Simply put, Web hosting refers to a service that makes your website available to visitors on the Internet. Your website will be ‘hosted’ on a server accessible to anyone around the world. Your web host will be your websites home in a sense and will load when someone goes to your domain name.
In order for your website to be online you need to choose a web hosting provider. Your web host will host your website, emails, databases and also give you tools to manage your online presence.
It’s important to choose a good web host as your websites availability depends on the reliability of your web hosting provider. If your web hosts server goes down your website and email will go down as well. Your web hosts servers are generally secure and maintained so you can focus on your business not the hosting.
Web hosting prices can range from a few dollar a month and go up substantially however most websites are hosted on what’s called ‘shared hosting’ which simply means your website is hosted on a server with other websites and customers. This is very common and if you’re new to website hosting then you’ll want to look at a shared hosting plan which will help keep your budget in place and still give you a reliable platform for hosting your website.
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Similar to phone numbers, a domain name helps to give every website on the Internet a memorable and easy-to-spell address. For example: www.yourwebsite.com is a domain name.
You can purchase a domain name for around $15/yr and you will own the domain name. You can purchase a domain name from almost all web hosting companies. Most hosting providers offer a free domain name with the purchase of a hosting plan on an annual billing cycle or higher.
When choosing a domain name you want to keep it short and relevant to your website. Your domain name is essentially the gateway to your website and business so choosing the right domain from the start should be a priority.
There are many domain extensions you can choose from but the most popular is a .com extension. If you’re running a business website it is wise to buy the .com, .net and .org domains. That way you own the most popular extensions and can capture visitors who type those alternate extensions as well.
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Building a website these days requires little to no technical experience. There are many free scripts or pre-designed templates you can use to create a website. Most web hosting providers also offer free website builders that are point-and-click making life easier for newbies alike.
To start off plan out what type of website you are trying to build. For example if you are trying to make a blog then using a free script such as WordPress is a great idea. WordPress is simply a free open source software that allows you to build a website/blog with an easy to use admin panel. You can manage your entire website using WordPress with no technical skills required.
If you’re trying to build an e-commerce store there are options such as ZenCart and PrestaShop. Similar to WordPress these are scripts that come with everything you need to launch your online store. They allow you to showcase your products and take payments with ease, all while managing your store from a simple admin panel.
Lastly you can opt to use a website builder. Ask your hosting company if they offer a point-and-click website builder and if they offer free templates. Using a site builder is a great way to design your first website, give it a shot!
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