How to create a website, you may be asking yourself this very same question and the answer is there are several different ways to go about this and to achive your goal of creating your very own website.
In this article we will briefly explain the various options that are available to create your own website and the pros and cons of each option, and as we progress through this article you will have a better understanding of the options that are available to you.
Content Management Systems
There are two popular platforms available for creating a website Wordpress and Joomla, both are content management systems, this essentially means you do not need to have any knowledge in coding to be able to create web pages, we provide a simple guide which explains the difference between Wordpress and Joomla.
The content management system takes care of the basic infrastructure for your website, this includes the management of articles and images which makes up the base of your website, the system provides editors for articles and images and allows you to arrange the content to suit your style.
The content management system also provides and controls modules, plugins and extensions that allow your website to perform and function correctly over the internet, both Wordpress and Joomla are open source which are available to download for free.
The content management systems are very easy to install and can be accessed through your hosting account with an automated installer, this process only installs the content management system no content is installed in the process, this option is for seasoned webmasters with some knowledge on building a website, to install a content management system you need two essentials a webhosting provider and a domain name.
Quickstart Content Management Packages
For beginner's we thoroughly recommend installing a quick start package, these quick start packages are available for both Wordpress and Joomla websites, the quickstart is a ready to go website with all the pages prepopulated with articles and images and the coroponding content management system.
The content on these prepopulated pages need replacing with your own unique content relating to your own websites needs and design, having the pages prepopulated makes the process of adding your own content to pages very easy to understand, quick start packages are available from our recommended quickstart supplier.
Installing a Wordpress or Joomla quickstart package in a little more difficult than just installing the content management system alone but we provide you with a guide for installing a Wordpress quickstart package and for installing a Joomla quickstart package.
Pros And Cons
The option to use a content management system allows a wide range of possibilities for creating stunning websites you have two options with Wordpress or Joomla, both are more than capable for any type of website, you can choose your own web hosting provider you have full control of your website through CPanal and there are a wide range of quickstart packages, plugins, extensions and components available to create a stunning and practical website.
Online Website Builder
The second option available to create your own website is using an online platform or drag and drop website builder these platforms provide all that is required to get your website online from web hosting to domain name purchase and all the tools needed to create a website our recommendation is Weebly Site Builder.
The software provided makes creating a website very easy, basically you start by searching through a wide range of templates available on the platform the template is the base of your website and are available to suit many website designs from blogs through to business websites.
The process of populating the website is made easy with drag and drop components you still need to enter your own content in the drag and drop modules but once they are populated with content you can just pick up the module and reposition the content very easily.
Pros And Cons
The Weebly site builder platform is very user friendly to use, all the features and resources needed to get your website online are provided in one easy location, the platform is very cost effective, redesigning your website is as easy as moving the content around with the drag and drop system and requires little time or knowledge to get you started.
With online website builders you are committed to use what the platform provides for you, you can only use the web hosting servers provided by the website builder platform, you can not use web hosting outside of what is provided, you can only use the tools and resources provided on the platform you have less creative choice than using a content management system.
Ecommerce/ Online Shop
Ever dreamed of opening your own store or online shop, there are two possible options available for you, both of these options allow you to sell products online with out the need for a warehouse or shipping the products to your customers.
This platform is called dropshipping and is used worldwide by people just like you allowing them to earn a living online selling the products they love, both these options available utilize the Aliexpress platform for obtaining and shipping your products.
Wordpress Plus Woocommerce
The first option requires a Wordpress website this can be a website you are already using or start from scratch with a new website and the Woocommerce plugin both of which are free to download and use, quick start packages are also available from our quick start supplier.
Once the website is setup and running you can purchase the Alidropship plugin this Wordpress plugin is designed and created by Aliexpress the plugin fully incorporates your website with the Aliexpres wholesale suppliers and uses the Woocommerce plugin to import and display the products on your website.
The Alidropship plugin completley automats the entire process for your dropshipping shop from importing the wholesale product to your website, checking on availability at the suppliers, updating stocks, the plugin also imports any product variations into your dropshipping website, the products are imported at wholesale prices and a markup is added when the product is imported to your website, the process is easy to learn and very cost effective to run.
Shopify Plus Oberlo
The second option available for creating an online shop uses an online platform called Shopify, learn more about Shopify this popular dropshipping platform is used worldwide by thousands of people to earn an income online by dropshipping products to there customers, Shopify provide a free 14 day trial so check them out.
The Shopify platform is designed to make dropshipping very easy, once you are registered you can choose from hundreds of templates that are available from your dashboard these templates allow the user to drag and drop content where required so designing your online is very simple.
The process for dropshipping with Shopify is very much the same as using Wordpress and Woocommerce, except the process of importing the products from Aliexpress suppliers is handled by a third party plugin called Oberlo, learn more about Oberlo.
The Oberlo plugin is a browser APP that links your website to the Aliexpress suppliers and fully automates the process of importing products to your website and handles stock availability at the suppliers end, Oberlo processes all the sales to your customers handles check out and paypal payments, so if you are looking to start a dropshipping website these two options are available for you.