Making a Website? Worth It?

So I've been watching some CO-OP lately. They keep advertising a website called SquareSpace. Well it's suppose to make creating a website easy and intuitive, while providing you the tools necessary to make it the way you want. The price starts at $8/month, but I was looking at the $14/month price. Maybe I should start with the cheaper plan. Anyway is it worth making your own website? I'd like the independence to run something how I want. As much as I like GiantBomb, it's always nice to have your own creation.

What is going to separate your website from the countless others out there? Sell me on it...

Just having an ugly site where you blog will get zero hits. Your site needs to look slick and have a constant stream of high quality content, preferably videos.

For me I have a reason to have a website, I did use Squarespace initially but decided I didn't want to pay a monthly fee for all that junk, now I just use wordpress. But yeah, it's just a personal site for my video and audio projects, and it's good to have everything in one place for a portfolio-esq thing.

SqaureSpace is a great tool if you know the basic 101 on making a swank looking website; just make sure you know what you're doing.

And as Fr0Br0 said, you need to figure out what your hook is. Saying "we're just two guys who happens to be different races talking about cool stuff" will only get you so far. Having just a general blog about whatever won't fly anymore; you have to be niche, not general. Find something you're really passionate about and write the ever-loving hell out of it. And of course, keep writing and writing and writing, to better your actual content. As cliche as it is, the best thing that will get your eyeballs is high-level content, because it gets the best PR you can get growing: word of mouth.

Also, make sure you talk about tits and whiskey. Everyone loves those.

"LiquidPrince said:

"Just having an ugly site where you blog will get zero hits. Your site needs to look slick and have a constant stream of high quality content, preferably videos."

Of course. Not sure about the videos just yet, but I hope to make it look like the CO-OP website. It's made using SquareSpace.

Fr0Br0 said:

"What is going to separate your website from the countless others out there? Sell me on it..."

We are not going to just be about on video games, but a wide array of entertainment. With SquareSpace you can also allow members to sign up. My friend and I are not specific on the details of the website. Obviously it has to have some sort of focus, especially if two people plan on running the content. I know it sounds like my first sentence contradicts what I just said, but don't think about it. You stop now.

"

Well Styl3s I just used CO-OP as an example of how good a website can look using SquareSpace. I realize who they are, what they are, and that they have a following. Maybe I worded it improperly. Anyway yea we definitely need a defining factor that makes our website better. Thanks for the input guys, maybe we should start out small and if we get a following... ramp up from there. I might following ultima and make a wordpress.

I use wordpress for my site and then pay for a domain through wordpress. Its simple without a lot of features but it gets the job done.

I highly suggest checking out the TextPattern content management system. Just get some cheap hosting (mine is around $7 a month), install TextPattern, find a template you like, install a few plugins you want (like a video gallery or forum) and you're done.

I have two websites. My music site and my blog. Both use textpattern and so far it's been super-awesome.  Squarespace is undoubtedly more user-friendly, but I don't think it's worth the extra cash every month.

I've been slowly building a website called Console Abuse but I really can't find a way for me to add better content. I made the layout myself with Notepad and it's hosted on a site called 110mb.com

I use dreamhost, which I got on a deal for 9.95 for a year of domain registration and unlimited storage/bandwidth. I think it's normally $120 a year, and there are obviously restrictions to their "unlimited plan" but it gets the job done. Wordpress is installed and all that junk automatically, so I'm good.

I don't know what you should do.  You'll be in competition with some major sites.  If you can come up with a specific thing that the other sites does not have, you might be able to benefit from your creation.

There are far cheaper ways to make sites of that quality.

I was going to maybe try blogger today. Is there anyway to allow two editors to be posting on the same blog? I noticed I could do that on Squarespace. Otherwise I'll need a new alternative.

Anyone who is thinking of creating a free website, it's worth checking out Yola.com. Brilliant simple to use website creator.

JonathanMoore08.webs.com

I used Freewebs.com, or Webs.com as its known by now.

-- God Bless.

If you want real control over the site then you need to learn how to program.

It depends how serious you are but you could take the time to learn Adobe Dreamweaver. Maybe buy some books or take some classes.

It's a time investment but if you got the time then you might as well go all the way with it.

Although managing your own website is a great creative outlet, it can also be extremely taxing (this from a person who has created many a website himself). Keep in mind that it won't always be the (admittedly awesome) initial creative burst, but also all of the tedious, monotonous maintenance that comes with a site.

I won't completely discourage you from doing it, and I think I would definitely check it out if you made it, but consider having some of your close friends help you manage it, to take some of the burden off of you.

It all depends on what you actually want to do with it. Is it just going to be a personal space to put some random articles and such? If so I would say just go with wordpress instead of spending money.

SquareSpace is good though, but as others have said, you kind of need to know your way around designing a site to really take advantage of it. But if you are trying to do some sort of project for your site, with some other people, then buying some space may be good.

I feel like I am qualified to answer this - given I've watch PushSquare.com grow from nothing when it launched at the end of January to now reaching over 1000 unique hits on a daily basis (and over 20 PS3/PSP review titles). PushSquare isn't my first site mind, I was behind Cubers.co.uk - a GameCube fansite - in 2003 and GamesMainFrame.com - a multiplat site - in 2005. Both were flawed in their own ways but built up an audience. PushSquare has grown at a rate quicker than anything I've ever done before mind.

First - technical stuff: I'm hosted by Dreamhost. They offer unlimited bandwidth and file space -- of course it's not REALLY unlimited; more they tell you it's unlimited but really, they want you to be careful. I.e. don't upload a 1GB video file and then link the video on every forum you're registered to - you're gonna crash. The only real principle I keep on my site to try to keep bandwidth charges kicking in are keeping images under 20kb and code tidy. Also, cutting out the number of PHP calls can come in handy. Alas - given the traffic PushSquare gets, I doubt we are really any hassle for Dreamhost; the above things also help to keep page load times relatively low too.

You'll also need a CMS (content management system) to run things. In my case - I run a blog, Wordpress is the best. The best thing about Wordpress is: it's always being updated because SO many people use it; and secondly: there are always awesome plugins coming out. Some help with stuff behind the scenes, other things make posting easier (a.k.a. I have plugin on PushSquare that makes posting Youtube videos SUPER fast). So yeah, blog site - Wordpress is best. Depends on the site though, there are tons of others.

Finally -- your site needs a topic. Now I talk from PushSquares point of view, which is a games site obviously, there are 5 key things I think that you need to make it popular:

• Find a voice.
• Mix original with unoriginal.
• Make it easy to subscribe.
• Be consistent.
• Use social networking sites.

We have a SquareSpace site at work, really easy to use site and I set it up fairly quickly. We've been using SquareSpace since July 08 and no problems; we use it just for filestorage and giving our clients access to it ours run at $49 a month now but we've had to increase storage and audiences numerous times.

You may want to start with blogging and Youtube.  It is possible to make money through this method.

http://www.problogger.net/archives/2007/11/15/how-i-make-money-blogging/

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/11/business/media/11youtube.html

Also consider taking advice from this person.  She has been doing this for years.
http://www.youtube.com/user/lisa3876

YOUR WEBSITE CAN LOOK LIKE A DISCO!

Who cares? I'd visit it if it looked like a disco.

I say go for it!

I'd suggest using wordpress.org. Its free, and all you need to do is pay for a web server. (7-8 bucks a year).

"I'd suggest using wordpress.org. Its free, and all you need to do is pay for a web server. (7-8 bucks a year).

There are thousands of free themes to use, and its as easy to add stuff as it is blogger, or that site you have. 

check out gameportrait.com for an example, my game site. 

But, I wouldn't recommend you start one. While its fun for about a month, you soon realize that one, nobody gives a shit about your site, two nobody will ever give a shit, three, your fan base isn't even growing, 4, it sucks dick to HAVE to post stuff. (its fun just casually posting news on a blog, but with your own site, you have to update everyday. Or it fails. 5. All you are really doing is repeating the news of other sites. 6. Everyone has seen the news by the time it hits your site, 7. It takes up so much time. 8. People will see your stuff more on this blog, then they will on your site.

As you can tell, making a website isn't all its cracked up to be. 

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