[Tips] For a New Website or Forum

[Miz]

Well I have seen my share of failure websites here XD
and trust me I never posted my failures but I know them
There are very basic things that happen that can screw up a new person to site making
I'm making these basic tips because I'm getting tried of failed sites

1. Don't plan to big every Big Website, Company, etc. Started small.
   This is the Number 1 problem with new sites that I see...
   You can plan for the future but always start small or your destined to fail (Not always but usually)
   
   This means
   
   For Forums
   • Don't plan to make a million forum if its a new forums start with one idea of what your forums is for... Then support that only. You can keep building more forums when you get more people. (Or if people suggest it)
     
   • Don't start with a huge program that cost alot like vBulletin, Yeah it rocks but its for huge forums and its expensive. So I suggest SMF or other forum hosting and programs.
     • Note: Sometimes this can happen
       

       If you use a free forum, you will not be able to make backups of your DB ( meaning you can't decided to move to a paid host ), or you have to pay to do so most times.

   For Websites
   • Just as the forums start with one idea, and support that. Then when you get popular. Add more as you grow...
     
   • As well don't buy the most biggest and expensive plan 1st. Start with a free website hoster, sure there not the best but we all start somewhere. but usually you can transfer your data etc. and go and buy a bigger plan as you grow.
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2. Pick a site topic that is interesting
   • If you want users to join your forums and actually have an interest in them, you have to give them some content, and you have to keep it coming, and keep it fresh.
   
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3. If you pick a site topic don't pick a topic that over picked or is already used by a big forum...
   Like
   Submit Custom WC3 stuff on this site and theres the Hive
   or Tech Support like TH
   
   you won't get that much but doesn't mean you won't succeed
   
   So always pick a topic that you like but make sure theres no major Website
   If your new to website making...
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4. [Forums] If you make a new forum make sure that your always active... Members like there head to be active this way they feel like they aren't in anarchy...
   
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5. [Forums] Always keep it fun, make some kind of a rep system because new members want to feel important so they will post post post to get rep... And maybe make a contest or 2
   
   
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6. Before you even start make sure you know HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
   Also XHTML (which is an update to HTML), and other
   It is suggested that you wait to do PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) till your done with HTML and other basic coders because it can be quite confusing
   I suggest starting with W3 Schools
   
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7. Advertisement is always a handy tool and just because you don't have have a lot of money doesn't mean you can't have Ads
   
   • Such as Adwords (Google) Sadly this does cost alittle money
     
   • Also try to become Affiliations with other Sites
   
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8. Try to make as much money as possible to keep your site alive
   • [TIPS] Making money from Websites (By DDRtists)
     
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9. Bandwidth (Digital Web Bandwidth) - refers to the amount of data that can be transferred from your web site to the world. Which means for people who don't understand, Your sever information, Downloads, Etc.
   
   • Example: Let's assume that your home page, the first page served to your visitors, has a file size of 50 KB, 15 KB for the actual HTML page and 35 KB for images included on that page - backgrounds, buttons, logo, photos, etc.. Lets also assume that your site gets 10,000 visitors per month and the average visitor views 3 pages of your site, also 50 KB each. Lets say you got a 1.5 GB of Bandwith...
     Based on those numbers, your site would serve: 50 KB x 3 Pages x 10,000 Visitors = 1500000 KB or 1500 MB or 1.5 GB per month.
     
     
     
   • Let's look at your data transfer based on server load. Assuming this traffic was evenly distributed, your server would be distributing 1.5 GB per month <insert long math equation here> or about 6 KB per second. At this rate your server is barely working. Let's assume that all of you visitors come to your site during the same hour of every day. Even then, the server load during this hour would only be 833 KB per second or less than 1 MB.
     
     
     
   • But your hosting sever if you have a Shared Sever with a hoster (Which means hosting companies like to put most of there sites in one sever as much as they can) So this means this could effect your site just as well but don't doesn't mean Shared Severs are bad so don't go in and buy a 2 grand sever just for your new website
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10. Always take in suggestions... Don't take them personal. Listen to the people, it might just help you get more members

Links

Free Website Hosting
http://www.free-webhosts.com/webhosting-01.php (list)
Freewebs (No Coding Needed)

Non-free Website Hosting
(Note if you use a Forum Program you can use these Hosters as well for Forums)
Go Daddy
Websitesource Hosting

Free Forum Hosting
http://www.myfreeforum.org/
http://invisionfree.com/
http://www.freeforums.org/
http://www.proboards.com/index.html
http://www.freebb.com/home.php
http://www.eamped.com/
http://www.forumer.com/
http://www.bestfreeforums.com/
http://www.aceboard.net/
http://www.jconserv.net/
http://www.phpbbserver.com/phpbb/new_forum.php
http://smfforfree.com/
http://www.smfhost.com/home.php
http://www.onlineinstitute.com/forumsoftware.html
http://www.invisionplus.net/
http://www.forumhoster.com/
http://www.forumsvibe.com/
http://www.forumspring.com/
http://boardster.net/
http://www.yy2.com/
http://www.forumsland.com/free-forum-hosting.html
http://www.iphorum.com/
http://www.forum5.com/
http://www.iforumer.com/

Others
W3Schools
[TIPS] Making money from Websites
Google Adsense
Adwords (Google)

Credits

(Creator) Mizuio Ken
(Affiliate) DDRtists
(Affiliate) PurgeandFire
(Affiliate) Ghan_04
(Suggestor) Hero12341234
(Suggestor) Esb
(Suggestor) Rad
(Suggestor) KC102

Special Creditor Sites
www.Webmastergate.com
www.Thehelper.net
www.google.com

Note:
I will add more if people suggest because I feel like I'm missing something but I don't seem to think of it

Hope this helps

 

[esb]

This is nice!
Should help a few people.
You can add freewebs.com (It's a very good and easy web hoster, oh and it's free!)

EDIT: (Wait... I'm confused... never mind about the freewebs one)
But it's a good guide, thanks

 

[Miz]

I will post Freewebs because i have used it before its not the best but I like it because even if you don't know any coding yo can still make a website

I also may post hosters that cost money...

BTW: Thank You XD

 

[PurgeandFire]

Pretty good, but XHTML isn't technically an update for HTML as it doesn't bring any enhancements, it is just a standard for writing HTML to make your codes to the fullest. You know, making tags properly nested, DTD (Document Type Definition), etc.

Oh yea, thanks for the credits! You rule!

+rep!

Might want to add that before you make a website, code your website so that you won't get banned or have your website removed due to inactivity.

Also, maybe you can add website acronyms for info.

eg:

H.T.T.P.
Hyper
Text
Typing
Protocol

W.Y.W.I.W.Y.G.
What
You
Want
Is
What
You'll
Get

Pretty useful.

---

Nice tips!

 

[Miz]

Like the idea
I probably will even though I never use those names, and I don't think anyone does XD

 

[Ghan]

HTTP - Hypertext Transfer Protocol

Anyway, to comment:

The biggest thing I see is that no one knows about new sites.
Advertisement is the key to getting new members and growing the site.

 

[Hero]

HTTP - Hypertext Transfer Protocol

Anyway, to comment:

The biggest thing I see is that no one knows about new sites.
Advertisement is the key to getting new members and growing the site.

Yeah Ghan is right it is

HTTP - Hypertext Transfer Protocol

And Some More:

www - World Wide Web
URL - Uniform Resource Locator
HTML - Hypertext Markup Language
CSS- Cascading Style Sheet
PHP - Hypertext Preprocessor

 

[Miz]

Sigh i guess i will put them in but now i need to know where to put them in XD

EDIT:
Added some of them in

 

[Prometheus]

CSS- Cascading Style Sheets

Had to

Also
http://m6.net/
^Paid hosting - Not awesome but when something does get fixed finally, it stays fixed.

 

[PurgeandFire]

HTTP - Hypertext Transfer Protocol

Lol, argh.. Sorry, I got mixed up. I forgot it was "transfer" not typing.

Here are more acronyms:

XML - eXtensible Markup Language
XSL - eXtensible Stylesheet Language (It is a CSS for XML)
SQL - Structured Query Language
SVG - Scalable Vector Graphics
DOM - Document Object Model
SOAP xD - Simple Object Access Protocol

Etc.

 

[Persen]

Can't really agree to your statement that you should 'know PHP before you start'
I'd rather do it the other way... Start with HTML only or else it'll get complicated quickly

 

[Miz]

ok I will edit that TY

I'm also adding a new tip

If you pick a site topic don't pick a topic that over picked or is already used by a big forum...
Like
Submit Custom WC3 stuff on this site and theres the Hive
or Tech Support like TH

you won't get that much but doesn't mean you won't succeed

 

[DDRtists]

I linked your post in the helpful links sticky.
Thanks!

 

[PurgeandFire]

Can't really agree to your statement that you should 'know PHP before you start'
I'd rather do it the other way... Start with HTML only or else it'll get complicated quickly

Yea, IMO, it is best to learn it in these ways:

- HTML then XML and XSL + the other XML tutorials (I know, it is a lot but can be useful) then either vBscript or Javascript, then finally PHP or ASP then ADO. (If you chose ASP)

Somewhere in there, learn HTML DOM. That's what I did, but I have yet to learn PHP, ASP, ADO, and almost all of HTML DOM + all XML tutorials except XML. xP

 

[Miz]

HTML is very easy to learn XD
But I do have some trouble using it sometimes but XHTML is just a edit of HTML... it took me 5 to 7 minutes to read the new rules for XHTML

I started to learn PHP but stopped for alittle
I am learning vBscript

Anyway I don't think I'll even make a site really I do know how to run a site though (and a company as well)

But always start with HTML then XHTML then all the others

 

[PurgeandFire]

HTML is very easy to learn XD
But I do have some trouble using it sometimes but XHTML is just a edit of HTML... it took me 5 to 7 minutes to read the new rules for XHTML

I started to learn PHP but stopped for alittle
I am learning vBscript

Anyway I don't think I'll even make a site really I do know how to run a site though (and a company as well)

But always start with HTML then XHTML then all the others

Yea. HTLM is really easy. If you learned HTML and when you were learning it, you properly followed the standard unknowingly (except for the DTD) then it will probably be easier to learn XHTML.

Yea, I learned a wee bit of PHP and all I remember is echo.
vBscript is really similar to Javascript, but javascript is probably better and HTML DOM is like an increase of Javascript.

Yea, I don't really make sites unless it is for testing purposes.

Yea, HTML is probably the first to learn as it is practically a requirement to learn all the others.

 

[Rad]

I don't think its necessary to recreate this page, meaning the links you have up there... Although there are a few more different ones.

They need some details if you plan to keep them (ex: Do they put ads on your page? How much bandwidth, or other resources you get for free etc...)

And definitely the number 1 problem with people who have this sudden urge to create a new website: Don't recreate a website that already exists (ex: Newgrounds, Thehelper etc), unless you plan to DRAMATICALLY change the aspect of it.

Nobody here should be making their own World Editor help forums! :banghead:


ps: If your going to include acronyms, you might as well describe some terms of websites (ex: What is FTP? How do you set it up... Maybe not FTP, but things like that)

pps: its File Transfer Protocol if it hasnt been listed

 

[PurgeandFire]

Well, I don't think Master goes on any more and the thread hasn't been bumped in a while. I don't think it will be updated soon.

Anyways, I agree with Rad. There are some stuff you might want to talk about.. Bandwidth is a huge one. Craka_J, the leader of wc3:wow has his own site on freewebs, but it had so much bandwidth it needed to be fixed.

So bandwidth, is something to consider. Probably GBs of Bandwidth are the best/unlimited bandwidth.

 

[Miz]

oh crap forgot about the limits

Well I'll be editing Budget
and Bandwidth

but amazing is that one site gives you unlimited about of bandwidth for 13 dollars a month its expensive but its alot cheaper then i thought it would be

Edit: Done... Anyway I did get some stuff from another site because I'm sometimes bad at explaining things so any problems you see just tell me XD

 

[Rad]

Well, I don't think Master goes on any more and the thread hasn't been bumped in a while. I don't think it will be updated soon.

Yeah I know, but its still stickied