Checklist for building a website

I am new to all of the web-related business. I've been seeking help for a while, as well as reading/researching stuff. Just when I think I got it, there is a little obstacle that makes me go

So my mission is; to figure out how to make a functional website. Nothing special. Just average joe's site.

Here is the checklist as far as I understand (presented in a reasonable, but not definitive order);

• Register Domain Name
• Get Web Hosting

Now I believe the site is ready for construction?

• Get/Build Basic HTML/CSS Template
• Get Some Content
• Upload via FTP

This is all I know so far. I'm guessing the next steps would be;

• get it secure somehow
• install some php scripts to make site fancy

Am I on track?

 

keep SEO in miind when building.

 

And plan future marketing...

 

You've basically gotten it more or less right. The main thing would be the order in doing things. Some people work differently but I find I more or less follow this order:

Do research and find a topic I'm interested in and where there is a market for (find the niche)
Design the site.
Write content pages. (10 - 20 should be good start)
Register a domain name
Decide on host, get host.
Upload pages, test and then go live.
Promote, promote promote (by submitting to directories, SE, etc.)

 

Yes, promotion is most important if you have a website

 

1. Idea pops in our heads *lightbulb*
2. If we think of a good name we go get a domain name if not goto step 4
3. Buy hosting
4. Link from another site to get spidered, or put up a classified on craigslist, and walaa spiders.
5. Start building content
6. Start coding site
7. Build Links along the way
8. Build more content
9. Submit to directories
10. SEO i guess? That should just come when working (ie: code seo friendly pages, write good seo content, etc.)
11. Write more content
12. Advertise through various forms (mysapce, ppc, etc)

 

Another item to get some more traffic: signatures in forum related to your topic and digg.com (an all the similar ones), my 2 cent.

 

side question; say i have an idea that can potentially become a huge thing (like myspace devided by 100). I got a great idea. iv seen nothing like it. it can be usefull to lots of ppl.

however, the site needs to function correctly to work. (users need to interact w/ site in real-time) like wikipedia, or myspace. the users essentially generate the content. who do i go to? I dont wanna spend money, nor do i want to do it myself (mainly b/c i have no money, and no web skills).

 

If you don't have a topic already (and even if you do), then Keyword Tracker is very good to find phrases to target.

 

A good checklist here: www.richbackpacker.com/how-to-make-a-website/

Warning, it's for newbies only.