Learnings.co.uk

How to start a website?

People have written whole books on this subject but the main thing you need to know is that starting a website is a very simple thing to do.

There are 2 main components to this.
  1. Find a domain name
  2. Find a Host
1. Find a Domain Name
So you have a great idea for a website and now you're keen to get started.  You need to find the address that internet users can you to come and find you. To do this you need to purchase your domain name.  

I use one of 2 companies.  123 Reg or Go Daddy.  Both of them offer a reasonably cheap and decent service when buying a website name.  SImply visit either of these sites and type in the name you want and they will tell you if this name is available.

The obvious site names willl have gone but there are still some good ones to pick up.  Try to ensure the name you pick says a lot about the website you are building as this will help you to generate traffic.

Ideally you will pick up a .com or a .co.uk (if you are in the UK)  However it all depends on the type of site you want.  If you just want a few friends to visit then you won't have to worry to much about this and you will get a cheaper name.

Generally you pay for your address up front and then its yours for a period of 1 or 2 years.   After which you can choose whether you want to keep it or not.

2. Find a host

In order for you to display your site you need a host.  A host is effectively a computer that stays on 24 hours a day and ensures that your site is viewable day and night.  There are a wide variety of hosting accounts around.  I use Total Choice Hosting who despite the early stages are doing a great job for me so far.

There a many other places you can get hosting from though and you should do your research on what works for you.

Hosting costs from a couple of pounds per month upwards.  If you only have one site you only need a cheap hosting package.  If, like me you have a lot of sites you will need a reseller account. which gives you a fixed amount of storage and bandwidth to accommodate as many sites as you can ft into this limit.  I pay $19.99 per month.

When you sign up your host will send you all the details you need to control your site.  

First thing you should do is change your nameservers, this basically ensures your domain name is linked yo your host.  You do this on the site you bought your domain name from.  Its very sraightforward.

These are the basics.  Now the fun starts.  Good luck!