Extra Tips and suggestion on Creating a Social Networking Site

One thing I neglected to mention in the video is that some shared web hosting plans do provide social networking scripts/applications that you can install on your own domain name with the click of a button.

WebsitePalace.com offers a social networking script called Elgg, but if you decide to use this script you must do the following...

1. Sign up with one of their dedicated hosting plans (which are more expensive than their typical, $3/month shared hosting plans.)

2. Have a basic understanding of the script and programming in order to manipulate and customize your social networking site to your liking.

So even if you choose a web host that offers a social networking script with your hosting plan, you still need the programming expertise to manage it.
In Summary

So let's break down what you need to know and do if you want to create a social networking site...

1) If you plan to hire/outsource someone to build your site (use vWorker.com, etc.)....

You'll still need to sign up with a dedicated hosting plan to host your site. You should not use a cheap web hosting plan if your goal is to build a large, active site.

2) If your social networking site is for a small group of people and/or you aren't concerned with competing globally then you should look into Ning.com.

Just remember, you do not officially own your content and if Ning ever shuts down, you'll have to say bye-bye to your site.

Also remember with Ning you do not get your own domain name (yoursite.com) BUT you can still register a domain name and then forward it to your Ning address so you'll have a much shorter address to advertise. WebsitePalace.com has free domain forwarding.

So if the address of your Ning site is gossipmadness.ning.com then you can register GossipMadness.com at WebsitePalace.com, take advantage of their free domain forwarding service that is available with every domain you register.

So when someone types in GossipMadness.com, it will forward to your longer Ning address.

I would NOT recommend Ning if you are looking for a completely customizable social networking site that you own and sits on your own domain. It's best to either hire someone or learn how to create one yourself. And of course, you'll need dedicated hosting.

Update August 2010: Ning is no longer free!

3) Marketing is Everything

It's not a good idea to build a social networking site UNTIL you have a large enough audience to support it. Your Facebook friends and email contacts may seem like enough but I guarantee it won't be.

Not only do you need to create something unique, but you have to be prepared to market it like crazy and perhaps even spend money on advertising if you are trying to compete with some of the larger networking sites.
Why Do You Want a Social Networking Site?

If you want a social networking site because you want to make money, you may want to consider other options.

There are many more simpler ways to make money online so you should read my article titled Ways to Make Money Online to research other options.

Social Networking sites are not for amateurs. The creation and management of a site like this is too complicated for the average person. So unless you have a programming background and the money to promote your site, it's best to consider other options.
I Always Go Back to Site Build It!

A lot of people wonder why I promote Site Build It! so heavily when their platform doesn't allow you to build interactive sites or social networking websites.

The reason I do is because they teach you the best ways to make money by educating you on the fundamentals of the Internet and ecommerce.

Many of the SBI! sites may not be flashy or fancy. A lot of them are just simple, content affiliate websites (similar to this one). However no other web host breeds success stories like SiteSell. And this is largely because they give you the education and training you need to build a successful website.

It's easy to get caught up in the glamour owning and running a social networking websites, but when it comes to the creation and management, it can be a nightmare if you don't have the programming experience.

Site Build It! sites are simple, but more of them succeed than sites created with other web hosts. This is because of the education and training you receive that most web hosts do not provide.