Domain development 101: Development options.

In part 1 we discussed why domainers need to become domainer developers. In Part 2 we look at the development options in a little more detail. So what development options are out there?

If you are developing domains yourself a basic development package can be downloaded from AceHTML.com, for free. You will require a knowledge of HTML and CSS to get the most out of it. But this package will enable you to do minor development work as well as more complex jobs.

Basic minisites can be created quickly and easily using free templates, such as the ones available from FreeCSSTemplates.org. AceHTML will be helpful here. I think, as a general rule, mini sites of up to 5 – 25 pages can easily be developed in this way. Larger sites would be easier to develop if you used some of the other packages I will discuss below.

The next step up is probably Wordpress blogging software. this is a package that, once you get used to it, allows you to rapidly develop sophisticated sites. A self hosted Wordpress.org driven website is a quick and easy way of developing sites and the variety of eye catching templates available make this the software of choice for all but the smallest sites or the most demanding sites. Wordpress is a popular blogging tool that is gaining a good reputation for itself as a Content Management System (CMS). Either way once you become familiar with the software you may never want to change. You can even add online discussion forums to Wordpress. See YouLookFab.com for a good example of Wordpress / forum integration.

Another feature of Wordpress is the multiuser option WordpressMU. This is a quick and straightforward way of developing a number of domains using Wordpress.

If you wish to add a forum to your site, or if you just want to have a website that is a free standing forum such as acorndomains.co.ukthere are a variety of packages available. SMF and PHPBB are two of the most popular free packages available. There are many more. Many developers prefer the paid for options vBulletin or Invision Power Board. Fortunately, it is possible, though not straightforward, to migrate between the packages, so it is possible to start with a free option to begin with and move to a paid option later on.

However, there are some more advanced packages which take you into the ‘professional sphere’. Joomla and Drupal are free to download but certain add-ons may cost. They are aimed at more advanced developers and offer integrated modules to make more sophisticated sites. Wordpress needs a lot of work to make it act as a CMS so many developers are seeing the benefits of Joomla and Drupal which are CMS, ‘straight out of the box’. However, the overall complexity of these two packages compared to Wordpress put many people off as has the lack of a wide selection of free templates/ skins. A paid for package that has many of the same features is Expression Engine. This is perhaps the most expensive option but is also gathering a following. For example, FemaleForum.com is build using Expression Engine and is an example of what can be done with only a moderate investment.

Development is an important way to make your domain names work harder for you. I’m not saying that domain parking should be avoided, but I do believe that key word rich domains in your portfolio should be developed out as soon as time allows. The options covered here will help you to do so.