Website Builder

Today, the web is almost everybody's go-to resource when it comes to researching specific topics, products or services. For many companies, organizations or freelancers it has become paramount to have their own internet presence.

If you want to build your own website, there are many options. There is a wide selection of web design services for

• advanced users,

• professionals and

• beginners alike.

Even without any prior knowledge of design, there are a number of tools available to assist you in making your own website. Before considering exactly how you will start, first think about what kind of site you are interested in – different sites serve different purposes. Some of the most common website formats are as follows:

Personal Website

Websites can be used to display a personal story or a family story. With such sites, it is common to explain one's interests and career path with photos – and the themes are more often than not part of the administrator's personal experience. In addition, personal websites are often created for special occasions (weddings, additions to the family, etc.). This type of website is often used as a diary that is viewable to the public.

Blog

A blog (long form: weblog) is a website that mostly publishes content in the style of a diary or a magazine. Similar to the private website option above, all content focuses on the blogger. However, in contrast to a private website, a blog usually centers on one specific theme or topic. In terms of blog content, there are almost no limits; common themes include popular culture, fashion, lifestyle, technology, or politics. With high-quality and sought-after content, texts suited to your target audience and an appealing web design, it is easy to set up a successful blog that also earns money. The most common web applications for the creation of a blog are

• wordpress.com

• blogger.com

• tumblr.com

Promotional Website

Some people use their website for professional purposes to upload their personal résumé, as well as including further information on their professional career and work samples. A link to your promotional website can make your application stand out from the crowd and act as testament to a forward-thinking and initiative-showing applicant – as long as it is well presented and aesthetically pleasing.To ensure that your personal data is not open to the public, keep your private documents (personal résumé, certificates, etc.) in a password-protected section of your website. This way, you simply have to send the password to the relevant person dealing with your application.

Online Store/Web Shop

eCommerce is an integral part of everyday life for many people and an end to the online trading boom is nowhere in sight. For those wanting to create their own online shop, a fully-functioning website is of course required. In addition, there are a number of other aspects to take note of: before creating an online shop, it is important to first create a business plan. Other areas that need to be considered include the distribution of purchased goods and the search engine optimization (SEO) of the online shop in order to make it more visible in Google search results. In addition to this, as an online retailer there are various legal frameworks that must be adhered to.

If you are creating your internet presence the classic way – with a HTML editor and CSS – or relying on tools such as a Content Management System (CMS) or a website builder, the skills required will depend heavily on your previous knowledge and experience in website design.

Working with computer languages

HTML is a markup language used to create pages on the World Wide Web with information and various features. During the early days of the internet, HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) was a very important part of designing a website, and there was no other option but to write the HTML source code yourself in order to create your own website.

Even today, HTML is a fundamental element of the World Wide Web: it still has a large role to play in the core structure of a website and the written content of a site, and ultimately represents a large part of the final page that appears in the web browser. CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is the standard language for creating a website. CSS was first introduced in the middle of the 90's and is responsible for the presentation and design of the individual pages, including features such as layout, color, font and font size. Aside from HTML and CSS, another fundamental language of traditional web design is JavaScript. However, its application is mostly reserved for web designers as most computer languages are considered difficult to learn.

Content management systems and website builders

There are of course other options for website design that do not involve directly working with the source code of a site: for this purpose a Content Management System (CMS) or a website builder (also known as a website toolbox) can be used. Such software simplifies the structure and creation of a website with an easy-to-use interface that makes them suitable for web design beginners and allows the creation of a website to be done quickly and intuitively. However, such tools can at times be limited in terms of design options.

Aside from web design programs for beginners, there are various CMS that also meet professional requirements – most of these are CMS rather than website builders. Many of the well-known CMS offer a lot of freedom when designing a website, but for this you also require a certain degree of familiarization with the software. When working with a CMS the content is separated from the design, making it easier to manage. In practice, a pre-made template (a design template), which can be modified at a later point, is usually used for the design. With many CMS you can also take over the design completely, for which an external web editor is usually used.

Most of the creative possibilities are self-evident if you write the source code yourself and design your website through the use of programming languages. Nonetheless, many CMS offer an excellent variety in terms of web design. On the one hand, the CMS developers regularly update the applications and design features in keeping with modern web design. On the other hand, especially in terms of CMS, the community contributes greatly to the improvement of the tool by developing extensions, tools and templates (free or paid). It is recommend that total beginners take advantage of the uncomplicated web builders as they are easy to use, and despite their limited functionality, are quite sufficient for the creation of many types of websites.

Beginners can also create an attractive website with IONOS – for this, no knowledge of HTML, CSS, or any other programming language is required. Our developers have ensured that each phase of creating a website is made as easy as possible. With each one of our packages, we provide you with

• server capacity

• your desired domain.

• hundreds of industry-related designs and images;

all you need to do is select and create your website according to your preference. The appearance of the backend, the place where all alterations take place, largely corresponds to that of the frontend. This allows you to keep an eye on how the end result looks when you design your web pages. All it takes is the click of a mouse to activate certain elements, and then move them into the desired position. Using a versatile editor allows you to easily write a text for your site – use it to adjust the font size and make other formatting adjustments such as underlining text. In addition to this, photos, videos and links can be easily integrated. Create your own website with one of our MyWebsite packages – all of which do not require knowledge of computer languages like HTML or CSS. All you need to build a website with us is an idea, some time, and some willingness to have fun! Successful results can be seen in just a short period of time.

When you choose the IONOS website builder, you can expect unparalleled safety and security. Your website will be

• safe for visitors

• your data and software will be secured against hackers and other types of data loss,

• safe from viruses, malware and other threats.

Our high-performance data centers are subject to German data-protection standards which are among the strictest in the world. In addition to this, your website data is secured using geo-redundant servers, to ensure maximum protection. When transmitting data through our fiber optic connections, we ensure multiple security measures through encryption, and the data is passed through an external firewall.

Of course, when you are building a website you will automatically think of the legal requirements found on professional websites. IONOS can provide the necessary legal texts that deal with this issue. Finally, should you have any further questions or issues regarding security or legal operation, our experts are available 24/7 by telephone or email.

It's a breeze to insert images and videos with the MyWebsite tool. Simply select "insert element" and then "basics". Now you can quickly and easily drag and drop images to insert them on your website. By using the button "edit image", you add image effects and also adjust the size, sharpness and focus.

If multiple images are to be displayed in succession, then simply drag the element "image gallery" in the "image and videos" category to your site and then establish the sequence settings, such as how many seconds each image is visible before the next one appears.

It's also easy to include videos as you build your own website - under "images and videos" you can display video material either as Flash Video or direct from YouTube as well as other video platforms. To embed clips from YouTube, you need only paste in the corresponding embed link to the video. That way your desired video is automatically linked to your website.

IONOS offers a range of valuable tools for lead nurturing and generating further business. Here's how we help our customers build relationships with their customers:

Step 1: Monitor your website

Create the website you always wanted and host it with IONOS. Use IONOS Site Analytics tools to learn more about your customers. Do customers find your site using Google, or do you get a lot of referrals from Facebook? Which of your web pages are most popular? Where do your customers live? With IONOS, you'll learn the answers to these questions and more.

Step 2: Find and nurture leads

Create content for your customers, including blog posts, newsletters, downloadable e-books, and more.

Step 3: Make the initial sale

Our web apps let customers book their first appointments or make their first online purchases from your business.

Step 4: Maintain the relationship

Keep customers coming back by sending them coupons and notifications about new products or services. Connect with them on social media. Offer a section on your website featuring the latest industry news and trends. Use IONOS email marketing tools to generate recurring streams of visits to your website.

Yes. If you have certain requirements for the creation of your website that go beyond the features of IONOS MyWebsite, we also offer solutions for professional web developers. Also, advanced users may want to get more out of a Content Management System (CMS). Below, you can find out all you need to know for designing your own website:

1. Choose your hosting option

There are a number of different options when it comes to web hosting. A good option for professionals may be to set up a private server that they administrate completely by themselves, while beginners may be more suited to web hosting packages that include security updates, and server maintenance. Whether you choose your own server or a web hosting solution, always ensure that your server performance and web space are well suited to your specific project or website.

Good to know: some web hosts offer managed hosting and a 1-click installation of specialized hosting packages for well-known CMS that are tailored to the needs of specific applications.

2. Choose your domain

To register a domain, contact a domain name registrar. You can also secure your new website address with IONOS; the domain checker tool allows you to see if your desired domain is still available. If your preferred domain has already been taken, check if the same second level domain (website name) is available when combined with a different top level domain. For example: if www.example.com and www.example.de are not available, perhaps try other alternatives (.org, .net, .web, .online, etc.). In case you cannot find any suitable alternatives, it might be worth purchasing your desired domain from the owner.

3. Install CMS

Once you've decided on a CMS, next you need to install the system on the web server. With an SFTP program, you can access your webspace and upload and install everything you need. Alternatively, many web hosting providers offer a so-called 1-click installation to set up your CMS. The installation is very simple and the provider takes care of everything for you.

4. Choose your design

Once your CMS is set up, it is important to find the right layout for you. Ideally, the basic planning of your business website is already complete, otherwise you need to consider your target group, the layout and the exact content, sections, and structure of your site all at once.

Make sure to pay attention to the usability (user-friendliness) and design of your site. A simple and intuitive navigation structure that leads to your offer is key to the usability of your site. Your site is user-friendly if visitors can navigate their way through your site with ease. A sophisticated design and the overall appearance of your site also determine the look and usability of your website.

Internet services and the current web design trends offer inspiration for web design. Most CMS offer a diverse range of design templates and themes. CMS with a large community always offer a huge selection of free templates, allowing you to experiment with one first before you decide on it. The growing importance of a responsive web design is also something to take into account; responsive sites automatically adjust to the display size of your device (PC desktop, laptop, tablet, smartphone).

5. Create your content

Your website content totally depends on your target group. You need a good sense of what kind of content will appeal to your target group. An accurate target group analysis done in advance is always helpful. If the profitability of your site is of paramount importance, the evaluation of buyer personas will be particularly useful. In order to better market the products of your online shop, content marketing is advisable.

In any case, it is very important to ensure you have content for your website. The regular creation of content is essential to your website. The quality of your content is what sets you apart from your competitors, so make sure to pay attention tothis. Images also have an important role in a site's articles (especially for longer texts) as they attract attention and break up a text. Images can also be used for the illustration and structuring of your articles. If you do not have access to any images or illustrations, you can make use of the large selection of free image databases.