The Easiest Way to Design a Website

By now, you probably know that in order to start a website, you need a domain name (yoursite.com) and a web host. But that's just the beginning.

Once you have those two things you'll need to take the next step and actually build your pages.

If you're a beginner, the best way to build and design a website is to use a pre-designed template and edit/customize that template using some web editing software.

If you plan on taking this route, be sure you use a standard host like this.

NOTE: If you use a host that already offers pre-built templates (WebSite Tonight, for example) then you don't need to read this tutorial. It won't apply to you.

How I Created This Site

To help you understand the website creation process better, I'll talk a little bit about how I created this site...

First, I bought this template ($24) at DreamweaverTemplates.net. After I purchased the template, I opened Dreamweaver and customized the template to my liking right through the software. Again, you can do this with any editor of your choice.

The nice thing about Dreamweaver is you can download it immediately from Adobe's site after purchasing.

So whatever software you decide to use, you'll need to open up the template files with your editor. Usually there is an index.html or index.htm that comes with the template. Use this page as your template to create the additional pages of your site.

Simply add your content right into the body of the page, and of course you can change the menu/navigation text (if applicable), logos, background colors etc. to customize the site to your liking.

A Word About Logos and Images...

Most templates come with placeholder logos/images. So you'll see a header image that says something like "Company Name." If you have web editing software, (I use PhotoShop), then you can customize these images for your site.

PhotoShop and Fireworks are quite expensive for the average consumer, so I would recommend an alternative solution if you are looking for something more cost-friendly.

I highly recommend PhotoShop, and remember if this is for a business you can write off the cost as a business expense.

Building a Large Site? Make It Easy to Update With Includes

After I bought my template, I created include files. That means if I update my left, right, top or bottom navigation, I only have to change one file and all the pages get updated at once.

If you plan on creating a large site, make sure you either buy a template that has include files or create them yourself. (Do a Google search for "creating include files" for help with this.)

This will allow you to update all pages at once. Include files have made my life much easier, especially since this site has over 130 pages.