What You Need To Know BEFORE You Get Started Online
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So the first step in getting your own website online 100% clear of any free service is to get hosting and a domain name. If you are looking for free ways to get a website online, check out my other article, but i really suggest getting out on your own. There are so many obvious advantages to it, the most important of which is being free from someone else’s advertising and having your own little spot on the internet with your domain name!
BUT! Like everything else with us entrepreneurs, we like to have a little bit of info before we dive into something. Just so you know, this article was written with that in mind and aimed at the technical skill level of your great grandpa who has trouble even setting the timer on the microwave. If it’s a little below you, not to worry, it gets better near the bottom. So make the plunge, dive in, and read on.
So what exactly is a domain name?
A Domain Name is the name you type into your browser’s address bar to navigate to a website, usually beginning with “www” which stands for “World Wide Web”. An example of this would be www.webvitals.com or www.google.com. Domain names can end in a variety of extensions, not just “.COM”; They can be anything from “.ORG” for organizations to “.NET’ or “.BIZ”, there are too many to list.
Your site needs a domain name so that your potential customers or clients can find you on the web easily. Most Domain Names should either be your business name, or be related to your target audience and search terms in some way, it really does depend on who you are trying to attract to your site. I does however have an impact on your search engine ranking though
What exactly is web hosting?
Web Hosting is a service that allows your website to be put online for the world to see. Without Hosting, only you would be able to view your site on your local computer. When you sign up for a Hosting service and upload your site, anyone with an internet connection can visit your business online. In the case of a content management platform like Joomla or Wordpress (see Picking Your Platform for more info) you also need hosting to upload and run the startup files, which in turn still does the same thing – it gets you online.
When you create a hosting account, you get a lot more then just web hosting though. Most of the time you get MySql databases, FTP access, your own custom email (yourname@yourwebsite.com) and sometimes you even get cool gifts like 100$ of Google Adwords credit.
Ok, so how do I get started?
Well I highly suggest that you get hosting and register your domain name from the same place…I have a lot of clients who like to register a ton of domain names and have them all at random places, IE. Whoever shows up first on Google that day. This is a very bad practice. Pick a host you like, and do everything with them…Not only is it cleaner, but you don’t have to remember what is registered where…PLUS when it comes time to put up that website, you have to do a lot less potentially confusing work (for newbies) to point the domain over from another place.
SO…ranting aside, don’t have multiple accounts. Pick one and stick with them. Register both your domain AND hosting there.
To get started you need to get a hosting account. If you start with the hosting account, most of the time the host will ask you to enter your first domain name (at least i know Host Gator does). So the first step is to sign up for hosting.
Great! What do you recommend?
I recommend that you do your own research first and foremost. The internet is a big scary place, but nothing helps you get familiar with something more then exploring it.
If you want my personal oppinion, I like Host Gator, just because they have pretty cheap plans and how many domains you can host on one plan is UNLIMITED, and I have a lot of websites.
If you want to take my word for it, just click the image below (will open in a new tab):
Just an FYI, that’s an affiliate link (meaning I get a percentage of the sale). Just wanted to be upfront about it with you guys! No shady business here, as I wouldn’t recommend them if I didn’t legitimately like their plans and services. Here are some coupon codes to save you some cash though!
Enter one of these codes when signing up for a discount! Coupon Code Benefit webvitals10 $9.95 off any plan webvitals25 25% off any plan
Some last minute tips:
- - Don’t ever pay more then 10$ to register a domain name
- - Make sure you are going to the source. There are a lot of “Reseller Plans” that basically just inflate prices as the middle man
- - You don’t need all of the bells and whistles.
So, if you are ready to get your sit or business online, but are still a bit worried about the details, read “Picking Your Platform – Whats Best For Your Business?“, if you already know what type of site you need to put up, continue on reading “I have hosting, now what? That will walk you through setting up FTP Access.
Comment below! Let me know if you found this helpful.
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[...] and from there, you should be all set! Don’t have a hosting account yet? Not a problem! See What You Need To Know Before You Get Started Online for some great [...]
[...] If you don’t yet have a wordpress blog or site, you may want to see How To Set Up WordPress With HostGator, or if you don’t even have hosting yet, you may want to check out What You Need To Know BEFORE You Get Started Online. [...]