Despite what you may have been told producing a website need not be difficult or expensive. If you were happy using a computer to write your book then read on. With the right tools it can be as simple as using MS Word.
This section is for owners of an Apple Mac computer. If you have a PC then please go here to the PC section
If you are still here then I assume you are the proud owner of a Mac (definitely the right decision). Producing a web presence using a Mac is easy.
First you need what is called a Host. A Host is a company which has computers connected to the Internet that are online 24/7. They ‘rent out’ space on their computer for you to put your website on. You have probably heard the term ‘Upload’ with regard to these Internet Hosts. There is nothing mysterious about it. What you are doing is copying the web pages you have produced on your computer up to the ‘Host’ computer so people can see your webpage. There is nothing to stop you in principle ‘Hosting’ your website on your own computer if you wanted to except that you need the technical know how and software to set it up for people to see it. You would also have to keep your computer on 24/7.
I digress. You are reading this because you don’t have any technical know how and no clue where to start. I suggest that you start using the simplest method available to you. Once you have gained experience then you can move on the more technical and flexible solutions (if you want to that is!)
First as I have said you need a Host. There are many out there all vying for your business They can cost as little as £3 ($5) a month. Most however need some technical know how for setting up and ‘uploading’ your website. You will need a little experience and technical knowledge if you wish to use a standard ‘Hosting’ package.
The solution is to use Apple’s Mobile Me. Full details here. As you can see Mobile Me is an online email, storage, and synchronising service. One additional function it offers is it can be used to host a website.
Next you need a copy of iLife this includes iWeb which is Apple’s web authoring package. It is very simple to use basically it contains various themes that you can select (a theme is the colour and layout design of your website)
Once you have selected a theme you like
you select the type of page you want or template. This is basically
how the text and pictures you want to use are arranged on your
page. You have flexibility with each template so as you get more
experienced you can vary the layout of the page if you want to.
Type up your text in your normal word processor package and drag
any pictures you want to use into iPhoto or onto your desktop. It
is then a simple case of cut and paste or drag and drop to produce
your website. Full information can be found here.
iWeb coupled
with Mobile
Me is definitely web design, construction and hosting for the
technically challenged.
If you want to see what is possible with iWeb then
visit www.iwebusersites.com. This is an online directory
of websites produced using iWeb.
The default website address (URL) of a MobileMe website is
normally
http://web.me.com/youraccountname
You can if you wish purchase a domain name from one of the many
online providers such as Namesco.
Your website will then have an address of www.yourname.com or what ever you want (if
it is available). It is then a simple task to set up Mobile Me to
point to your domain name. You then have to email your domain name
provider to ensure the name points to your Mobile Me website. You
can of course do it yourself however it does require some technical
know how. If you feel confident then go for it otherwise let them
do it for you.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding producing your own website please feel free to contact me. I am happy to answer any questions you may have or at least point you in the right direction. (I am happy to do the work for you so please go to www.corweb.co.uk for details)
