Do you like to play video games? And to have your own website with articles and reviews on them?
Of course, creating a gaming website takes a lot of effort, but in return you get a great way to express your own opinion about games.
Who knows, maybe later on with your opinion you will be able to change the entire gaming industry.
Basically, creating a gaming site is no different from creating any other site.
Content is what will differentiate your gaming site from hundreds of other sites.
Step 1 – planning a gaming site
one.Choose your main direction. There are a huge number of gaming sites. Before creating, you need to decide on the topic of your site. That is, what you will write about, and subsequently post articles on your site. Below is a list of the main topics to start with:
- News– the latest and greatest news in the gaming industry. This type of site collects the most traffic, but be prepared for the fiercest competition, because there are thousands of such sites.
- Reviewsare one of the most popular topics for gaming websites, plus a very important source of traffic. The downside is that this market is oversaturated, so you have to work hard to attract visitors to your site.
- Community– Create an online community for players of specific games and interests. Of course, you will not get money as on sites with news and reviews. All that you can get on this kind of sites is communication.
- The fan siteis something similar to the previous theme, but only dedicated to one game. Plus, you can also post interviews from the developers of this game.
- Wiki site– Creating a wiki site about your favorite game can attract a large audience and be very profitable.
- Tips/ Strategies / Hacks – this topic is a popular topic for searching, but also as described above, you will face very strong competition.
- Blog– The blog format allows you to post your thoughts and comments about games. Plus, blogging is a great way to practice your writing and communicating skills.
- Think about what else you can write articles on your site, and what will set you apart from other sites?
2.Create some sketches. A site sketch is how the site will look visually to its visitors. It is important that the sketch attracts, not repels visitors, and is not monotonous or too simple with its appearance.
3.Learn the basics of HTML . Even if you are not going to create your own site, the basics of the HTML language will not hurt you, for example, if you are going to update the site with new content.
Step 2 – website creation
one.Start creating a website. You can create a site yourself or contact those who are professionally engaged in their development. There are also a huge number of website builders with the necessary tools to create a website from scratch.
Make sure that all the functions that you need on the site are implemented, such as the ability to comment or stream (broadcast games on the Internet).
If possible, check with web design companies. Trust me, this will save you a lot of time and money.
2.Find hosting. Hosting is the company that hosts your website on their server. You can use free hosting, but the quality of such hosting leaves much to be desired.
Believe me, moving from one hosting to another is a laborious and voluminous business, especially if your site has already grown. Therefore, choosing a reliable hosting from the very beginning will save you time and hassle.
3.Upload your site. Once your site is ready, all that remains is to upload it to the server. If you have used website builders provided by hosting, then the process will happen automatically. Otherwise, you will have to publish the site yourself using an FTP client.
4.Add some initial content . Of course, no one will visit a site with no content at all. The content you add depends on the type of site you are creating. Below are some examples:
- If you are creating a site about game reviews, publish an analysis of any game, even the old one. This will give you some experience in writing reviews, and site visitors will be able to find something using search.
- If you are writing about gaming news, find some recent press releases related to your topic (PCs, consoles, PDAs, etc.). Submit these press releases and add a few opinions regarding them.
- If you write guides, please describe your favorite game in detail. Make it comprehensive and try to cover aspects that have not been covered in detail in other guides.
Step 3 – Extending the Site
one.Keep adding content. What you add to the site depends on your topic. The content of your site determines how popular your site becomes, and this is what sets your site apart from others.
Writing skill is very important when writing articles and for the further development of your site. Good articles always attract a lot of readers, so always strive to improve your writing skills.
Check everything you write before you post it. Grammar and other mistakes will only drive away all readers.
Only use screenshots or videos for which you have rights . This is especially important if you are making a profit from your site.
2.Make your content the best in your field. All you need is to stand out. You are competing not only with other similar sites, but also with YouTube, Twitch streams and other popular podcasts.
If you write game guides, make sure your guide is clear and interesting than other similar guides. Add in there unique content that cannot be found on other sites, be it screenshots or pictures drawn with your own hand.
If your topic is news , then add there interviews that are not on other sites or analysis of those aspects in the gaming industry that are ignored. This will help you differentiate your site from many other sites.
If you have chosen game reviews , then be prepared to know these games from start to finish. When reviewing the game, focus on all of its individual aspects. And of course the review itself must be impartial and objective.
3.Hire workers. If you want to compete with other sites, then you need a lot of employees. The top gaming sites publish dozens of articles a day, all thanks to the number of their employees. Good staff and unique content will definitely take your site to the top.
4.Keep experimenting and innovating . The gaming industry is constantly changing. Therefore, always be aware of the news and follow the trend so that your audience not only does not decrease, but also grows. Look for ways to improve your content and make it better.
For example, there are a huge number of methods for evaluating games that are highly controversial and constantly changing. Finding new methods and the ability to objectively evaluate the game will help you make a name for yourself in the gaming industry.
