Thinking about starting your own profitable web site or blog? Here are ten things you should know and steps for when you decide. All of these things I had questions about and hopefully I can help you travel along the right path.

10. Have an Idea
First you need your site to have a purpose. Know what you want to write about and think about who your audience is. Very important to remember.

9. Register a Domain Name
I would highly recommend registering in the .com domain. While it does suck that most common names are already taken, mostly by large companies just looking to sell the name for a huge profit. If you weren’t lucky enough to register one early, just pick something that describes your site and you know that basic idea won’t change. Remember to be creative about it.

8. Choose an appropriate Web Host
I was confused about this the first time too, asking myself “What in the world is a web host?”. Essentially, I think of it as a “database” where all your information you create is stored on a powerful computer that is online 24/7. There are tons of companies out there that offer hosting plans, be sure to have the right amount of storage speed and bandwidth when you select one. Lastly, I would choose a paid hosting company with a good reputation, I use Total Choice Hosting, I haven’t encountered any server problems with them. They also have a very smart and professional community through their support and discussion forums if you ever have questions about web design, or encounter difficulties in getting up and running.

7. Learn the right Programming language
If you are not willing to fork out a hefty fee for a professional designer, be prepared to have to learn the basics of programming language. The basics of HTML are a must. Depending on the type of site you want to create, I would also probably study PHP for a blog stle site that uses wordpress, this site is an example. I couldn’t tell you about other scripting languages as I hadn’t needed to dabble in them.

6. Choose the right Web Design Software
This also really depends on the type of site you want to create. At first, I used Macromedia Dreamweaver to design my site. Dreamweaver is a GUI software editor, which basically translates into “what you see is what you get”. It also had a variety of features concerning multimedia video, etc. that I did not delve to deep into. After awhile, and after I realized my site was going to remain content-based, I decided to switch over to blog-style formatting, more specifically, Wordpress. Not only does it have an easy to use interface and dashboard, along with a variety of plugins (nifty features that can enhance your site), and themes to choose from, you can’t beat its price, its free to download. Some hosting companies (like Total Choice), offer it as a part of their package deal, as it is already integrated into the control panel you would use.

5. Be sure to manage your finances
As with any form of business, finances are important to keep track of and monitor. For example, I use a “Finance Journal” which I use to record all the income I generate from ads, affiliates etc. Along with expenses such as Internet bill, hosting fees, etc, record any other financial information you may have.

4. Submit Your Site to Search Engines and Directories
The major search engines are the ones you should concern yourself with, like Google, Yahoo, MSN, and Ask. They are all free, and if you have good content, you should get to the top of the search results pretty soon. However, it may take some time for a new site to get listed in their index, I was one of the lucky ones to get accepted right away, as I was not scamming anyone and I had good, geniuine content on my site. With concerning directories, just submit to as many as possible, but make sure you place it in the right category or else they may not accept it.

3. Market Your Site and Build an online reputation
As you have your web site created and ready to go, now is the time to spread the word. Tell your friends and family, do research about what others may think about your site, and build link power. Backlinking is extremely important for newer sites, where you convince other sites to link to yours, this tells engines such as Google how important that specific page is. Also join online groups that have similar interests as yours and and post in discussion forums. A warning though would be, do not spam. Every board I came across does not like it, most even take action against it and they may ban your account, so don’t advertise your site for a completely bogus reason. Contribute value and help fellow members out and they will appreciate it, perhaps even visit your site if it helps out.

2. Choose various Money Making paths
I would definitely register and apply Google Adsense to your site, as it is easy to use, it offers great flexibility over control, uninvasive, and best of all, free. You earn money everytime someone clicks on ads. You may also consider signing up for affiliate programs such as Ebay or Amazon. One note to keep in mind is to never commit click fraud or purchase your own items, as it can lead to your account getting banned and never being able to enjoy great income services again.

1. Final Tips to Remember
Just keep in mind that…
Websites should be fun to make, yet be taken seriously and professionally at the same time, and
Content is King, search engines love it, and so will your readers.

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