From an Idea to a Website

You have a brilliant idea/ product/ service and you would like to impress/ sell it to/ share it with the international internet community. The only thing holding you back is the cost of having a website designed. Have you considered designing your own?

It is perfectly possible for you to design your own website; and there are more than a few software options available to you if you decide to 'go it alone'. But, should you?

As recently as a few years ago, website design and the updating of content on a website was best left to an experienced professional with years of practical application, as it was a rather complicated process. In a short space of time this has changed to the point where building a website is achievable by anyone with a fair amount of training and a desire to do so.

There is a large variety of websites on the internet, and these are generally divided into three categories: public sites, accessible by anyone on the internet; intranet sites, accessible within a company or organisation for the benefit of employees; and extranet sites, which are on the World Wide Web but for which one needs access privileges, such as a username and password or paid membership, to gain entry.

Within these three categories there are many subdivisions, with websites falling into one such subdivision, more than one, or none at all. Let's take a look at a few of these below:

The Navigational Site

Search engines, online directories, and portals all fall into this category as they help internet users find their way around. They are the starting point for any internet search, be it for a particular website or for information in general.

The Information-based Site

An information-based website's purpose is to inform and educate. It is rich in content and articles, and is designed for ease of navigation. Examples of this type of website include travel sites, news sites, and government service sites.

The Entertainment Site

Television is no longer the predominant form of entertainment that it once was, and the internet is filling the void. From playing games online to watching movies, from gambling to reading stories; the options are unlimited and widely varied.

The Ecommerce Site

The primary function of this type of website is commercial transaction. There are companies who have an online site to compliment their physical (as opposed to cyber) shops, by offering their full or a partial product range, for sale online. Then there are companies who trade solely on the internet, and who do not have a 'shop front' for customers to visit.

The Community Site

The saying 'birds of a feather flock together' is very apt for this type of website. People with similar interests meet on these sites; with forums being very popular for discussing topics, sharing information, asking and answering questions, etc.

The Personal Site

Personal sites are also popularly known as 'blogs' (short for web log), and are the perfect forum for personal expression. They generally include personal anecdotes, photos, and details of occasions with family and friends.

Armed with professional training you can turn your idea into the perfect website. With a completed website design course, such as a Dreamweaver course, to add to your r