Having a website in 2019 is one of the most important steps to any kind of success. Whether it’s a personal website or one for your business, you need to claim a stake on the digital landscape and have somewhere you direct people to. Without it, you can become worse than just another face in a digital crowd.
You may end up being totally hidden from the rest of the world. As a creative Mac user, it would hurt not to be able to share the things you make. Luckily, web development on Mac platforms has never been easier.
The stores of Myspace and Tumblr has proven that nothing is eternal on the internet. Relying on any website to promote you will only lead to failure, and if you have a computer, you have no reason to not have a website.
Keep reading below to learn how to build a website with your Mac, and stake a claim on the internet.
The Basics Come First
Before you can start fiddling with colors and blocks, you need to put together the groundwork for your website. You need to make sure you have a place to put all the HTML and CSS files you create. And you need to think of something to call your website, so people will have something to type into their URL bar to visit it.
None of these basics involving creating anything. Instead, the early stages of creating a website involve a lot of research and effort. To make a good website, you need to understand your industry, and how you can distinguish yourself within it.
Most of all, a good website only comes from a good plan. List out how you want to use your website, the kinds of content that will go on it, and the kind of audience you want to attract. That way, you’ll have a clearer idea of what you’re trying to make when it comes to creating your website.
Claim Your Domain By Buying A Domain
Finding the right domain can seem like an easy step in the process. All you need to do is find the host you want to use, and purchase the domain you want through them. Yet, it’s harder than it sounds.
The right domain name may already be taken, or you may have to pay a lot more than you expect for it. The internet has been around for a while, and people have made businesses out of buying good domain names. If you want to save money on your domain name, expect to get creative.
Pick Your Web Host Carefully
Your web host is responsible for ensuring people can actually reach your website — so make sure you get a good host. Otherwise, your website may go down unexpectedly, or your audience may abandon it due to slow loading speeds. A bad web host will cost more than however much you may save by going with them.
Always research your host before selecting a hosting plan. Ensure they have a rapport in the industry, and that they maintain their servers well. You should also look for additional features, like 24/7 assistance, in case you run into an issue and need to go back online as soon as possible.
Web Development On Mac Is Similar To PC
Once you finish laying the groundwork for your website, it’s time to get started making it. After doing research on your audience and deciding on a good host, it’s time to start getting creative. And luckily, Macs are known for enabling creative people to bring their ideas to life.
Macs come loaded with a suite of tools to help you create content to fill your website with. You can write your first lines of a blog for your website on Pages, or put together an introductory video with iMovie. Best of all, most major web development platforms also have Mac versions and have been crafted for the Mac ecosystem.
Keep reading below to learn how to put together a stunning website with your Mac, before bringing it online.
Most Major Web Design Platforms Include Mac Versions
Whether you are a beginner at creating a website or an experienced web dev veteran, you should use a web design platform. With the right software, you won’t be stuck mindlessly editing HTML documents, hoping they will work. Mac web development platforms let you keep track of your changes and see how they impact a web page.
Beginners may want to invest in Blocs to create their website. With Blocs, you don’t even need to worry about your coding skill, or how to link HTML and CSS documents. Instead, you can just drag and drop blocks of different kinds of elements, or just followed a prebuilt template.
More experienced users may want to invest in either big-name brands like Dreamweaver or smaller programs like EverWeb. Both pieces of software help people manipulate code itself while viewing their changes in a real-time rendering of their website. They also help you manage your website’s files with built-in explorers.
Don’t Sacrifice Utility For Usability
The biggest thing you should watch out for are programs that sacrifice utility for usability. While Macs have a reputation for being easy to use, they’re careful not to bring down the system’s functionality. You can do everything on a Mac that you can with a PC.
Some programs don’t follow that philosophy. Sometimes, programs will restrict you to certain templates or limit the kinds of elements you can use. The theory goes that if you have less to work with, you have less to worry about.
Yet, restrictions like that can limit your creativity and leave you with a website you don’t want. Avoid programs which limit what you can, and instead, go with something that lets you fully explore what web design is like.
Web Development On Mac Is Easier Than Ever
New web development platforms are being created every day, and each has its own advantages. Yet, there’s still something to be said for programs that keep files local on your Mac. They enable you freely control where your website is hosted, and control the files associated with it.
Whether you want to develop websites by typing code or by dragging elements onto a page, there are tools you can use.
Web development on Mac has never been better because web design programs are trying to compete with other major platforms. The more that Weebly and other platforms advertise their simplicity, the easier it gets to use web development programs on your computer. The easier it gets to work on your website.
And you need a host to show off all that work you’ve put into it. For that, we’re here. You can choose one of our web hosting plans to bring your website online and show off your next great website.
