Forum :: Lounge :: Making a Good Website

Making a website you probably think is easy, after a while of knowing how you're going to think to yourself you're pro. Well using a free webs.com site builder isn't very pleasant. You're going to first want to know a bit of PHP and HTML & possibly HTML5 for now. Next thing you'll need is a XAMPP installed, so you can run apache.

You can download this from here. Once it's fully installed and ready to be used you can find your htdocs in "My Computer" >> "Local Disk" or your hard drive >> xampp >> htdocs >> once you've opened that folder you'll be able to place all your work files & project folders inside there, you'll first just want to leave it. If you learned all your languages you can start working! But if you want a nice CSS Template you can download some from here.

You'll want to place the folder you downloaded into your htdocs folder which I explained how to get to above. You can rename it to whatever you want. Next thing you'll want to do is start editing the source, which you can do by clicking on index.html and right click the page then click View Source, copy and paste everything into your Text Editor for example Note Pad. I would suggest something like Notepad ++ or something though. Once it's opened paste the source into there, you can change all of the words in there to your liking, save it to your htdocs and replace your index.html with the edited version.

Now you'll want to portforward it! You'll want to set the ports to port 80, because the xampp runs on that port. If it successfully runs you can go to your IP Address in the address bar and it will go to your site.

You can also search up CSS guides on how to create your own CSS for your website, which is much more better & professional then free CSS Templates.

For example the folder name of your project is called "server" then in your address bar go to, youripaddress/server , or to localhost/server . Then it should redirect to index.html. Also remember to put your domain to that address. For a domain you can use .tk , but don't direct it to localhost... Put it to your IP Address or a .no-ip.com domain.

Now hopefully we can start seeing some better websites out there! If I missed anything out or if you have any problems, feel free to reply to this thread!

I wouldn't host any good website from a home connection. I'd also invest in a decent domain name (.co.nr, .us.to, .tk... they all cheapen your image).

Website design is all about effective use of white space, typefaces, colour, contrast and a whole lot of imagination and creativity to think outside the box and make it really decent and unique. It sounds simple, but it's incredibly difficult, especially if you're like me - an extremely difficult self-critic.

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EOSERV.net Academy Of Trolls, Satirists & Sarcastics
5.5 Years Former Site Administrator / Moderation Team / Member (Retired)

I'll have to agree with Michael on this one. If you're really going to host at home then I'd suggest upgrading your ISP connection so that it is for hosting purposes and buy a proper server not just a computer that sits there. You can buy server racks and a server for web hosting quite cheap. It just costs loads for performance. If you want to run a game server for CS:S for example, it'll need a good server that would cost an arm and a leg.

For the web design area, It's more than just HTML, CSS ect. You need to really think of the design, plan it all out then build it. You also have to think about how it looks in different browsers and write different CSS for them.

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I am an alien and not crazy!

First of all i don't suggest .tk because it expires every while if u dont have visitors. The second thing, I don't like xampp it's kinda bad (however i use it myself too) and .tk is not suggested because if you go to another page it doesnt show the /blablabla.html so if you want to link someone to the download page they gotta search everything. I would just buy a host or stuck up with the .no-ip.blablabla ip

Buying a domain name doesn't cost much and is easy to setup. Sausage hosts my site since I have a crap connection and as people know I normally get cut off lmao.

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I am an alien and not crazy!

This isn't about hosting nor domains, I just don't like seeing webs.com websites. Plus the .no-ip.com was an example, which you could rename it using .tk, co.nr. Or just use a bought domain.

i will never ever use webs.com again but webs i quiet good for starters. besides it's free hosting. and for a cheap amount of money you can get a .com domain there with custom templates

Hollow posted: (13th Sep 2011, 07:24 pm)

i will never ever use webs.com again but webs i quiet good for starters. besides it's free hosting. and for a cheap amount of money you can get a .com domain there with custom templates

Webs.com is a great website builder, it's just too many people use it :/ and I prefer using xampp.

lolss posted: (13th Sep 2011, 10:27 pm)

Hollow posted: (13th Sep 2011, 07:24 pm)

i will never ever use webs.com again but webs i quiet good for starters. besides it's free hosting. and for a cheap amount of money you can get a .com domain there with custom templates

Webs.com is a great website builder, it's just too many people use it :/ and I prefer using xampp.

Yeah, for people that want the easy way. I prefer to create my own site and have specific features in it. I say take the time that would take to make a webs site and cuztomize it, and work on html/css/php

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Andrewbob - I would be on the fucking copter of rofls

Programmer, Web Developer, and Graphics Designer

Wildsurvival posted: (13th Sep 2011, 10:34 pm)

lolss posted: (13th Sep 2011, 10:27 pm)

Hollow posted: (13th Sep 2011, 07:24 pm)

i will never ever use webs.com again but webs i quiet good for starters. besides it's free hosting. and for a cheap amount of money you can get a .com domain there with custom templates

Webs.com is a great website builder, it's just too many people use it :/ and I prefer using xampp.

Yeah, for people that want the easy way. I prefer to create my own site and have specific features in it. I say take the time that would take to make a webs site and cuztomize it, and work on html/css/php

Yep, my favorite feature of webs is the Members & Forums.

OMGLOLWEBSISAWESOME

No. Webs is such a fail. Was from the get go. I make all my websites using notepad++ there are some pretty good website builders out there there do most of the legwork for you if you're building from scratch, one of the best website builders I've seen is dreamweaver but even then that's a bit ...meh. Notepad++ or Desmonds LiveEditPro Would be a good port of call :P

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If money doesn't grow on trees, then why do banks have branches?

DanScott posted: (13th Sep 2011, 11:15 pm)

OMGLOLWEBSISAWESOME

No. Webs is such a fail. Was from the get go. I make all my websites using notepad++ there are some pretty good website builders out there there do most of the legwork for you if you're building from scratch, one of the best website builders I've seen is dreamweaver but even then that's a bit...meh. Notepad++ or Desmonds LiveEditPro Would be a good port of call :P

I actually used to use dreamweaver for the syntax correcting/highlighting and property lists. :D its pretty kool.

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Andrewbob - I would be on the fucking copter of rofls

Programmer, Web Developer, and Graphics Designer

if i ever used webs i would go for html

Nice start, But you could add alot more to that add some JavaScript e.e D:

xIFearlessIxx posted: (14th Sep 2011, 01:27 am)

Nice start, But you could add alot more to that add some JavaScript e.e D:

eww i dont like javascript XD. 

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Andrewbob - I would be on the fucking copter of rofls

Programmer, Web Developer, and Graphics Designer