There are quite a few steps involved in the process of a getting a website, but thanks to many organizations working together, it is now easier than ever to get your website up and running. Before we can begin the process of getting a website, we need to understand some terminology and some of the steps involved, particularly what a domain is, a host, an FTP account, and what every basic website requires in order to be considered "complete".
In order for a website to be found online it needs to have Valid Hosting AND Domain account information. Yes-- there is a difference. Most people don't know, and don't need to know, the difference between a Host and a Domain, which is fine... But if you are going to be the owner of a Website and its Content--- it is very important you know this detail so that you don’t get the short end of the stick. So lets get started!
We like to use the analogy of a house and we're pretty sure this is where the term "Homepage" came from. A Domain is your "Home on the Web", but more accurately, it is part of a Website Address. Back in the day, people gave you directions to your house, but maps came along and gave numbers to the houses on the street. Now you have Google Maps that can type in an address and you can find it almost instantly. The same applies for a Domain- or Home Page Address. Once you "register" a domain, Websurfers type in that domain in the location bar of their browser, and they find your "Home Page". What you may not know is that behind the scenes this is because the Domain points to a 'Host Account' which stores all the files and communicates with the browser when someone types in the URL. So actually, your Domain is more like a Mobile Home, because at any moment in time, you can switch Hosting Accounts. As a website owner, this is very important to understand.
Some things to remember about Domains:
When you have obtained an address to build your home, you need to then build the support, structure, security, and supply the furniture (content) for your home. The same applies for a website, A Hosting account lets the website developer create the home page, and all the other aspects of your new "Home on the Web", upload the files and maintain the databases. In order for SLDS to upload your website, Login information for a Hosting account must be provided.
Domains can be registered in many ways thanks to ICANN. Most hosting services offer domain registration as part of the hosting setup process these days as well.
The number one recommended Host by SLDS is Hostmonster. Hostmonster is above and beyond any host around thanks to what it offers, its storage, bandwidth, location, ease of use, advanced CPanel, Domain Registration and Management tools, script updates and easy-installs, hundreds of addons to help small-businesses, and a great track record of uninterrupted uptimes.
Get your domain registered today and your host in one easy step, at a low cost, thanks to Hostmonster. Click the hostmonster button below to get started with registering your domain and host in one place:
Important: Login information for a Hosting account must be provided to SLDS so make sure you keep it safe.
Congratulations, you have now set in motion the steps in order to get your website up and running! SLDS can take it from here, let us know you've just set up your domain and host and we'll help you get your website up in no time!
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Make sure you download the SLDS Getting Started Guide and read through what is required for a Website Design success!
If you want a Website, be it small or large-- This guide is a quick outline that will help you both solifidy
the vision of your website as well as get your website designed and running as quickly and smoothly
as possible. By providing SLDS with the documentation outlined in this free guide, you will ensure a
quality and efficient design with minimal revisions and roadblocks!
Click to download this free guide now!
For your convenience you can now read the entire Free SLDS Getting Started Guide below:
Unless the desired Website is inherently simple in nature, such as a basic photo portfolio website, a single page info sheet, or a simple contact form page -- it is important to make sure you have the following items solidified and documented before the design process begins.
The vision of a project may be as simple as an idea, but it includes several descriptive attributes that are important to address:
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They are all really the same, these help with a mental layout and understanding of the functionality of your website, and also help to expand and understand the flexibility of menu systems implemented in todays websites.
A Good flowchart attempts to simplify the navigation as much as possible so that when a visitor visits a site, he/she doesn’t have to click through tons of links to get where they want to go. When creating the flowchart of your desired website structure, keep in mind the following:
Remember that if you want to keep a room organized, that everything has its place, such applies to websites as well, when there are multiple spots for an item, finding that item could be frustrating or confusing. Having a clear place for specific content is important because it helps simplify the navigation or flow of a website.
The more you can simplify the links, the easier it will be to navigate and the user will have a more pleasant websurfing experience. Think of it like categorizing a list of items for simplification purposes. A good place to design free mindmaps like the one above online is at: http://bubbl.us
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Once you know what your Websites Character is, you should have some good ideas for a color scheme. You should also keep in mind that visitors will perceive your company differently depending on the color scheme. Ex. Red can be percieved as "Danger", but also as "Love" depending on the context or complementing colors within the page. Another example is how green can mean Envy, Money, or Greed, as opposed to "Green Energy" depending on the images or other colors used. Keep in mind though that everyone has their preference, some people just like Green- and thats that.
Deciding between a light or dark scheme is more than just a personal preference, depending on the purpose of your website, it may be important to choose one over the other...
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As they say, “Content is King”- you can have a great design, but without great content to back it up, your website may not be as successful as you hope or dream.
Depending on your website’s purpose, content can either be lengthy and informative or short and straight to the point.
When it comes to writing content for websites or supplying visual media content, the most important tool for a website's success is called "relevancy". (Defined as: the ability (as of an information retrieval system) to retrieve material that satisfies the needs of the user). This is particulary important when a websurfer is searching for your website. The major search engines will sort websites based on a number of highly complex factors, but one of the most important ones is how relevant your content is.
Seeing is believing.
When it comes to visual media, Seeing really is believing, if you are selling a beauty service for
example, high quality pictures will help sell the service more than any paragraphs of text.
Scanning, and Placement by importance.
Users will read the top few lines of a paragraph and won’t even bother reading the rest. Some users
scan the first few lines if they are looking for specific content withing a page as well.
This applies to search engines as well as the top few lines of paragraphs are treated as much more important.
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There are a few rules when supplying content for a websites form, functionality, quality, and professionalism, but these rules also exist to avoid legal complications.
You cannot, for example, browse Google Image Search and use images from there on your Website. These images, more often than not, are copyrighted, and if used incorrectly could cause legal problems down the road, or simply just make your business look cheap.
When supplying visual media content, please remember the following:
Search Engine Optimized (SEO) Written Content must following these guidelines:
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I hope this guide will be useful in generating the documentation and supplies required for creating your website and making it a quick an efficient process for you, as well as gives you a deeper understanding and appreciation for the art of webdesign. Below is a review and checklist for you to use!
Congratulations, you now have everything you need to get an amazing website! SLDS can take it from here, let us know you have everything ready and we can get your website up in no time!
Questions? Click here for live chat support!