A Brief Introduction to The Industry of Web
Websites can be an invaluable communication tool for people and businesses, a public canvas for an artist, or a place to upload embarrassing pictures of your drunk friends. With the economy mid-flush, every ambitious individual with a budget ought to know how to create their own web presence.
You can teach yourself and there are instant results. Anything is possible, and the limits are always expanding thanks to the pioneering forces of internet megacorporations fueled by ever growing numbers of consumers.
The Tools. To make your own website, all you really need is a computer and a text editor. You can keep the files on your hard drive and view them in a web browser (Firefox, Safari, IE, etc). Once you are brave enough to share, you will need a web host, and I recommend using an FTP Program because all web-based FTP’s are a nightmare.
The Cost. Web developers are generous people. For every web dev tool you can buy, there exists an open source version that you can download or use for free. A good web host, however, is worth the small monthly expense. It runs me $10/year for this domain and $5/month for hosting with A Small Orange. Much cheaper than your average rent. The amount of space and bandwidth you get at that cost will suffice for any personal website, as long as you are not streaming videos or offering large files for download.
Where To Start. Read the basics at W3Schools.com. Familiarize yourself with HTML and CSS. These are the two essential tools of web development. HTML is the structure, CSS the style. These two scripting languages are fused together inseparably.
Try things as you read about them to jog your memory. Don’t bother making notes because there are copious online reference charts on hand if you have to look something up later. A dedicated individual can learn the basic stockpile of HTML tags and CSS definitions inside of a couple days. If you keep at it you will be creating your own websites within the week.
Where to Go From Here. Once you cover the basics, move on to the advanced articles on W3Schools, and eventually perhaps you will tackle the Web Developer’s Handbook. Follow an ordered chaos of links from there to wherever it may lead you.
With the increasing amount of worthless content posted on the web, and given my own personal track record, I feel obligated to remind you to consider carefully before uploading anything (exceptions based on hilarity and replayability).
If you don’t have the time, or you are no good with computers, there are many wonderful freelance designers out there, totally willing to do the leg work for you and at a steal.
Want cheap? Look local. Do your research. In the end, however, as with any product, you will get what you pay for.
Good luck to you all. Read carefully, don’t skip ahead too far, and remember that Google is your friend.