpress or alternatives.

To do this, you register (for example) at wordpress.com and use their functionality to "create your own blog". You will be given a "subdomain" such as myname.wordpress.com, and an amount of storage space for your files.

You can do more with those blogging services than just blog. Depending on the package you get (free, professional, etc), you can store various file types, play around with the looks of the blog/website, embed video, do static pages (not just a chronological blog), and various other things. You can also pay a fee to get your own domain attached to it instead of just a subdomain. The hosting company does all the technical stuff, you just add content. They provide a simple to use editor for that (just like on most internet forums). This is what I'm using now for my blog.

Alternatively, you can combine software like Wordpress and your own domain and webspace.

This solution gives you less control and less possibilities than 1. above but is a lot easier to accomplish for a non-technically-inclined person.

There are certainly other ways. But those two are relatively common.
 

blacbird

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First, I want to thank everybody for the comments here. Helpful, they are (said Yoda).

For some clarification of my goals. I'm not interested in running a blog. One of the two sites is intended to present links to public-domain literature I create, hard-to-find copyright-free older stuff, so that people can purchase an actual book, if they want to. The second is a site to present a large index to technical information in a specialized scientific field, an outgrowth of a database I've maintained since MS-DOS days and given away free to anyone who wants it. The files could be accessed on line, or downloaded for private use. It would be maintained continuously with newly-published information.

I'll probably give the first one a go in the next few weeks, depending on the learning curve cliff.

caw
 

Matera the Mad

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An afterword:

Stay away from GoDaddy. For anything.

It's on the tip of my mind right now because, manymanymany years ago when I aquired my domain, I was much n00ber, and I went straight to GoDud. Right now, I'm in the agonizing process of ripping it away to take eleswhere (Gandi). Transferring a domain is a double-dyed roaring bitch, but I never want to have to put up with GoEffUrDaddy's interface and attitude again.

I also have had to deal with sites that others had hosted by The Great Putz, and it was a miserable experience.

Just sayin.

ETA: Transfer complete. GAK, what an ordeal.
 
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