If you’re Googling steps on how to start your own website, you’re probably already tearing out your hair over the plethora of outdated or confusing information that’s floating around out there, and you’re most likely ready to give up your hopes of ever running a successful non-profit .org or .net to save the unicorns, feed the frogs, or prevent nuclear winter; at this point, your eyes are bleeding, and you have the biggest urge to kill the internet. Don’t give up! There are ways to start your own website (without weird extensions, or a ton of flashing ads from your “sponsors”) that are fairly easy, though granted, you’ll have to put up some cash, and really commit to a long-term learning project.

Of course, feel free to use MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, or Blogger – all respected conduits for making your point – but if you are looking for more responsibility and if you feel that you can make a bigger impact with a special idea, then you’re really ready for the challenge of running your own site. Here is an overview of what this discussion will encompass:

Part I – Finding a host and domain name; understanding the programming languages involved in coding and updating site content

• What is web hosting? Can I get free web hosting? What is the best web hosting plan?
• What is a domain name? Where can I purchase a domain name? How do I pick the best name for my website?
• What is HTML? What is PHP? With what basic commands/tags do I need to be familiar to be able to understand and manipulate site code if needed?
• What is a database? What is MySQL? Do I need to be able to read or write MySQL code?

Part II – Building your website using pre-existing themes and widgets/plugins with WordPress

• What is WordPress? What other platforms are available for site management? How do I set up WordPress?
• What are WordPress themes? What themes fit a non-profit cause?
• What are WordPress widgets/plugins? Which widgets/plugins are essential for the best user navigation and experience on my site?
• What is an RSS feed? Why is it important to syndicate site content?

Part III – Search engine optimization; refining your content; “marketing”

• How can a create a unique marketing message or communicate my special idea to the world?
• What is search engine optimization? What does it mean in the context of a non-profit website?
• What is Pay-Per-Click (PPC) marketing? Can I use PPC to advertise my site?
• What is Google Analytics?
• What is the best way to improve my Google ranking?
• How can I get people to visit my site? How do I avoid getting my site blacklisted by Google?
• How can I build relationships with similar sites? What is link-building? Why is link-building essential to improving Google rank?

I remember when PledgeForMoms.org was just a concept about 2 year ago, and my older brother laughed at my ideas. He found it amusing that I wanted to create a website in just a couple of days and have a billion hits right away (he went so far as to tell me that I should just save myself the headache and quit right then). Of course, in retrospect, it was kind of naïve to think that everyone in the world would just flock to my site and support the cause, but five layouts and 30 articles later, I’m very happy with the progress I have made.

This August, I will be posting three articles on how you can start your own cause website – I hope that you will find them helpful. Please sign up for the RSS to get up-to-date notices on new articles.

About Pledge For Moms
Every woman is a daughter and every man is a son – it is our duty to protect and advance the rights of women so that they may have the opportunity to give birth to and raise children in a safe and healthy environment. How would a boy remember his first day of school without her soft kisses and words of encouragement? How will a girl become a woman without her guidance and support? The Pledge For Moms Project is a non-profit website is tailored to encourage the online community to take part in raising awareness of the suffering of our sisters, daughters, and mothers across the globe and to set an example in the community. If you are interested in having a direct impact on decreasing maternal mortality rates in one of the most effected areas in the world, please DONATE to the Save-a-Mother Project. If you would like to become a micro-lender to a poor business-woman in need, make a difference through Kiva.org