Creating a basic website is obviously a lot easier than creating a more advanced one with all the bells and whistles. Basic websites are typically used for information and don't require much more than HTML code. CSS scripts are used in some cases, but for basic websites that contain the bare essentials to function, this is not typical. Basic websites are great learning experiences, and they can even be cost-effective if you plan to use one for your website.
Creating the Homepage
The first thing you'll want to do when you begin to create a website is design the homepage. This is the "index.html" file that users will land on when they browse to your domain. This can be easily created by creating a simple text file named "index.html" and inserting basic HTML coding into it. Make sure that your homepage contains the proper HTML, TITLE, HEAD, BODY, and appropriate tags for a basic website. Make sure that your homepage also contains a navigation area for other pags in your site. This will be covered in the next section.
Adding Links
Once you've completed your homepage, you will add links to your homepage so that your users can navigate your site. Create the other pages you plan to use in your site. These can be pages such as, "aboutus.html," "photogallery.html," or "contact.html."
You will want to link to these various areas in your website using the navigation area that you made on your homepage (index.html). Additionally, you can make it easier on your users if you add navigation areas to the other pages on your website as well. In most cases, this is most easily done by copying and pasting the code you used for the navigation on your homepage to the same area on your other pages.
Checking Navigation
Once you've completed your basic website, you'll need to check it for errors. Most importantly, check the navigation system you've set up between the pages on your website. If any links are broken, this can cause a problem with visitors to your website that are trying to obtain certain information.
Launching Your Website
Lastly, launch your website if you feel that it is ready to go. You'll need to register a domain and sign up for a web hosting package before you can upload the necessary files to server, so make sure that you do this. It won't be possible to launch your site unless you do.
Make sure to maintain your basic website and update it accordingly. Pay attention to visitor complaints so that you can stay on top of any possible errors that your site might present them. Other than that, give yourself a pat on the back. You've learned how to create a basic website!