| HELP! Get Me Started Online Now! | | | | slow customer support and bugs that do not get |
| Anyone wanting to start out with their own website | | | | fixed or attended to promptly. (You will also find that |
| on the Internet, although perfectly capable in matters | | | | 'free' often means expenses elsewhere - either in |
| offline, may feel like a dummy when it comes to | | | | 'additional services' that are often included in the |
| those first steps online. Just the sheer volume of | | | | commercial packages or limitations that have to be |
| competing and distracting information available is | | | | overcome. And your time, remember, should not be |
| enough to get you banging your head on the table in | | | | counted as free, viz Economics 101.) Rather, a robust |
| frustration. | | | | and supported software is preferable, as well as one |
| There is just so much but it often fails to consider | | | | that does not require a PhD in Computing to follow |
| the position of the complete beginner's question, | | | | the manual. |
| 'Where do I start?' | | | | 3. Next, you will need to think of a name for your |
| This is something the pros who have grown up with | | | | site. Once you've done that, get it registered at a |
| and often made the Internet what it is today do not | | | | domain registration service. This should cost no more |
| consider when they expound ever more complex | | | | than a yearly fee of $10 (down from $70 or more |
| strategies and the latest of the advanced pieces of | | | | just a few years ago!). |
| software. Novices, however, need a clear and simple | | | | 4. Now, you will need a reliable 'hosting' company. This |
| path to follow so that they can get some experience | | | | is essentially another set of computers -'servers' - |
| behind them and the confidence to adopt the more | | | | that make your site accessible 24/7 to other |
| esoteric possibilities that abound. | | | | computer users. Monthly packages are available and |
| So, what is the first thing to do? | | | | are probably the best as you are not locked into a |
| Well, the order is debatable, but we can break the | | | | poor service for long and they have to work hard to |
| process down into just 5 Clear Steps. | | | | maintain customer satisfaction. Think around $10 a |
| 1. First, you really do need to think about what your | | | | month for this. You will then transfer your new |
| intentions are and what you hope to do online. If, for | | | | domain name to the hosting company if they are |
| example, you merely want to have your thoughts | | | | different. |
| recorded for posterity - or a group of friends, then a | | | | 5. Finally, you will 'upload' your site to your hosting |
| blog (think online diary) could well the way to start. | | | | company. This is the scariest part of all for |
| Usually free to use and maintain, they are the | | | | newcomers - I know, I was worried that if I made a |
| simplest and quickest way to begin. If you are | | | | mistake I would possibly blow-up my hosting |
| thinking of something more 'businesslike' then, read | | | | company's system when I first tried. LOL. They have |
| on. | | | | rebuilt, now, though, I hear. |
| 2. For someone hoping to operate a business or | | | | There, 5 Steps to Getting Online! Essentially, that is |
| community site -and assuming you are not an expert | | | | what it is all about. Alright. I know. The devil is in the |
| of HTML (the basic language of the web), you will | | | | details. But at least you now know what to look for. |
| need to get yourself a sensible piece of site building | | | | I wish I had understood that when I was starting |
| software. Free is possible, but be prepared for no or | | | | out. But now you do, so go to it. Good Luck. |