Do you want your own website? Of course you do. Whether you have a growing business, are trying to establish a brand or just want to have a presence on the Web, a quality website is essential. To the uninitiated, though, building your own website may seem just as daunting as building a house. It doesn’t have to be, though. Here are some tips on how to start a website.
How to Start a Website: Get a Domain Name
You may not be able to judge a book by its cover, but first impressions mean a lot. The first experience most people will have with your website is hearing your domain name. Try to choose a domain name that is distinctive, easy to remember and easy to spell. You should also try to think of a domain name that clearly says what you do. WeSellHinges.com is a good domain name for a hinge-selling company. SwingingAids.com is not. Once you’ve chosen your domain name, you’ll need to register it. GoDaddy is probably the most popular domain name registrar today, but ICANN, NetworkSolutions and others are also available. 
How to Start a Website: Hosting
Once you have settled on a domain name, you’ll need someone to do your web hosting. You have some choices when it comes to web hosting, so you don’t want to make this decision lightly. Whichever company you go with, you’ll probably want to start with a shared hosting plan. These plans only cost a few dollars a month because you share room on a server with others. There is no overlap between the sites. The other entities on the server you share space with do not have access to your site. As you get more advanced, you may want a plan that gives you more control of the server.
How to Start a Website: Design
You can get a professional to design your site or you can design it yourself. There are a number of programs, such as DreamWeaver, that you can use to create websites. When creating your website, try to think about appearance, functionality and ease of use. It is best when people want to come to your website and stay there. The design is where you start to make that all happen.
How to Start a Website: Get a Domain Name
You may not be able to judge a book by its cover, but first impressions mean a lot. The first experience most people will have with your website is hearing your domain name. Try to choose a domain name that is distinctive, easy to remember and easy to spell. You should also try to think of a domain name that clearly says what you do. WeSellHinges.com is a good domain name for a hinge-selling company. SwingingAids.com is not. Once you’ve chosen your domain name, you’ll need to register it. GoDaddy is probably the most popular domain name registrar today, but ICANN, NetworkSolutions and others are also available.
How to Start a Website: Hosting
Once you have settled on a domain name, you’ll need someone to do your web hosting. You have some choices when it comes to web hosting, so you don’t want to make this decision lightly. Whichever company you go with, you’ll probably want to start with a shared hosting plan. These plans only cost a few dollars a month because you share room on a server with others. There is no overlap between the sites. The other entities on the server you share space with do not have access to your site. As you get more advanced, you may want a plan that gives you more control of the server.
How to Start a Website: Design
You can get a professional to design your site or you can design it yourself. There are a number of programs, such as DreamWeaver, that you can use to create websites. When creating your website, try to think about appearance, functionality and ease of use. It is best when people want to come to your website and stay there. The design is where you start to make that all happen.
