This hub will discuss how to develop and maintain a website. In the age of web2.0, or the current trend of web applications, creating a web presence is a lot easier than it used to be. This article is split into six sections to help make the process more clear.

• Making a Unique Name for Yourself Online
• Deciding on a Host and Provider
• Choosing a Platform
• Using an Editing Tool
• Summarizing Costs and Skills
• One Final Note

First of all decide on a domain name to use for the website. For example YourSite.com. I recommend using a .COM name rather than a .net or other extension wherever possible.

• Make sure the name is not difficult to spell or pronounce. If a domain is chosen such as Diall.com, most people will misspell it as Dial.com and will end up at the wrong place.
• Keep the name as short as possible.
• Make sure that the name reflects the content that will be on the site.

Most domain registrars charge between 10 and $20 per annum for the name. However most hosting companies provide a bundled package with a free domain name option. See below.

You first need a place to store the content and web files before creating a website - this is a service that hosting companies provide. The regular price range is from around $8-$16 per month and includes all the features most websites require. I have used a few hosting companies before and I recommend either of the below 2 most. Both charge around $6-8 a month and offer quick tools to get a website up and running without much technical knowledge.

• Lunar Pages
• Host Gator Hosting

Hint: Use the coupon code freetrial to get 1 month hosting at Host Gator for 1c to test it out.

The basic code of the web is HTML and it is possible to create a site from the ground up using this mark-up language or using a Software tool like Dreamweaver. However in the modern web most website owners install a CMS (content management system) from their control panel and use this to build their own website. Some examples of CMS are:

WordPress

Wordpress is a blogging tool that has most of the features required the websites use - static pages, the option to turn on comments, search engine optimisation, multiple authors, and other features.

Mambo and Joomla

There are numerous other content management software packages available that can be used to create a website. Two of the most popular ones are Mambo and Joomla.

Customize to Your Goals

Ask the question: what am I wanting to achieve with this site? There are several CMS packages that are targeted toward specific goals such as:

• an article site
• a blog
• a link exchange
• an online photo album
• an online store or shopping cart

Search Google for a CMS that is targeted towards Your Goal. Some of them are free while others are paid CMS packages. Packages like Joomla and Mambo provide modules that can turn them into blogs, link exchanges, and online shops, which makes them great free and extendable generic choices.

HTML

For personal or 1-page websites HTML coding or Photoshop software might suffice. CMS packages are a better choice for websites that want to offer an interactive element and the option to expand into larger sites.

Fantastico

You will find "1-Click" installers for packages such as Forum, Blog, or Classifieds in the Cpanel of most hosting accounts - Under the Fantastico button. You can set up a website with 1 click using these pre-installed free packages.

You will now have a generic template of the website. But it will look like it just came out of the box -- there will be no special theme or personal touch that makes the website look YOURS. This is where the editing process comes in.

Spend 2-3 hours learning the CMS

Each CMS has a manual or documentation. Trust me... It is worthwhile going through the features and documentation to find out how what works. This is just the same as learning how to use Microsoft Office or another software package.

Download Themes and Mods

Themes are different looks -- including different graphics and formatting, that can be downloaded for free and upload to the CMS to give it a more personal appearance.

Mods on the other hand can also be downloaded as extra features that are not available in the original CMS software package but can be added to it for free. Some examples of mods are a guest book, an advertising manager, and a random quote option. However there are thousands of mods available for all CMS packages that fill the functions that are needed on the website.

Learn HTML, CSS, or PHP languages

I recommend more serious enthusiasts to learn about at least one of these three languages. Knowledge of HTML makes it easier to rearrange elements of the website and to understand how to edit the CMS-generated output in much greater depth. Knowledge of CSS makes it possible to create 100% original and personal designs and themes to get the site looking Just How You want it to.

Knowledge of PHP gives web developers the power to create their own CMS software and to get a much richer understanding of how existing CMS software is built and can be modified. You will also be able to create mods from scratch using PHP, but I recommend learning HTML and CSS first prior to attempting this.

You'll Need - Covering Costs

• Your domain name and hosting - $10 per month
• Software or a CMS - $0 to $500
• Some books on HTML and CSS - $20 to $50
• Total recommended budget - $100-$150 for 1 Year

Note: Extra sites on the same hosting account should not cost more at all. So this budget can fall into "all web expenses" hosting-wise.

You'll Need - Time

1. Think about a good domain name
2. Get hosting set-up - Normal initial setup time is 24-72 hours once their billing department processes the hosting purchase
3. Learn a CMS - 2 to 3 hours to start with and more later on
4. Downloading customizations - a few hours (but this is the fun part so time flies here)
5. Learning HTML and CSS - 5 to 6 hours or more
6. Updating the site - Decide on how much time to spend updating the site each week

Total time - 10-20 hours to start with plus the time it takes to update the site from then on.

There are a number of alternatives to starting a website. First of all make sure that a website is needed to achieve the outcome in mind before attempting to develop and maintain one.

I recommend most bloggers to get their own hosting for increased professionalism, but those on a tight budget can use a free blogging site with a sub-domain and still have access to a number of great features for free. Having a personal site with hosting gives a sense of freedom and control that I prefer, however.

There are alternatives to building a website that also work well for some people:

• Purchasing a pre-existing site with existing traffic and revenue
• Having a site custom developed
• Posting articles on a site like Hub Pages instead
• Creating a Facebook Page instead of building a full site
• Creating a forum using the hosting instead of making a full site

I hope this article was helpful. If it was feel welcome to subscribe to future hubs from me or add a comment below.