Requirements for hosting locally on a computer?
An HTML editor that can handle:
HTML
CSS
JavaScript
PHP
While it is possible to use notepad (you'll need to be an advanced coder) it's best to use an HTML Editor. Free ones are great to start with, after which we suggest purchasing a premium version.
Our first choice would be WeBuilder from Blumentals Software. WeBuilder offers 30 free uses before requiring an upgrade to the premium version.
Our second choice would be the HTML Editor from CoffeeCup. There are both free and premium versions; the latter is less expensive than the one above.
Requirements for publishing on the web
An HTML editor as described above
A web server for hosting
A domain name
An FTP client
A policies & cookies page *
A cookie script *
Getting your website indexed in Google, Bing & Yahoo
The following applies to all websites globally.
You will need:
An XML Sitemap in the root folder
A Google Search Console account for submitting your website
A Bing Web Masters account for submitting your website
Contact Forms
We learnt many years ago not to use simple forms, as people accidentally delete their emails.
For this reason, we only use systems with a admin panel that store all copies of sent forms.
For a small extra fee we can supply you with a working contact form complete with an admin panel.
You will need:
MySQL Database
An email address on the server
A noreply@... email address on the server
Host name
Host user
Host password
Encryption type
Port No.
ReCAPTCHA keys from Google
Please note
* To keep within the law, both a suitable cookie script and a policies page need to be used on all UK websites.
Release date: 1 April, 2025.
