Pitfalls to Avoid When Developing a New Website
Website development is said to be a breeze. It is a lie! If it was simple, everyone would have one, just for fun. Yes, the basic concept is simple, but there are many things that you should know before you get started trying to set one up. Web hosting, domain name selection and deciding if you want to use templates or code.
Domain Name
A domain name is the public key to your web space. Yourwebsitename .com, .net, .biz or several other options reserve your key so that you can share it with the public and get to "Your" website. When you create a free space, you will often get a free domain name, but it will include the name of the builder you created your site with. Not an issue if it is going to be a while before you go public. If you are looking to go public and have the most professional look on your website, not having the added name of your website builder is the optimal way to go, plus, you can reserve it with several extensions, like .net and .biz, giving your visitors more ways to connect directly to you.
You also need to ensure that you do not spend too much time searching around for an available domain until you are certain of the host that you want to use. Putting your name out there in a search opens it up for others to find and use. They can be like vultures, scooping up all of the dot extensions in blocks.
Keep in mind that no matter how unique you believe your name is,it is probably it may have already been used and registered.A good plan for getting around this is trying unique ways to spell your website and domain name. Replacing letters with numbers or symbols that look similar, like $ for S and 3 for E, ahead of time can help to make getting the name that you want easier and more likely.
Free or Paid Hosting
There are almost as many website development sites as there are website design templates. Every one of them offers free and paid hosting as an option. What is it though?
Hosting is the service used to reserve and store your website space on the net.You have to make an early decision about how to have your website hosted, because although many places claim it is easy to move your website from host to host,it may produce problem.
Going from a free site host to a different paid site host can lead to hiccups, and when you use your website to run a business, hiccups equal dollars lost. Web hosting sites can be reluctant to let a potential customer go, so they offer a deal to do paid hosting with them instead, when you choose not to, they can make it difficult to make the transfer.
Explore your options and make a comparison between free and paid sites.Find out what you will get in free and paid site,and think about the future of your site.If you feel that you are going to need a paid site ultimately,go ahead and pay for the hosting now .If your website will be fine long term with what a free plan offers, go with the free host page. Don't get caught up in the "I can always pay for it if I need it later on" trap. Yes, it is an option, but often not worth the headache if you find a site host with a better deal.
Coding vs. Drag and Drop
Setting up the layout for your website can be simplified using the drag and drop method or by coding. Drag and drop allows the user to grab preset items, like text or photo boxes, and place them where they want them on the screen and then fill in the information they want there.
With coding, you will start with a blank page and add the items that you want using html code. Using code to develop your website gives the freedom to customize and make your website look just the way you want it to.
Website development can be time consuming, deciding ahead of time what you want your website to look like and offer will help you decide which way to go. Drag and drop will give you some flexibility, and speed up the process, but its options are limited to templates and menus that only function a certain way. Coding, on the other hand, gives more flexibility and customization to make it look just so.
Avoiding the pitfalls of developing a website is easily done if planned out and things like web hosting, domain names, and customization ideas are made in advance. Saving valuable time and money is an important factor, and get a unique website that is just you should be a top priority.
