There are so many ways to approach having a presence on the web that it can be overwhelming. Truly being independent online requires some understanding of how the web works. The good news is that it’s not as complicated as it all seems!
The term indie web has become an online movement: "based on principles of: owning your domain and using it as your primary online identity, publishing on your own site first (optionally elsewhere), and owning your content."
The way to think about how to setup your online presence is similar to setting up a shop. You need a web host for your location, content for the display of your wares and what you have to offer, and specialized services for interacting with your patrons, such as allowing them to get updates from you.
From the tech side, web content itself is really just HTML. This means you can setup on your own with just a domain name and use the most basic hosting service without needing any special system to worry about maintaining.
Learn why you should have your own domain, hosting, and email address, and how to set it all up.
Setting up your location means you don’t have to depend on any single platform and can connect with your audience directly, on your own platform. Where you have complete control over your content and how they can interact with you and your work.
Learn about using platforms and how to connect with audiences beyond any platform.
Your website is how you want to present your shop. It's your content in the standard HTML protocol that is fully flexible for you to display things your way. The web was built to allow anyone to publish content, and it’s still true today!
Learn what it means to build a good, affordable website and what to look for when getting help with your setup.
You can also use HTML templates to make things even easier.
Indie Aisle formats include drag and drop components you can use and plug in your content using a visual editor.
Utilize specialized services and tools as needed, when you’re ready. These can include a way to collect and maintain an email list and send out emails, stats to keep track of progress, or payment processing for orders. By focusing only on the specific services you need, you keep your costs down and have control over what providers you use for different services.
To connect with your audience, there are a couple of standard web protocols to offer updates similar to how you would via social media: RSS and email. An RSS feed requires the user have an app that allows for subscribing to your blog updates. And email only requires the user having an email address to receive updates.
Learn why you should send out emails, what to include, how to setup content, and send emails out.
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