| So you want to start a website? Where do you | | | | and host (install) the website with another hosting |
| start? Let me start with basics: | | | | service provider. |
| You need the following to start a website: | | | | 2. So why choose two different firms to start your |
| 1. Domain Name | | | | website? - hence in most cases you will choose a |
| 2. The Web hosting account to host (install) your | | | | hosting service provider you can also register the |
| website (the computer that will store your web | | | | domain name for your website |
| pages, HTML codes, databases if any). | | | | Note: do not let the words - web hosts, web hosting |
| 3. You need to relate your website with the Domain | | | | services, web hosting firms etc. confuse you. All of |
| Name you created in the first step. | | | | them finally point to hosting your website. |
| There are two primary types of firms in this space: | | | | So once you register with a web hosting service |
| 1. Domain registrars | | | | provider - they will provide a webhosting space for |
| 2. Web hosting service providers | | | | you to host your website and also register a domain |
| The point to note here is that most of the Hosting | | | | for you. Yes while choosing a domain name please |
| Service providers are either domain registrars | | | | ensure that you choose a name which is related to |
| themselves or they are tied up with other domain | | | | the content your website. You might need to do |
| registrars. So in most cases you just need to | | | | some trial and errors before you get the right term |
| approach a hosting service provider to register your | | | | for your domain name because in most cases the |
| domain and also to host your website. | | | | domain name that sounds good to your website |
| What is hosting a website? Consider it as a server | | | | might be already taken or locked by someone else |
| computer where your website is installed! Well, you | | | | (Yes - the domain names are unique name across the |
| surely need some space to install your website!! - | | | | internet). You can also use hyphens in your domain |
| This space is provided by the web hosting service | | | | name to help make each word in the domain name |
| provider. | | | | stand out. |
| What is registering a domain? Once your website is | | | | At this point what you do? How do you setup your |
| installed on the computer as what I mentioned | | | | website? You can use the integrated tools provided |
| above, you need a web presence - a presence in the | | | | by the web hosting service providers else use some |
| internet for people to reach you! So that web | | | | third party tools like xsitepro to build your website. |
| presence can be achieved by registering a domain | | | | Once you build your website you need to use a FTP |
| account with a registrar (in most cases the hosting | | | | tool to upload the website to the web hosting space |
| firm will do this for you for a small cost). If your web | | | | provided to you and publish the website. |
| host assists you to register your domain then in | | | | What's next? You need to register your account by |
| most cases they will also relate your domain name | | | | submitting your website's URL to major search |
| with your web hosting account. So that if someone | | | | engines like Google, yahoo and live. |
| tried to access your domain name they will be | | | | If you are looking at popularizing your website even |
| directed to the location where you have installed or | | | | more then consider registering your website with |
| hosted your website (the computer where your web | | | | alexa, registering your website with directory listing |
| pages reside). | | | | websites etc. |
| You have two options: | | | | Hope this helps the newbie's in this space. |
| 1. Register the domain name with a domain registrar | | | | |