It is best if your website has a specific focus. It doesn't have to be extremely narrow, such as CalicoCatsWithEarInfections.com, but it shouldn't be so broad that the scope will be unachievable, such as EverythingAboutEverySport.com. It needs to be a topic that you are interested in, passionate about, and knowledgeable about.

Choose some possible domain names, and see if they are not already registered to someone else. Don't just type the URL into your browser and assume that the domain is available if no site comes up. I use GoDaddy.com, but there are many fine services that sell domain names. Choose a name that is short, and not easily misspelled or misheard. Register the domain name. That will cost about $10 per year.

Decide what program you will use to create your website. I use Microsoft Expression Web (the successor to FrontPage), but there are many other choices. Consider starting by using one of the built in templates.

I firmly believe that good content is far more important than "bells-and-whistles." People can see through that. It is important that your website contain original and valuable information. The information also needs to be updated and expanded upon on a regular basis. People can tell right away if your website has something to offer them, or if you created it just to have a backdrop for your Google ads. If you lose people's trust, you will never get it back, and your site will not be successful no matter how much you publicize it.

Decide how you will organize your information. Plan on having some type of menu either along the top or side that contains 5-10 items. The topic of your website will dictate how to organize your pages. At a bare minimum, one menu item should link to a way of contacting you, and one should link to a page of information about you and your site.

I believe that for a website to be successful, the owner needs to come across as a real human being that cares. In our modern day society, that is what people crave. Consider having a forum on your site where people can ask and answer questions. Offer people the chance to e-mail you questions or comments that they have about your site's topic. Convince your readers that you will never abuse their private information, and that if you post any questions or comments that they submitted, you will keep their identity private.

Again, your site must constantly be updated and expanded. This is not only of great importance to search engines that take note of such in determining page ranking, but for your readers as well. Certainly change at least one little thing each day, even if it's just a tip-of-the-day on your homepage. At least once per week, add at least one page to your site, whether it is an article, or photo, or video, or anything else. Ideally aim to add much more than that.

Ask your readers for their feedback and suggestions. Make them feel as though they are contributing to a community website, and not just to a site that you hope will get you more ad clicks. Be sure to thank them for their input, and acknowledge that your site would not be possible without them.

I believe that it is OK to have ads and affiliate links on your website. They are very commonplace, and people understand that you are trying to recoup some of the hosting fees, as well as the time and effort needed to maintain your free site. (Don't charge even a penny to access your site, by the way, unless it is extremely specialized). Make sure that the ads are not in the way of your content. You are guaranteed to permanently lose a reader if they accidentally click on an ad, thinking that it is content, or because it was so close to your menu or other clickable content. Do not utilize any ad provider that is involved with gimmicky flashing ads such as, "You have already won a brand new iPod." In my opinion, stick with Google Adsense. For the most part, their ads match the content of your site at least at some level. If an ad sneaks in that you aren't comfortable with, such as one for mail-order brides, there is a way to block ads from a specified domain. You can use this to block the ads of your competitors, if applicable.

Certainly submit your website to search engines, and include a reference to it in your e-mail and forum signatures. I firmly believe, though, that if you have a valuable site, then it is not necessary to do all that much publicizing, or to make yourself crazy with that task. Instead, use that time to add more valuable content to your site, and to interact with your readers. People will find your site. It simply takes time. Rather than having lots of people quickly find your site, but then leave it immediately never to return, it is better to slowly build up a community of dedicated readers. In time, they will tell others, and you will have built up a substantial audience. Think of a website as no different than any business. They are not even expecting to do well within the first two years. They are simply building themselves up. The same is true with a website. Just abide by the motto of, "If you build it (well), they will come."