| So you need a website,
but don't know exactly how to go about getting one? This article
will help explain the steps you need to get a website of your very
own, and have it available for all the world to see. There are actually only three (3) main things you need, to get a
website up on the internet. You need a:
You Need a Website
The first step to creating your online presence is actually getting
yourself a website (click
here to learn more about what a website actually is). You can
either hire a web designer or web design company to build one for
you (in which case they will likely also set you up with a domain
name and a web hosting account), or you can built it yourself. If
you would like to build your own website but don't know how to write
HTML code (the language used to make web pages), then you can simply
use one of the many available "HTML editors" or
"Website Builder" programs. These programs can make
building a website as easy as writing a document in Microsoft Word. Click
here for more information on building your own website.
You Need a Domain Name
You also need a domain name for your website..... an address that
people will type into their Internet Browsers to be taken to your
website. Examples of domain names are: www.microsoft.com,
www.yahoo.com, www.google.com,
and www.logincomtech.com.
Everything after the "www" is considered the domain name,
and is registered to the owner of the associated website. In order
to get your own domain name, you have to "register"
one at a "domain name registrar". Registering a domain
name is a relatively simply process.... you merely have to search
for a domain name you want, see if it's available (i.e. make
sure no one else has registered it), and complete a registration
form at the registrars website. You will also have to provide
payment details because domain name registrations are not free.
Domain name registration prices are typically anywhere from $15.00
to $50.00 per year, depending on the registration company you
choose. Even though there are hundreds of domain name registration
companies to choose from, they are all affiliated in some way with
the main registry where all domain name registrations are held.
Therefore, when you register a domain name with any domain name
registrar, your registration will be placed with the main registrar
so that no one else will be able to register the same domain name.
Your registered domain name will remain yours as long as you
continue to pay your annual registration fee. Click
here to learn more about domain names, and how to register them.
You Need a Web Hosting Account
Finally, you need a web hosting account where your website will be
hosted. Websites must be stored on a "server" that is
connected to the internet, and allows other people to connect to it,
to view your website. A web hosting account is basically your own
designated portion of a server, that you are given access to in
order to display your website. Without a web hosting account, your
newly created website would simply remain on your own hard drive
(where you would have created your website), and no one would be
able to see it except for you. Uploading your website to your own
web hosting account on a server will make your website available for
all the world to see. Click
here to learn more about web hosting.
What do I do first?
It really doesn't matter in which order you get the above three
items, because you need all three in order to have a fully
functional website. If you are concerned about your branding and
feel it is important to secure the domain name you want (i.e. before
someone else registers it), you might want to register your
domain name first. But that doesn't mean you have to immediately go
out and build your website and get a hosting account. In fact, there
are many companies that simply register a domain name for later
use.... and then wait years before actually putting it to use.
It would seem to make the most sense to have a website ready to be
published to a web hosting account, before actually ordering the
hosting account...... however, that is not always the case. There
are many companies that want to set up email addresses, and have
them working prior to actually having a website. In those cases,
they would have to get a web hosting account, because email is an
integral part of the hosting account. With a web hosting account and
a domain name, you can setup and have your email accounts
functioning properly, before having an actual website. You can then
proceed to build your website whenever you're ready.
Summary
Once you have a website, a domain name, and a web hosting account,
you have everything you need to get your very own website on the
internet! Click
here for more information on uploading your website to the internet.
|
