Ask Goddess Leonie: How to create your own website for your big dream
Posted by Goddess Leonie on April 25th, 2009. Filed under: Ask Goddess Leonie, Business Goddess, Creative Goddess, Review Goddess.
Hola gorgeous Goddesses!
Today’s blog post is an Ask Goddess Leonie post!
A gorgeous goddess asked: I want to set up a website for my (insert great big dream)… can you please recommend what to use???
I surely can! I’ve been blogging & website-ing for five-ish years now, and managed to use four systems during that time.
So you’ve got a great big wonderful dream. What’s the best way of sharing it with the world via a website?
My webstory
I started my blog in 2004 using a free blog hosted on Blogger. It sat at turquoisejourney.blogspot.com. Four months later, I decided I wanted a website & blog that sat at my own domain, so I bought website hosting and a domain name, and used Blogger to push onto my website (so my blog sat at www.leonielife.com/journal.html) and FrontPage to create my website. FrontPage was then made defunct (boo!), so about eighteen months ago, I needed to streamline, so I created a website & blog using Weebly. Weebly was great for a basic website but I got frustrated by its limitations and found it didn’t perform brilliantly on search engines. Now I use a free platform – WordPress – to blog & design my website.
So yes, I’ve played with them all, and am so happy to give my thoughts & advice on how to create your own website that reflects magical, magical you.
My 2 second recommendation
To get started, you can always go for a free blog through Blogger.
To make it even bigger, go Weebly.
If you want a rocking website and greater flexibility, WordPress is the way to go.
To blogger or not to blogger?
Here’s all the yay! & boo! points of Blogger to decide for yourself:
Some of its yay! points are:
- easy to set up
- free
Some its boo! points are:
- it only has blog functionality – you can’t design a webpage around it
- it’s ding dang obvious that its a blogger format
- not as customisable as WordPress
- doesn’t have as much functionality & widgety goodness as WordPress
- it doesn’t look as professional as WordPress.
To Weebly or not to Weebly?
Here’s all the yay! & boo! points of Weebly to decide for yourself:
Some of its yay! points are:
- easy to set up
- basic account is free, pro account is pretty nicely priced
- you can have a blog and website in one
- comes with pre-installed designs so you just click and play.
Some its boo! points are:
- the biggest boo point you will find straight away is this: you have pre-installed designs. And you can’t change them. At least, not unless you are a coding superwiz like Sone (or you hire one).
- your website will look like other Weebly websites
- won’t look as spectacularly YOU-ish as WordPress can.
If you want to start with something that’s really, really easy, use Blogger or Weebly. Then when you’re ready for mega-deliciousness with your energy splashed all over it, go WordPress. You deserve something that’s as big and powerful as your dreams are.
WordPress challenged me at first, but now I’m converted.
Don’t get me wrong. WordPress is not as easy-peasy as Blogger. In fact, when I first made the switch, I thought WTF? What have I gotten myself into?
And then I persevered and read up on stuff, and found cool things to make the transition easier… and am so happy to share them with you!
What’s the boos! about WordPress?
- You’ll have to buy your own domain name & hosting, whereas Weebly & Blogger is free {unless you go for a Pro account at Weebly}. This *is* actually a good thing in the long run!
- It’s much more technical than the other two. There are fun ways around this though, and it can be fun to learn.
What are the yays! about WordPress?
- It’s a powerful blogging & website designing framework. And it’s free. Yay! It’s a website maker & blogging machine all in one. You don’t need to buy website designer software.
- You can settle in and really make it your own.
- There are hundreds of free plugins you can use with it that make WordPress uber powerful.
- Nearly all of the larger blogs use WordPress. Because it’s that good.
- If you’ve been blogging using other major blogging platforms, you can import all your old posts into WordPress with a click of the button. Thus why this website has 4 years of archives from my Blogger days! Weee
What you need to know to make WordPress easier
Disclosure: I’m really *not* a website guru – the contents of this post is pretty much all my website knowledge, designed to help you get more information about creating your great-big dream website. If you need extra specific advice, Google is your friend. Or a lovely website designer.
Getting started with WordPress
To get started with WordPress, you need your own domain name & website hosting.
To explain these are simply as possible if you’re confused by their difference: Your domain name is the thing that looks like www.yourmagnificentwork.com, and the hosting is the space where your website sits and gets accessed by all your adoring fans. The domain name is your street address, the website hosting is the land your house sits on.
Now, how to gets the street address and land for your great big dream website?
You can usually get a domain name included or ultra-cheap when you buy hosting.
Also – to get your head wrapped around WordPress, I can totally recommend the Digging into WordPress e-book.
There is also the wonderful course: Website in a Weekend.
Website hosting – where to go
I spent a lot of time deciding on website hosting, so I’m totally happy to help you choose yours.
After wandering around with a couple of other hosting companies, I’ve turned and moved in with Blue Host (affiliate link).
And I fell in love, when I totally wasn’t expecting to. They’ve got unlimited space and stuff.
But most of all, they’ve been nice. And it’s fairly easy to navigate.
And they have one-press WordPress install.
Designly goodness
If you want to design your own blog, woo hoo! I’ve done that many times, and it can be really fun to learn. It does however take a little bit of time and software (i.e. Photoshop). I decided late last year that I needed to spend less time working out design stuff, and more time doing the stuff I really love, so I did a butt load of research into designers when it came to finding mine. I’m sure there are loads of great designers out there – but even though I did my research I still managed to pick one that didn’t give me a design when promised (or then promised. or then promised). Consequently I’m very pro-using someone you can be recommended to.
I can highly recommend Scooter Girl Designs. Sone is the coding queen of Goddess Guidebook, and an awesome design goddess. She also happens to be one of my besties, our roomie at the moment and she’s a Taurean – so she’s practical AND creative. Her specialty is helping creative & soulful entrepreneurs translate their big ideas into amazing websites to share with the world.
Some other ways for you to get a design that shrieks LUSCIOUS you-ness:
Websites for women : Two amazing women run Your Website Coach – and Websites for women courses to help you step-by-step be empowered & tech savvy to create & maintain your own website. So very, very cool.
Plugins : These are free tools that you can download and insert into your WordPress to make it even more powerful. It’s like blog bling. Functional blog bling. Stuff that can make it easier for you.
You can also buy or find ready made themes for your WordPress website. Themes are the design style of your website and there are as many themes out there available as there are stars in the sky.
Here’s some places you can start:
Themes Forest : You can buy ready made themes at Themes Forest to pop straight onto your website. Love love love!
DIY Themes : Thesis makes it much much easier to do-it-yourself. Funny that. I wonder why they call it DIY?
You can also search & find free WordPress themes really easily. Here’s two places to start.
Now what?
Are you feeling about a thousand percent overwhelmed by all that stuff?
That’s totally, totally cool sweetie. You’re not supposed to be able to *get* and *implement* all of this stuff all at once.
You don’t need to treat this as a main course of information. Just pick and choose and nibble like it’s an entree. Choose what is easy and right for you right now to do. Don’t let the Big Overwhelm Of Everything stop you from starting right now. You can always shift, change and fix later on.
I hope this info helps you in creating your website for your great big, glorious dream. You are magic. You deserve it.
Group hugs, goddesses!
_____
If you’re feeling called to retreat, a reminder that the gorgeous Goddess of Comfort Jennifer Louden is running her Virtual Retreat Refresher on finding peace during uncertain times tomorrow (April 25).
April 25th, 2009 at 8:35 am
I highly recommend TextPattern as an alternative to WordPress. I got fed up with WP because WP.com had horrible unfriendly customer service. TextPattern works similar to WP but may be easier for those of us who find PHP intimidating. It also has all sorts of plugins and themes, though not as much as WP unfortunately! But it’s really good.
Tiara’s last blog post..The Definition of Ugly
April 25th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
i have tried them all and then some, and by far i have found Typepad to be the best, yes its a paid blog, but the customer service are always very helpful. apart from the fact that its very limiting in themes, but they add new ones every few months and i have also been able to suggest new ones to add. with the free wordpress i found that i couldnt add that many photos, where as with TP i can add a lot (i added 25gb the other day no problems), and no other blog i have come across could do that.
nicole’s last blog post..
April 25th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
I started out on Freewebs, which is a free hosted websitebuilder which is quite nice. But then I switched to a self-hosted wordpress site and I am more than happy. Yes, it took me a while to sort it all out, but now I’m really happy with it. I think the best part about wordpress are the innumerable plugins and themes that make it very easy to customize your blog/site any way you want. There are even plugins that will let you sell directly from your blog (like I do). For free!!!
Yemoonyah’s last blog post..21 Blogs To Follow If You Want To Sell Art Online
April 25th, 2009 at 11:51 pm
I’m in the process of moving from Typepad to wordpress.org (not the hosted wordpress.com) to set up my website and wouldn’t have been able to do it had it not been for the wonderful help package from JohnnyB.Truant Link here http://www.learntobeyourownva.com/downloads/HourCheap.pdf
It holds your hand and tells you exactly which buttons to press and shows screenshots of what you’ll see as you go through the set up.
Visit him at http://www.theeconomyisnthappening.com first as there’s things to have in place before you get started.
His workbook says set up supercheap and in an hour…it took me rather more than that but it did mean I could do it when I hadn’t been able to before.
Have fun.
Pauline Esson’s last blog post..Can boring be a good thing?
April 26th, 2009 at 9:11 am
Hola gorgeous Goddesses Yemoonyah, Tiara & Nicole ~ Thank you so much for adding your wisdom & experience to this post! So so perfect and wonderful
And I love just how many offerings there are out there 
Group hugs!
April 26th, 2009 at 11:42 am
I love wp and hope to use for my band’s site on day. this is a good article on what to do I used blogger once and don’t like it
April 26th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
I love WordPress really much. I have a geek at home so it makes it easier when problems come (and my Lover is also a design and coding god, so…); even if I am at ease with things simple like basic HTML, plugins and so on.
I know that in english-speaking countries, Blogger is one of the favorite site to build a blog, I have to admit it: I never tried it so much because when I started blogging some years ago now -around 2004 too- I used a French thing called Canalblog and then switched to WordPress.
Leonie, your article will be very helpful for people who are affraid to start, so I thank you for that today.
April 27th, 2009 at 7:29 am
Hi Leonie,
I can hardly believe it. Ive been wondering for a while if I should make the effort to create a website for my art. There seem to be a lot of blocks in my way (mainly time) Yesterday morning I asked the Universe for a sign. A few hours later I logged on to the net and had a look at your site. What do you know, there it is – “How to create your own website for your Big Dream” Eeek. I guess this is a pretty clear message that I need to make the time to do this! Thanks Leonie for this post.
Pherenike’s last blog post..Um, Nothing Much
April 27th, 2009 at 7:52 am
@Goddess Pherenike ~ Glad to be a part of the Universe sign sweetie! Wahooo! Go for it
@Goddess Nolwenn ~ We heart nerds at home! So very helpful!
@Goddess Krissy ~ that sounds fantastic! Would love to check out your band’s website when it’s ready.
Goddess Leonie’s last blog post..Ask Goddess Leonie: How to create your own website for your big dream
April 27th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
Thank you, dear Leonie, for all your research and results information. For now, I’m sticking with Weebly. It’s good for baby bloggers like me.
But when my dream is ready to grow some more, I will most certainly keep all you have shared in mind as I make my choices.
Brightest blessings to you this day, dear you.
May 9th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
I really liked your post.
May 11th, 2009 at 10:56 am
[...] a couple of weeks ago, I wrote a big fat post on How to set up your website for your great big dream post. I know. It was long. There’s stuff to think about there. If you are still feeling a bit [...]
May 24th, 2009 at 12:43 am
Thank you thank you Leonie! Many blessings to you, this has been so helpful. When my site/blog (whatever I start with!) is up, I will let you know!!!
Yay!
<3 <3 <3
Liv
May 31st, 2009 at 10:19 pm
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June 6th, 2009 at 1:21 am
Thank you my dearest Goddess for posting this. I knew you had, and I needed the info, and here it is! I work for an ISP so lucky me I get domains pretty cheap and all — but setting up pages is another thing. These tools will help a lot.. and we’ve just installed WordPress on one of our servers so I am so good to go.
October 11th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
I’ve actually used Webs.com as I’ve found it pretty easy to use once I’d sorted it all out. I already had a website name and it was easy to transfer over. I don’t really want to spend too much time creating a website, but the think I like about Webs.com is that it is SO easy to change the template when I get bored with the existing one. Being a Libran wiht Libran Rising I’m always changing my mind, so Webs.com is right up my alley.
August 24th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
[...] you are still working out WordPress to create a website for your big dream, I can muchos recommend the Digging into WordPress [...]
February 9th, 2011 at 5:36 am
Hi Leonie -
What a great resource you’ve put together here! As someone who has been through a similar “Aaaargh! What am I doing with WordPress???” journey, I can relate! Now I love it – although I have lots to learn. Your post has inspired me to do some more exploring.
Love your website too!
Brian
June 1st, 2011 at 10:01 pm
Hi Ya!
Looking forward to learning heaps from you as I ride my donkey.
I am listening to you (World Changing Writing Workshop) and looking at your site and learning.
Can’t wait to share some of these great skills with my upcoming blog students and journalling students. I hope they will come to love sharing their stories and honouring their journey.
Thanks for reminding me of my power and my magic!
Love to catch up. And is great to have someone on my side of the globe!
September 5th, 2011 at 2:52 am
THANK YOU SO MUCH! (Sorry for the all-caps, but I am that excited!) This is just the information I need. In fact, I am TEN-thousand percent overwhelmed, but at least I can come back and re-read this again – and again and again.
Thank you!
September 22nd, 2011 at 6:31 am
I moved to weebly. i’m still working on it, but it have been great so far. thank you! i moved from blogger, and i’ve got a friend who knows wordpress quite well so maybe that’s gonna be my next step
I love you
thanks for being with me through the day..