How To Start Your Own Website
Starting your own website may seem like a big task to those who know nothing about it, but there are only a few things you need to get started.
1: Find Some Space
The internet is basically a bunch of computers connected together sharing files of information with each other. The first thing you need to find is a computer that you can put your website on that will be accessible 24/7. These “always-on” computers are known as “servers”. Companies that provide their servers for use are called “web hosts”.
Web hosting can cost anywhere from nothing (FREE) to $1000+ a month. It all depends on who you go with and how much space you plan on taking up on the server. For small websites it’s good to find “shared web hosting” space. This is where a hosting company allows you to share the space on their servers with other websites. If you have a rather large website that needs its own server, then a “dedicated hosting” service is what you’ll want. This is where the hosting company dedicates one server to your website(s) and you’re allowed to use every bit of it without having to worry about other websites.
2: Get An Address
Once you find hosting space, your next step is to get an address for people to type into their web browser so they can locate your website. This web address is also known as the URL (uniform resource locator).
When a computer connects to the internet it is given a set of numbers, known as its IP address (example: 208.77.188.166). This address is used to identify one computer from another. To locate computers and servers with websites on them, a system was created to make it easier to match the IP address of a server with a memorable name.
Example
IP Address: 74.125.159.147
URL: http://www.google.com
Domain name: www.google.com
Registered domain name: google.com
This system is called the “domain name system”. You can get your own domain name by finding a “domain registrar” and registering a name that’s available. The cost of registration is usually between $10 and $35 (unless there’s a sale going on). Once the name is registered you can point that name to your web host. Information on how to do this is usually provided by the web host.
If you go with free web hosting the address is given to you free as well, but the domain of your host is included in the URL. For example, if you set up a blog website at Wordpress.com, then your web address would be: http://myblog.wordpress.com/ .
3: Set Up Shop
After you’ve found some space and registered a name, all that’s left is your website. Many web hosts provide a way to set up your own website in minutes. Others just give you the space and leave the website creation and setup to you.
For beginners, it’s a good idea to find a web host that has something already set up that’s easy to use and manage. If you’re more interested in creating a website from scratch, start reading up on the HTML and CSS coding languages. They’re very easy to learn and will have you making your own websites in no time.
Summary
Starting your own website requires finding a reliable web host and registering a domain name. A quick search on Google will bring many results for web hosting and domain registrars. Some places I recommend starting are GoDaddy for domains and BlueHost for web hosting. If you have any questions, I’m here to help.
