Creating custom website is a time-consuming, but rewarding job. It allows you to fully customize all aspects of your site. Since your website is the electronic way your business is presented to the world, this is a task that shouldn't be taken lightly. This document discusses what is needed to get started in custom website development.

There are three main components needed to get your website started. They are:

• Web Editing Software
• Graphic/Photo Editing Software
• Web hosting provider

Web Editing Software
Several programs exist to edit websites. One of the most popular is Macromedia's DreamWeaver. FrontPage by Microsoft is also a popular alternative. FrontPage is available pre-installed on some systems, and you may have it on your Windows PC already.

Generally, the professional industry prefers DreamWeaver, as it has more flexibility and features. DreamWeaver can be expensive, but can be purchased for reasonable prices if you search around. One popular option is to buy an "OEM Version." Usually that means it doesn't have a box with it. People on a tight budget may wish to try an OEM version from a reputable vendor, if they are looking to cut costs.

Another option is to use your favorite word processing program. Software such as Microsoft Word, and the free Open Office (http://www.openoffice.org) allow you to save layouts as HTML. While not as flexible as a dedicated web publishing program, they do allow page development with software most people already have.

Graphic/Photo Editing Software
Editing graphics and photos is generally a requirement to make a site look presentable. Even stock photos need cropped, adjusted, and blended for your unique application. The most popular photo and graphic editors are PhotoShop, Fireworks, and GIMP. GIMP has existed on the GNU/Linux platform for years. It has also been ported to Windows and Macintosh OS X. It can be downloaded for free at http://www.gimp.org/, and is very similar to PhotoShop and Fireworks.

Web Hosting Provider
Once you have software to develop your website, you'll need a place to store it and make it accessible to the world. This is your Web Hosting Provider. Digital Indigo provides hosting for rates that start around $165 a year. Your hosting company can take care of finding a domain name for you, and providing reliable e-mail, web, FTP, and other access. Web hosting companies do vary, both in terms of support and equipment behind the scenes. To save money many companies use consumer-grade equipment. Although you don't see a difference when visiting websites hosted this way, the difference becomes apparent when service outages, and equipment failure occur. For a description of advantages of Digital Indigo's hosting, please visit our Hosting Equipment page.

Additional Questions
Do you still have additional questions? Please feel free to contact us, and we'll be glad to help you out!