Creating a Plan to Build Your Gaming Website

How to Make a Gaming Website

Are you obsessed with playing games online? Have you fantasized about creating your own gaming website? If so, then this post is for you.

With the variety of tools and resources available online, building your very own gaming website is easier than you might think. However, like any large undertaking, you’ll want to spend some serious time planning out your site before it goes live.

Let’s talk about how to choose the right style of gaming website, what you need to set it up, and finally, how to get building.

• Set up your very own Minecraft or WoW gaming server!

1. Decide on your Style of Gaming Site

There are various types of gaming sites you can create.

For instance, you could create a site that’s solely dedicated to breaking the latest news about your favorite games and reviewing recent titles. Or, you could build a site like Addicting Games that has a ton of various flash games for you to enjoy (Check out this game HostGator made to prepare for the end of the world in 2012!). You could even create a separate website for your own online gaming community. 

A site where users can actually play games will be built entirely different than a review-style site, or community hub, so you need to make this decision up front.

2. Determine Your Gaming Niche

Once you’ve decided upon the style of the site that you’re going to run, with its time to narrow down your niche. Choosing a niche is incredibly important. If you end up choosing too large of a niche it’s going to be difficult to make a name for yourself and stand out. Especially when you already have sites like IGN, Gamespot, GameFAQs, and PCGamer dominating the space.

By niching down you can brand yourself as an authority and you can even expand out into other niches in time. When considering your niche ask yourself the following questions:

For Game Review Sites:

• What kind of games do you love to play?
• Is there a certain genre or console you’re obsessed with?
• What’s the focus of your content? Walkthroughs? Game reviews? Behind-the-scenes?

For Game Playing Sites:

• Are you building the site for a specific age group?
• Do you want to offer a certain style of game?
• Do you want to restrict any games behind a pay wall?

For Gaming Community Hub Sites:

• Do you want to focus on one game only?
• Do you want to include forum access?
• Will you include downloadable game builds?

3. Pick a Domain Name and Host

Now that your niche is all set, it’s time to lay the foundation for your site. The first step towards creating an actual website is purchasing a domain name and hosting.

If your gaming website will allow users to play actual games, then you’ll probably need a host that can keep up. Which means that you’ll probably need a more substantive host than your typical shared hosting package.

HostGator offers both dedicated and VPS hosting, both of which will be well suited for a more resource-intensive website.

4. Choose a Platform

There are a variety of methods you can use to build out your site, from website builders to full-fledged content management systems. The approach you take will depend upon the goals for your site and the overall functionality you’re looking for.

Website builders are often much easier to use. But, if you’re looking for increased customization options and want more control over what you can and can’t do, then WordPress might be better suited for your needs. There are even gaming-oriented WordPress themes like Blackfyre, Gameleon, Goodlife, Games Zone, and Youplay.

5. Start Building and Customizing

With your platform picked out it’s time to start customizing your site. 

The goal of your site should be to serve your users, no matter which gaming direction you decide to take. Make sure the overall design of your site is in alignment with your theme and niche you decide to pursue.  

If you’re looking to build your own gaming website, we hope the process above helps you out. Make sure you keep in mind the overall goals of your site as you build it out.

What kind of gaming site do you want to create? Share your site plans in the comments below.

Kevin Wood

Kevin Wood writes about technology and human potential. You can find him at his virtual homes Wooden Writing and Counter Culturist.