If you are an absolute beginner, this is where you should start. Having an encyclopedia in your hands is not much use if you don’t know which articles you should read first.
If you already have your own domain name and web hosting, you can skip this section and go straight to Part 4. If not, please read below.The Essential Step by Step Guide
The first thing you need to do is get yourself a domain name. This is the name you want to give to your website. For example, the domain name of my site is www.chrisfarrell-online.com. To get a domain name, you will have to pay an annual fee (average cost $10) to a domain registration company for the right to use that name. This does not get you a website, just the name.
The companies that register domain names are called registrars. Geographically it doesn’t matter where your registrar is, although I always feel better if they are based in the country I live in. I have lived in the US and the UK, and therefore have used registrars in both. I tend to use www.godaddy.com or www.namecheap.com But have a search on Google, and ask friends and colleagues who they use
2. Choose a Web Host. Page 15 Once you have your own domain name, you will need to choose a hosting company (also called a web host).What is a hosting company? Basically a hosting company is a company that connects your website to the World Wide Web. Every website has a hosting company.
Your Computer Hosting World Wide Web CompanyThere are thousands of hosting companies. So how do you choose a good one?
Well, when you purchase your domain name, you will also be offered the option of purchasing hosting. You do NOT have to buy hosting from same company you bought your domain from, although for simplicities sake, it is often easier.
Hosting packages vary in cost – but expect to pay not much more than $10/15 month for a good host. If you want to shop around for better rates, do a Google search for ‘hosting companies’.
Or better still, ask around. Speak to people who have a website and ask them which hosting company they use. I strongly recommend www.hostgator.com
Creating a hosting account is very easy, just provide a few details on line and you will have your own hosting package with minutes.Once all set up, you will receive an email with all your web hosting details. Do not lose this email A lot of people do! It contains important information that you will need later to publish your website.
Once you have a domain name and web hosting set up, you are ready to create your own website.Remember....
...by the end of this eBook you will have a working website with multiple pages, including a main page. Your pages will contain links to other sites and to other pages on your site.