Some notes for making a website - (or what I would do)
You’ve already got an idea, good. Now you should see if you have the resources to do it. What’s needed?
- Server. What kind? How much traffic are you expecting? You might need a server that has room to grow. If you intend it to be large, then it’ll need security to circumvent hackers (this can cost up to $100,000+ with servers, software licenses, etc.). Domain names should be one of the last things you think about - you can buy a domain name later. (just make sure it doesn’t conflict with an actual company name or something)
- Software. You have two options. 1 - Go with Windows. Unfortunately, Windows products are expensive. 2 - Go with Linux. Linux based software is typically open source, and might also work on Windows (MySQL, Apache, php). There are also open source CMS systems (which I recommend over making a site from scratch).
- People. A webmaster is one thing. Programmers, web developers, network technicians are another. “I need a webmaster” is fine for highschool projects, but not sites that intend to be something major. If your server is “offsite” (i.e., in some building halfway across the continent), you had better hope they have a good network security staff that’s available 24/7 (personally, I don’t know of any offhand). An alternative is renting some building space and having your staff there, but that may be more expensive. You’re also going to need programmers that know how the systems work (CMS, forum software, FTP, etc.). You’ll need “Web Authors” (sort of like webmasters) that add content to your webpage (CMS most likely). If you’re going to have a forum, you’ll need forum staff, too.
Then, and only then can you move on to the next part. Analysis.
Now you can brainstorm and decide what you really want on the webpage. What are your main links? What content do you want?
Here’s a typical webpage layout —
Header - This has your logo, and maybe a search bar and/or login prompt
Sub-header - This might have major links, or a menubar. (If it’s a drop down, then it must have some way of showing the full menu when you click on the root link - it’s an accessibility requirement. I have to follow that at work.)
First column - Usually major sections of the page, or any other links you want to make note of. This is typically on the homepage. Other pages might use it as a navigational menu, but that’s optional.
Second column - This is where your content is on all pages.
Third column - Optional, but usually has “quick links” (frequently visited links on your page), or links to external sites.
Footer - Usually copyright info. Don’t put links down here - users usually don’t scroll down that far.
