This post is my first foray into writing a blog and into writing episodically, with new posts every two weeks. While this post is a test of my new site, I also wanted to write a few lines about the process.
First, of course, I had to figure out where to host the site. I decided on Wix in the end and we'll see how it goes. Factors I had to consider included whether or not I was going to pay for the site and then whether it suited my needs. The main purpose of this site is to host the blog, so I needed that functionality. Most website templates are actually designed for much more complicated functions. I wasn't worried about needing to sell merchandise or having lots of layers and pages to the site. That being said, some website building sites do have design templates for blogs, so I limited my options to those sites. A feature I hadn't considered when I started looking to build the site was the ability to transfer it to another host if I ever needed to. Apparently, this a feature that is highly sought after and is one thing that is highly publicized in articles comparing different hosts. I chose Wix after reading reviews suggesting it would be easy to edit while not paying for the site.
After now spending several days setting up the site and now writing this test post, I have mixed feelings. Having not tried any other site, it is a little hard to compare. However, without really looking at any tutorials and just following my instincts, I have found that the site is moderately easy to edit. On the one hand, I didn't look anything up as instructions and I have done alright. On the flip side, I am still not exactly sure if this post is going to end up where I want it to, and I haven't tried to connect it to the internet yet. I've found that the most frustrating part is not being able to edit things in certain ways and having so many things to fill in in the template. This comes from the templates being originally intended for more complicated sites than my simple blog. While I'm sure these build in sections are intended to make things simpler, I find them a bit cumbersome when I really just want to get to the posting. I'll provide an update in a while on how I'm finding the editing, the site, and the posting.
Blogs also apparently have many pictures. Upon reflection, I completely understand this feature. I'm a very visual learner, so I love having pictures included, regardless of the subject material. The picture right above this paragraph was included in the template for the site. I left it for two reasons. First, I wasn't sure what picture really demonstrated my thoughts about the process of setting up a blog. But the other reason, is because it sort of speaks to what I said above about the templates. My new site was filled with stock photos and I had to go through and delete some while replacing others. This cactus was actually fairly nice to look at, so I've decided to keep it as an example of this feature.
The final part of the process was actually writing this post. I hadn't really considered what tone to take, what topic to write about, or even if I was going to write an introductory post at all. I decided mostly to just write my thoughts, though that may change for later entries. While I don't have any more to say on this process, I'm hoping to have a new post up shortly that will be on a more interesting topic.
Sneak peek: Lots of trees!!
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