(Optional) Work with a CMS. Why would someone choose a CMS over coding “by hand” or “from scratch?” It’s true that a CMS is less flexible and, therefore, gives you less control over your front-end. However, a CMS is easier to use (you have to write less code), and it often has tools for hosting the site, storing user information, creating a blog, publishing landing pages, capturing leads, and even building an email list. As a result, you’ll be able to make your website more profitable with less than half the work. See why thousands of customers use 's CMS to build an optimized website that integrates with their CRM data and full marketing stack. CMS options often include plugins that remove the need to write a back-end. For example, there are WordPress plugins for eCommerce so that, instead of building a complicated back-end to charge customers’ credit cards, you can just use an existing plugin and avoid the need to deal with databases and server-side code. Popular content management systems include , Joomla, Magento, and WordPress — which has over 65% market share. (In this case, we’re talking about open source WordPress software, not the WordPress site builder.)
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Acquire a domain name. At this point, your website will have an IP address. It also needs a domain name, a memorable website name that your visitors can use to find your site. Perhaps you’ve heard of sites like GoDaddy and Hover. These services help you purchase a domain name and register with ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). Most domain registrations are good for a year before you’re required to renew. Website builders and hosting services, like WordPress and Squarespace, also allow you to purchase a domain name. Launch your site. Once you’ve set up a domain name and linked it to your host, you’re almost ready to unveil your work to the web.
But not so fast — there are still a handful of things you’ll need to check before an official launch. These include planning out responsibilities on your team, testing your site thoroughly for any glitches, optimizing for SEO, and a final check before “flipping the switch” and making your site live. Website Development Resources Interested in learning more about development and coding? Outside of connecting and networking with other developers, there are plenty of resources you can tap into to further your understanding of web development. Web Development Courses and Classes Whether you want to explore back-end, front-end, or full-stack coding, here are a few online courses and classes recommended by developers. TutorialsPoint All content and resources on TutorialsPoint are free. Between tutorials, ebooks, and videos, TutorialsPoint provides a host of learn-to-code options. egghead According to their website, “egghead is a group of working web development professionals and open source contributors that provide you with concise, information-dense video courses on the best tools in the industry.”
Users can take courses, listen to podcasts, or take lessons on a wide variety of web development topics. Khan Academy Khan Academy is a well-known free educational resource. Users can learn anything from macroeconomics to linear algebra to US history, as well as a handful of computing topics. freeCodeCamp freeCodeCamp is a non-profit organization (like Khan Academy) that helps people learn to code for free. With thousands of articles, videos, and interactive lessons, as well as worldwide study groups, freeCodeCamp helps thousands of developers and engineers learn about programming and land development jobs. Team Treehouse Team Treehouse is a subscription-based online learning program. Users pay a monthly fee and gain access to hundreds of courses on over 20 different topics. From JavaScript to Python to PHP, Treehouse can teach you all you need to know about web development.
Web Development Communities Web developers are masters of the Internet, so it makes sense that they’d hang out and connect in Internet-based communities. According to Code Condo, developers join these communities for: Up-to-date information and problem-solving Insightful answers, new perspectives Tips and tricks for all-level programmers Links to resources, talks, and research papers Meeting new friends, code buddies, and potential partners Here are a few online communities recommended by our developers.
WIX templatesStack Overflow Stack Overflow was introduced nearly 15 years ago and has since become one of the most popular programming communities in the world. According to co-founder Jeff Atwood, “[Stack Overflow] is by programmers, for programmers, with the ultimate intent of collectively increasing the sum total of good programming knowledge in the world.” Stack Overflow is a great place to go with questions because most of the time, other developers have asked and answered the same ones. The forums in Stack Overflow keep you connected to other developers while also keeping you informed. Mozilla Development Network Mozilla Development Network (MDN) is known to be more thorough and accurate than other online resources. It’s not as much a community as a comprehensive resource and library of documents for coding languages. MDN is useful when learning how certain functions work and staying up-to-date on coding and development news.
Reddit Reddit is a forum-based community where developers of all levels gather to ask and answer questions. It’s incredibly interactive and includes people from all over the world. You can also join “subreddits” based on specific topics such as web design, JavaScript, or freelancing. Dive Into Web Development The Internet is here to stay, and it’s constantly evolving to meet user needs. Web developers are on the front lines of these innovations and improvements — from this blog to your favorite social network to the apps you use on your phone, web development is everywhere. As a result, it’s worth taking the time to understand coding and programming to help make your business website the best it can be — for you and your customers. Editor's note: This post was originally published in November 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness. Fun Fact: There are almost 2 billion websites in the world today.