Build a Classroom or Teacher Resource Website

Website building is easier than ever. You don't have to be a total techie to create a you very own site. The first thing you need to do is create a domain name. I suggest you hop on over to the World's Largest Registrar - GoDaddy.com to begin searching for a domain name. Try to find a name that is fairly short, easy to remember, and hints as to the content of the site. I wanted to create a technology resource site for teachers, so after a bit of brainstorming, I came up with The Wired Teacher. I recommend using a dot com if possible, although a dot net is perfectly acceptable.

Once you find a domain name you will want to purchase it. The price at the World's Largest Registrar - GoDaddy.com is generally $9.99 per year, but keep an eye out for special savings and promotions. Once you purchase a domain name your registrar information will go into the Whois directory. I recommend you also purchase the privacy protection to keep your personal information out of the public eye. The current price is $8.99 per year.

The next step is to choose a hosting service and build your website. You can use a website building program like Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003 (easiest to use, but no longer supported by Microsoft), Microsoft Expression Media 2 Mac/Win, or Adobe Dreamweaver CS4. The advantage of using your own software is the ability to store your files on your own computer. If something happened to your online website host, or you wanted to switch hosts, you would have to build your site over again from scratch.

If you are going to build a small site and want the ease of templates then you should consider using a website builder from your hosting company. I recommend using GoDaddy.com Hosting Plans. They are inexpensive to use, provide great phone support (I've made many calls just this week), tons of extra features, and easy to use templates for building your website.

Now that you have your website it is time to start building. After you create your design and content you will want to add a few must have bells and whistles. The following tools are easy to install and free to use:

1. Go to Site Meter to pick up your free counter. All you have to do is register, select your meter, and then copy and paste the code into the html portion of your website. It's that simple! The benefits of Site Meter is that you will receive a wealth of information about your visitors. This will help you determine how visitors find your site.

2. Grab bookmark and rss feed buttons from Add This. Notice the buttons at the top right hand corner of this blog. These buttons allow visitors to bookmark your site, share it with others on social networks, and subscribe to an rss feed that will keep them updated when you add new content.

3. Once your site is up and running you will want to spread the news to the world of online surfers. Grab a Tell a Friend button so your visitors can let their friends know about the great new site they just found. Go to Tell a Friend, enter your information, wait for the email (you will receive it within a couple of minutes), click on the link, select which button you want, copy and paste the code into the HTML portion of your website.

4. You can add one more bell to make your website rock. You can use Audio Generator to talk to your website visitors. This cool tool cost $, but it is a great enhancement for your site.

Building websites is fun, frustrating, and rewarding. You can offer your knowledge and expertise to other teachers, create an interactive classroom website, or just create an "about you" page to connect with the world. No matter what you decide to do, you will discover there is a wealth of online tools, gadgets, and goodies to help you create a bang-up place in Internet space.

Copyright 2009
Republished by permission of The Wired Teacher

The Wired Teacher domain name is for sale at www.godaddy.com