In the last post I got you to think about a domain name that you may like. Also about the type of site you would like. Finally the topic for the site.
All of these are important parts of creating your web site. However once they are out of the way there are some other things that you need to do before you really get into operating your web based business. Be it a content site, blog site, or e-store.
The first step in the process is choosing the software that you are going to use to operate your site. While it is possible to manually create the whole site from scratch. Often this leads to more work and trouble, then you really want. There are times where creating a site from scratch is the better approach. But when you are just getting started you are better off using something pre existing.
The software that you choose for your web site will very much depend upon what type of site you have decided to setup. While it is actually possible to inter change much of the software from one type of site to another, this is not possible for all types of sites. Plus most software for web sites is designed for one specific application.
CONTENT SITES
If you are creating a content site, you need to look for software that make it easy for you to purely post content items. The common name for this type of software is “Content Management System” or CMS. Usually this sort of software creates a good structure, which stores the articles you create in fixed categories, and lets users browse through them. Some good options for CMS software is
BLOG SITES
While creating a blog is just like creating a content site, some of the ways in which things are displayed can differ. It really depends upon how you want your blog to display whether you are better to use CMS or Blog Software. A blog is normally displayed in chronological order, or the newest post is first and the oldest post is last. Also another feature is easy access to archives or category specific posts, which are often linked in the sidebar. There are a couple of options for software.
E-STORE
Creating an e-store is an entirely different thing to creating a content or blog site. However at the same time can include elements of both. By nature of offering products for sale it is often generally seen as a good addition to offer extra information, which means an e-store is often also a content site as well. The primary difference though is that the content is linked to selling your own product rather then drawing revenue from ads. The software available is quiet numerous but some of the options include.
- Joomla with Virtuemart add-on
- CubeCart
- Zen Cart
- X-Cart (A Paid for option)
There is one important consideration when choosing software for your web site. This is that you need to try out a few different options and see which one you get the best feel for. Just because the software that I have listed here is what i have listed does not mean it is the best option for you. For example I love using WordPress, i find it easy to use and work with. However someone else may think it is the complete opposite. So it really comes down to knowing what you like using and finding something that fits how you like to do things.
Of course the whole try a few out is much easier when you are familiar with doing different things on the Internet. The best thing about the options i have mentioned here is that for those who have a hosting account with Fantastico included, all except for X-Cart can be installed much easier.
Before going any further you really need to take the decisions you have already made. Things like the topic of the site, the type of site and such and decide what software you will use for the site.
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