How I did it: I've made more websites than I know what to do with. Some failed to even get off the ground, but others have turned out quite successful.

The basic steps for me are:

• Pick and buy a domain name.
• Find a good host.
• Build the site.
• Add some starter content.
• Roll it out.
• Update.

Each step must be done with a lot of planning. Picking a bad domain or host will come back to haunt you.

Lessons & tips:

• Look into open source content management systems if you aren't really
  tech savvy. Software like WordPress, MediaWiki, or Drupal can make
  things so much easier.
• If it fails, start over.
• Maintain it for a period of time (weeks) before publicly promoting it. This will help you figure out if this is something you're up to doing, as well as providing you with some content at launch.

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Dec 12, 2009, 05:11PM PST | 0 comments | 1 cheer