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Start Building a Website from Scratch with the Right Tools
Posted by IMer | Posted in Internet Marketing | Posted on 13-03-2010
Key decisions need to be thought out when going about building a website. What the average first time developer needs to know is what the fundamental tools are for getting started. There are two different routes you can go down to make a website. You can either start from scratch by acquiring web building and image manipulation software or you can use a free online content management system to set up the basics for you. Both are advantageous, as will be discussed in this article.
The first tool you’ll need is a web development program to code your website. Two such pieces of software are Adobe Dreamweaver and Kompozer. Dreamweaver will cost you $300 – $400 while Kompozer is free to download online. Without a huge amount of knowledge of coding these applications will allow you to put together different pages of your site. These programs come with a lot of tools and wizards which will generate the code for you. Dreamweaver is a better candidate because it is the professional option and also comes with a lot of documentation. If you’re ever stumped you won’t have to look far for a Dreamweaver tutorial. However it is a steep price and Kompozer will also provide you will the relevant tools to make a website.
A second requirement when you need to make a website from scratch is an image manipulation application. Photoshop and GIMP are two such examples. The latest version of Photoshop will cost you around $700 but GIMP is free to download. Photoshop is packed full of tools for extensive image manipulation. Although GIMP is certainly the cheaper option if you just need some basic shapes or text. It matches most of the Photoshop tools for editing images.
So you’ve now got the tools to code and create images for your site. Starting from scratch isn’t for everyone though, you could also look into using a prebuilt content management system. Two examples are WordPress and Joomla. Both these allow you to construct a site in minutes, starting you off with a basic template that you can then edit to suit your needs.
It is worth considering what your site’s purpose is before choosing between WordPress and Joomla. If you’re looking to start a blog then WordPress will definitely be the option for you. You can create posts quickly and easily using the admin section. It also has a great selection of plugins you can easily install allowing your readers to quickly bookmark posts or track the amount of visitors to your site. Quickly adding widgets is also convenient. With the click of a button you can add a calendar to your page or link up with your Twitter account.
So WordPress is certainly a useful tool but it is primarily aimed at blogging. Joomla is an altenative option, especially if you are setting up a site for a company. It can be used to convey all kinds of content, more than just posts. It comes with all kinds of features to help you install things such as communication tools and ecommerce systems into your site.
Both Joomla and WordPress provide services for speedy web development However they obviously have their restrictions. Without advanced coding knowledge you will struggle to deviate too far from their preset themes. Starting your site from scratch is more time consuming but you have the freedom to shape your site whatever way you want. All these choices need to be considered when deciding to make a website.
