Hi

Before reading on I suggest that you sign up to the newsletter and the rss feed from the site, we aim to use this site as a useful resource and much of the information that we will aim to add will be relevant to you and the further development of your business.

I hope this information below will be helpful and answer most of the questions you may still have. I have put together a rough road map for creating a website, with various options. This will only make sense if you have attended some of the web related courses at FEAT.

This information is for beginners. If there is information missing that you would find help please contact us and we will try to add it in.

Step 1: Domain names

If you know which domain name you would like then seach here:

Search for a domain name

Powered by 123-reg.co.uk

If you are unclear about which domain names you want then we suggest you go to google's keyword selection tool and base your descision on traffic volumes. https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

Step 2: Website Hosting

There are two main types of website hosting, Microsoft and Linux, unless you are developing a database driven site then generally either will be fine for your needs.

Watch for small print in terms and conditions, contract terms, what happens if/when you want to leave.

If you search around the internet you will be able to get hosting for nothing, but often these display adverts.

Expect to pay around £100 per year depending on you project bandwidth/traffic numbers and other features like databases.

The website host should also provide you with a control panel to create and maintain email addresses and also some website stats although this is not critical.

There are many website hosting companies out there and competition is tough, I suggest you compare a few to get a feel for each.

Step 3: FTP (File transfer protocol)

Essentially this is the method/protocol that will transfer you website from you computer onto the website hosting companies web server.

Typically you require some software to enable you to do this, options below:

• go to www.download.com and search for ftp software
• download and install the mozilla firefox web browser, once installed go to google search for firefox addons https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/ then search for ftp select the one you want and click add to firefox

Your website hosting company will supply you with the connection details typically ftp.yourdomain.co.uk and a username and password.

Step 4: Creating a Website

There are probably four main routes to creating a website, buy software to install on your computer, use an online templated solution, hand code (html), Content management systems and get someone to create it for you. I shall try to give you some pros and cons to each and hopefully this will help you make the best decision to suit your own needs.

1. Software

2. Online Template driven sites.

Pros		Cons
Very easy to use Quick to create a site cheap		restrictive potential problems if you want to move away ongoing monthly costs

3. Hand Code.

As this is part of course and there is a lot to cover, I have provided more detail on another page.

4. Content Management Systems (CMS)

Content Management Systems in theory at least enable a non techie users to update and maintain a website through a simple wysiwyg editor, similar to creating a word doc or sending an email.

These solutions come in various guises from free open source products to bespoke developed solutions. One of the most popular products is called Joomla which is free to use and can be downloaded from www.joomla.org. When you have downloaded the system to your pc it needs to be unzipped and then ftp'd to webserver. Once on webserver it needs configured which can be tricky for the non-techie user, you are then presented with a backend administration system from where you can create the website.

5. Contracting Developers

If IT is not your thing then seriously think about contracting someone else to do the work or consider one of the template driven solutions mentioned above. The costs for creating a website will vary greatly from company to company and for what you actually require to get done.

This does not mean you go for the cheapest solution out there, consider examples of work they they have developed previously, experience and how long they have been in business. Many people start developing websites as there is a very low barrier to entry but often do not last. This can leave you with a site which is no longer supported, hosted, patched, backed up etc.

Step 5 Search Engine Optimisation

This is a huge subject in it's own right and the main aim of what this site should provide, again I would suggest you should subscribe to the newsletter and rrs feeds to keep up to date on the sites content. We aim to keep adding material to the site which you can then use, if you need help to implement then we are happy to do this for a fee.

Would be great to get your comments about this site and in particular this page.