What does it take to make a good site?

[MDStidham]

I have only produced Myspaces and Blogs. In the scope of things I think that I am pretty ignorant in website creation and management. Can anyone help me grasp what it takes to create, host, manage, and build a website into a money MAKING venture? Maybe a timeline and a plotline. Thanks!

[jeremy]

in my experience, it is tough to get started. don't expect money right away. i was making websites for years before they started making money. although, monetization was not a goal of mine for much of that time, so maybe things could turn out differently for you.

[L146705]

depends on what you class as a good site

[MDStidham]

I don't expect to have it all right away... but I want it all some day. I am just trying to get an idea of what it takes to get there. What are the main things that I need to know to create and manage my own site? I think that a good site is one with a clean graphical interface, original content, and has a group of users.

[Zane]

time - money - effort

[jeremy]

you list:
- original content
- users
- good UI

a good UI is easy enough. if you hire a designed for a few hundred dollars you can get one. or, if you are artistically inclined (unlike me), you can do it yourself. even if you're not, you can still make a website that is functional if not beautiful.

on top of that, i think that you need either original content or users. i have started websites with original content and no users, and the users will come eventually. i have also started websites with users and little original content, and in that case you can often get your users to make your original content for you (myspace being the ultimate example).

if you're just starting in the business and you don't have much of an ad budget, you're going to have to focus on content and promote the hell out of it until you get some users. then it's gravy.

[MDStidham]

Thanks for the replies so far. I understand that it is going to be a lot of work and time. I think it is going to be a lot of fun too. Can someone touch on what programs I am going to need or what programs I am going to need to be enrolled in? I already have Photoshop, Google Adsense, and some basic html skills… what should I focus on next??

[jeremy]

if you think you're up for it, you should try learning a programming language like php or python or ruby. that will make your life much easier.

[Tyler]

Hi MD,

I have two routes I'd like to suggest.

The first route is my 'classic' route which I suggest. It goes something like:

1. Learn HTML. Keep making sites and practicing until you have a good handle on it and can create half-decent designs and layouts.
2. Learn Photoshop.
3. Learn CSS. I'm 'old school' so CSS was quite new when I was learning web design. And I've never learned it since I don't design anymore, but that is no excuse for you not to. CSS is extremely important to learn and know.
4. Optional, but I'd suggest learning Javascript to a decent degree.
5. Learn PHP. I learned Perl instead, as again, PHP was still in it's infant stages back then (Jesus, just how freaking old am I?), but PHP is so much easier to learn and is getting better and more robust all the time. Perl is slowly dying.

Don't worry about monetizing or any of that. That will come on it's own and is by far the easiest thing to learn IMHO. The hard part is building a great/popular site.

Route two:

1. Do steps 1 to 3 above, but to a lesser extent.
2. Hire a web designer or programmer or whatever it is you need.
3. Market and Monetize.

I suggest learning the basics of web design even if you plan on outsourcing the work. It's vital for so many reasons, but mainly so that you understand the basic framework of the web. So you know what is possible, what isn't, what looks good, what will work, etc.

[Nomar]

good reply cruz, i have something to work on i see :)

[scoby]

If you use tools like Joomla, Wordpress Drupal et al
along with their plugins for more specific stuff you can create sites without having much technical knowledge.

I'd recommend you start making a site straight away about something, (anything) because you'll immediately learn how some things work.
Install a stats program like awstats or google analytics.
There's so many things to learn about, you should get some experience and learn as you go.

If you find that it's difficult to get visitors you can ask for advice, If you get loads of visitors but can't seem to make much money, you have something different you need to focus on and learn about.

If you can make a site about something that you're interested in and that other are passionate about you could really enjoy it and make some moolah into the bargain.

Good Luck!

[Nomar]

i have 1 site in installed joomla on it.. its hard to modify.. but i get there i guess..

and my blog is in wordpress.. i agree that you dont need that much technical knowledge for it.. thats good :)

[boron]

For a good site you need a feeling that you will like to run it. Something you want to tell, investigate, develop, share...

From there you'll find a title of your site, then a domain, then hosting. If you think about content first, you'll ba maybe able to build something worthy.

[davestarr]

Some decent advice here, although I would disagree with most of the technical trivia. "Just putting up a site" is essentially an exercise in frustration. You may be able to grow nearly anything (monetize or not, it has to grow or just die on the vine). But how you build it has very little to do with its success. What you build it for has everything.

Here's a couple examples. Our friendly host here, Tyler, has an interest in poker. So he built several sites that give valuable information to others who like poker. result? People come. Building upon the beginnings he has learned 'tech stuff" and even hired professional help, but you can start a site off in nothing more complicated than WordPress ... or one of the free site builders that many web hosts provide. or a totally free tool like Nvu. It's kinda like being a carpenter though. Knowing how to cut a board square or plane it until it's smooth is pretty much useless unless you know what you're going to build, and why anyone would want what you will build. Going down the street hawking "square cut boards" will likely not result in very many sales.

Another good (big) example. Go look at: http://www.plentyoffish.com/
Many web designers call it ugly. The URL doesnt seem to make much sense. It is run by one guy and his girlfriend from their apartment. However, it makes a fortune ... like $300,000 (USD) per month. PoF certainly doesn't make money because it's pretty ... it makes money because Markus recognized a need even bigger than poker ... lonely people.

Take a look at www.problogger.net It's just a WordPress site with a minor custom theme .. and frankly I have seen free WP themes I think look nicer. The owner, Darren Rowse now makes over $100,000 USD per year (not all from that site, but that site is the key that unlocked his other opportunities.) The "hungry crowd" that Darren found? People who wanted to make money from blogging. He gives out tons of information (sells very little) and the crowd comes to "be fed".

So don't bother learning HTML or CSS or other technobabble, you can outsource that stuff for peanuts. Figure out where your "hungry crowd" is ... that will be the key.

[davestarr]

Anyone have any experience with Google Applications for their site? Seems like they offer a lot of free stuff and I'm not sure what it could do to traffic, but being hooked in with Google certainly can't be a negative, can it?
http://www.google.com/a/