Major Steps of Building a Website

So you have decided to create a website, but you are not quite sure how to go about it. There are some major steps to follow if you want to get it right. The good news is that it is not as difficult as you may think.

1. Decide What the Site Is For

First, decide exactly what the website’s purpose is, what information you want to present and who it is for. A personal website is probably aimed at family and friends. A website for an international business needs to work for people from many different cultures and countries. If you want the site to earn money, think about the business model now: selling products, services, advertising, memberships or affiliate partnerships.

2. Choose the Features

Next, decide which features the site needs. A company selling products needs an online catalogue and a shopping cart. A members-only site needs a password-protected area and a public page that explains what members get. A personal site might want photo albums and a contact form. You can always add features later, but it is more efficient to plan them from the start.

3. Map It Out

Once you know the features and content, map the site. Sketch each page, or each type of page, on paper so that you get a feel for how it will work, and plan the navigation so that visitors can find their way around easily.

4. Write the Content

Now write, or have someone write, the text that will appear on the site. This is a very important step: make sure it fits the plan and reads well before you start building. Decide on the look too: colours, logo, header and menu. If design is not your strength, a good template is a perfectly sensible choice.

5. Build the Site

Now the fun part. You can code the site yourself, install a content management system such as WordPress, or use a drag-and-drop website builder. Take your time, and do not worry when you hit a problem: someone has almost certainly had the same one, and a quick search will usually find a tutorial.

6. Test Everything

When the site is built, test it. Check that text and images display properly in all the popular browsers and on phones, that pages load quickly, and that every form and link works. Ask a friend to try it too: a fresh pair of eyes spots problems you no longer see.

7. Publish

Finally, register a domain name, choose a hosting company, upload the site and configure it so that everything works, including HTTPS and email.

An Example: Planning a Casino Review Site

The same steps apply to any niche. Someone building a casino review site would define the audience and the countries it serves (gambling rules differ from market to market), choose features such as comparison tables and bonus terms pages, plan review templates so that every casino is assessed the same way, and pick hosting that copes with traffic spikes around big events. Our guide to hosting a casino review site picks up from there.