Hi, websites are wonderful. At least I believe so! A website is your online presence; a necessity for any business large or small. Not just for businesses either. There are many uses for websites.
INFORMATION: Seemingly gone are the days when you would look something up in an encyclopedia or dictionary. If there’s something you want to know, Google is generally the first port of call for most users and there’s nearly always a website that has the information you are looking for.
SELLING: Online shopping – eCommerce.
RELATIONSHIPS: Online dating.
FUN: Playing games. Surfing the internet, watching videos and generally procrastinating!
Website Business Tools 101
Below I will mention the tools and programs I use to create and work with gmasDiary. Not all of these are necessary, however- to accomplish what I like doing; they are needed.
Choosing a website platform
Have you thought how difficult it would be to create a website? Or wondered what tools you would need to create the website? Here are a few suggestions. I personally have used WordPress.com and WordPress.org platforms. Either one of these two I recommend. The main difference between the two sites is hosting. WordPress.com is free and requires registration. WordPress.org is self-hosted through a hosting company like Bluehost. For complete information on both WordPress types, click here.
Now if you are interested in a blogging site only, WordPress.com and Blogger.com are similar, free and require registration. Both are pretty easy to set up and get going. Your online space is limited with these accounts.
Using WordPress.org requires a hosting account as I mentioned previously. This type of an account allows more flexibility for your creative designs. You can create a regular website or a blogging website or a combination of the two using a one-step installation function from the admin control panel. gmasDiary was created with this platform. I link to pages created with the CoffeeCup HTML program featuring image galleries, videos, calendars and other fun stuff! Which is the main point for this business tools 101 post. When you are ready to set your website up, please refer to these complete detailed instructions.
One of the biggest reasons I prefer the WordPress platform is because of the admin control panel. As long as I can connect to the internet, I can access the control panel of my website. This allows me to make instant changes as needed. With other website design software- changes can only be made with the computer where the files are stored. This is very limiting and can be a real pain! WordPress also offers many free responsive templates. With all the different smartphones, tablets and computers this is essential!
Choosing a HTML editor
What is a HTML editor you might ask. As explained by Wikipedia, an HTML editor is a computer program for editing HTML, the markup of a webpage. Although the HTML markup of a web page can be written with any text editor, specialized HTML editors can offer convenience and added functionality.
I absolutely LOVE CoffeeCup! Please head over and check it out- CoffeeCup HTML Editor. There is a free HTML version you may want to try first. Just an FYI- with CoffeeCup, you can download and try any one of the programs free before buying.
When working with HTML codes, I have booked marked this webpage- w3schools. As noted on the right side of this webpage, I refer to this site often!
There is a learning curve to working with websites and HTML coding. Believe me, if I can do it; so can you!
Selecting a FTP program
In a nutshell, FTP is a program used to transfer files from your computer folder file to your website online folders. The program I use is Smart FTP Client. For several years I have been using this and just have gotten comfortable using the interface. There are many other good choices. As mentioned above- CoffeeCup.com offers excellent programs.
Detailed information for, What is FTP and how to use it can be read here.
Let me show you
I created an HTML page using CoffeeCup’s HTML Editor default layout- two column fixed 5.
What do you think
Do you think you will create your own website? Or if you already have a website, what programs do you use and why? It would be fun to hear your answer!
Best Wishes,
Do you have your letterhead? Letterhead Business Tools
About Joomla! I was curious about your opinion of it and you didn’t say anything. I took a Joomla! class years ago and didn’t find it nearly as user friendly as WordPress. Of course WP is not as user friendly now as it was then, it has become much more complex. But curious on your thoughts on Joomla! Does anybody use it?
Hi Grandma Kc, yes- I tried the Joomla. Worked with it for about 3 months. Never uploaded to my web hosting account. It was a bit more extensive in coding and learning. WordPress from me is much more user friendly. I use WordPress and then other programs as well. I do have photographer friends who use Joomla. Some of them hired a design firm to design and upload for them, however- I like having complete control of my website.