Setting about creating your first website can seem a daunting task. What the average first time developer needs to know is what the basic tools are for getting started. There are two different routes you can go down to make a website. You can either start from scratch by acquiring web building and image manipulation software or you can use a free online content management system to set up the basics for you. Both have their advantages, as will be discussed in this article.

When endeavoring to start a website from scratch the first tool you’ll need is a web development application, something to use to code your site. Two such pieces of software are Adobe Dreamweaver and Kompozer. Kompozer is free to download online while Dreamweaver will set you back $300 – $400. These applications allow you to generate webpages without a huge amount of knowledge of the more technical parts of coding. They come with a lot of wizards and different tools which will generate the code for you, allowing you to focus on the design. Dreamweaver is preferable because it is the professional choice and also comes with a lot of documentation. If you’re ever stuck you won’t have to look far for a Dreamweaver tutorial. However it is a steep price and Kompozer will also provide you will the relevant tools to make a website.

A second must have when you need to make a website from scratch is image manipulation software. You should look into getting yourself either a copy of Adobe Photoshop or GIMP. Once again one is free while the latest version of Photoshop will cost you up to $700. Photoshop has a lot of extensive features for in depth image manipulation. However if you are just looking to jazz up some text or create some basic shapes then GIMP would certainly be the cheaper option. It should provide you with all the tools you need for putting images on your site.

With the tools to code and make attractive images you’re ready to start building your first site. Nevertheless if this all looks a bit much then it might be worth looking into setting up your site using a prebuilt content management system. Two examples are WordPress and Joomla. Both these allow you to construct a site in minutes, starting you off with a basic template that you can then manipulate to suit your needs.

It is worth considering what your site’s purpose is before choosing between WordPress and Joomla. If you’re looking to start a blog then WordPress will definitely be the option for you. Its admin section allows you to create posts quickly and easily. It also has a great selection of plugins you can easily install allowing your visitors to quickly bookmark posts or track the amount of visitors to your site. The ability to quickly add widgets to your webpage is also useful. With the touch of a button you can add a calendar to your page or link up with your Twitter account.

So WordPress is certainly a good tool but it is primarily aimed at blogging. If your looking to set up a website for an organization it might be worth looking into Joomla. It has been designed to manage all forms of content rather than just posts. Its advanced framework can provide communication tools or even ecommerce systems for your site.

Both Joomla and WordPress provide services for quick web development. However they obviously have their restrictions. An inexperienced developer will struggle to deviate too far from their set templates. Starting your site from scratch means you can shape it in anyway you see fit but will always be more time consuming. All these options need to be considered when endeavoring to make a website.

 

Mark Kostner has been building websites for over 5 years and runs http://www.dreamweavermadesimple.com, the most successful dreamweaver tutorial and web development course for beginners on the net everday people how to build their own website