Now that the Internet has become commonplace, there are many ways to create
a homepage
. However, there are many people who want to create a homepage but don’t know how to do it.
In this article, we will thoroughly explain how to create a homepage. It covers information for beginners to create a homepage, such as what you need to make, the types of methods, and precautions when creating, so please read until the end.
What you need when creating a homepage
What do you need to create a homepage?
To create a homepage, you will need at least the following two things.
Here we will explain each of them.
server
A server is a computer that provides network services and is like a piece of land on the internet. There are free servers and paid servers.
Use a free server
When using the Internet, we contract with an Internet service provider. Your provider may offer server space for free. Using this server space means using a free server.
The advantage is that it can be used for free, but due to its limited functionality and capacity, it may be better not to use it depending on the content of the website.
Use a paid server
You can also rent a server for a fee. If you want to create a full-fledged website, consider renting a paid rental server.
Compared to the free version, it has more features and a larger capacity. Additionally, the page display speed of the homepage becomes faster, which is advantageous for SEO measures. We also have a comprehensive support system, so you can ask for support when you have a problem.
domain
A domain
is a name used to identify a computer or network on the Internet, and is like an address on the Internet.
For domain contracts, we recommend using your own domain.
There are two types of domains: custom domains and subdomains. An original domain is a domain where you can freely choose the part of the address “http://www.〇〇.com”, and often uses your company name or product name. On the other hand, a subdomain is a domain that is used when you want to divide the usage of your own domain. Although these two domain contracts are different, we basically recommend using your own domain.
Using your own domain provides the following three main benefits:
You may have the impression that custom domains are expensive, but you can get a contract for just a few hundred yen. Therefore, when signing up for a domain, be sure to sign up for your own domain.
Thorough explanation of 6 ways to create a homepage
From here, I will show you how to create a homepage. There are six main ways to create a homepage. I will explain each.
①: Make your own
You can create your own homepage. Since you design and make it yourself, you have the highest degree of freedom in customization, and the advantage is that production and maintenance costs are the lowest. However, creating a website entirely by yourself requires a high degree of specialized knowledge in
HTML
,
CSS
, and programming languages such as PHP depending on the situation, and it takes time to build a website, making it difficult for beginners to adopt. Probably.
②: Contract a server/domain and create it with WordPress
You can also sign up for the server domain I mentioned earlier and create it with
WordPress
.
WordPress is
a CMS (content management system) that
boasts the largest market share in the world, but even beginners without specialized knowledge can easily create a homepage, and by adding functions called plug-ins, You can customize it to your liking.
WordPress can basically be created for free, but please note that creating a homepage that you are satisfied with can be somewhat costly.
③: Use homepage software that is available for free
There are homepage software available for free on the Internet, and you can use them to create your own homepage.
The advantage of free homepage software is that you can create a homepage with basic functions and designs for free, but because it is free, there are some shortcomings in terms of lack of functions and support system.
④: Use paid homepage software
You can also create a homepage using paid homepage software. Although it is paid, you will be able to create a high-quality homepage with plenty of functions. However, this method may be difficult for beginners, as it is difficult to choose which software to use, the software is expensive, and specialized knowledge is often required.
⑤: Request a website production company
You can also hire a homepage production company to create your homepage. The advantage is that you can consult with a production company about how to create a homepage, which allows you to create a high-quality homepage by professional designers and engineers without using any of your own production costs. However, just like with paid homepage software, there are various production companies, so it is difficult to choose a company, and the production and maintenance costs are high.
When hiring a website production company, be sure to get competitive quotes from multiple companies and compare them thoroughly.
⑥: Ask a freelancer
Currently, crowdsourcing services such as Lancers and CrowdWorks, which allow you to contract with individual freelancers, are popular, and you can easily request website creation.
Since you can outsource to individual web designers and engineers, you can create a high-quality homepage at a low cost, and you can expect flexibility in how the homepage is created. However, the disadvantage is that there are many uncertainties before the homepage is completed, such as ordering mistakes that result in the homepage not being completed as expected.
WordPress is the best choice for beginners
So far, we have explained 6 ways to create a website, but the recommended method for beginners is to create one using WordPress. With WordPress, you can create high-quality websites at low cost. With WordPress, you can create something with excellent design just by selecting a template called a theme, and you can freely expand its functionality using plugins.
There are a wide variety of WordPress themes and plugins available, from free to paid ones, and you can create any type of homepage you want. Additionally, WordPress is a service with the largest market share around the world, so you won’t have to worry about information. If you are a beginner, please try creating your homepage using WordPress.
Points to note when creating a homepage
So far, we have explained how to create a homepage. From here, we will introduce some things to keep in mind when creating a homepage.
Identify the minimum necessary pages
A homepage has a minimum number of pages. In addition, identify the pages that need to be created on your company’s homepage and create them appropriately.
The minimum requirement for a homepage is a “Top page.” In addition, if it is a company homepage, pages for business details, company information, and inquiries will be required at a minimum.
If you want to sell products on your homepage, you will also need a page for product introduction and sales. Please take inventory of the minimum number of pages that are necessary for your company.
Design is targeted
When it comes to homepage design, it’s not enough to just be cool and fashionable. You need to make it so that the target audience visiting your homepage wants to see it and take action, such as making an inquiry or reading an article.
A common design failure is to make the design look too cool and create an unclear table of contents, making it difficult for the target audience to know where to click.
Make sure the design is easy to use and understand, tailored to the target audience.
Take running costs into account
When creating a homepage, the most important thing to worry about is the installation cost. There is a tendency to choose how to create a website based on how much it will cost initially.
However, running a website also involves running costs. There are various monthly costs such as server fees and domain fees. Be careful not to go over budget because you didn’t take running costs into account.
Be sure to consider not only the initial cost but also the running cost.
Be sure to support SSL
Currently, various problems such as hacking acts and data leaks are occurring on the Internet. SSL compatibility refers to a system that encrypts and communicates data in order to prevent such actions.
Not only does it help prevent malicious access to your homepage, but if your website is not SSL-enabled, you will also suffer from SEO disadvantages such as lower rankings from search engines such as Google.
Make the design responsive
Responsive
design is a design that optimizes the display of a website depending on the device the user is viewing it on, such as a smartphone.
Nowadays, more and more people are viewing websites on smartphones rather than computers. If the homepage is not optimized for such people, there is a high possibility that they will leave the page.
It is also said that a website that does not have a responsive design will not receive high rankings in terms of SEO. When creating your homepage, make sure to use responsive design.
Summary of how to create a homepage
In this article, we have thoroughly explained how to create a homepage. If you are a beginner, consider creating a homepage with WordPress, which is inexpensive and has a rich design and functionality.
Also, when creating a homepage, be sure to have a design that is easy for the target audience to view, and take sufficient measures that are essential for SEO, such as SSL compatibility and responsive design.