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Setting up a Web Site
1. Register a Domain Name
You’ll seem more professional as www.lincolnrealty.com than www.webhost.net/site~1234. It’s okay to register a domain name before you need a web site, especially if you think someone else might want the same name. It’s easy to register a domain. Just go to the home page of register.com, godaddy.com or some other web hosting company. Look for something like “register a domain name.” You’ll type in the domain name you want, and in a few seconds, you’ll know whether or not it’s still available (stick with traditional .com or .org; otherwise people might not remember your web address). If the domain name is available, you’ll pay a yearly fee (maybe $100) and maybe a small monthly "parking" charge for the domain name. Hint: the process is much simpler if you register the domain name with the same company who will host the site (see Section 2).
2. Set up Hosting
You will also need to set up a "hosting" account when you're ready to have a web site. For less than $10 a month, a hosting company will store and "serve" your web site to internet viewers. If you have a large site with lots of graphics, you might pay more for hosting. It's easiest (but not necessary) to set up your hosting with the same company where you registered the domain name. You will probably also want a plan that offers domain email like samsmith@yourcompany.com. Sometimes this is included with a hosting account.
3. Create Your Site
You can either build your own site from scratch, have a designer do it, or build it online. Some web hosting companies like register.com have hosting plans where you can build your own site using their pre-fab templates, including e-commerce sites. For do-it-yourselfers, there are several software programs for creating basic web sites. In most cases you just type your text on the page, then add borders, backgrounds, graphics and photos if you like. The software does all the HTML coding and manages the site for you. Most pros use Dreamweaver to build web sites, but it's pricey and it's rather overwhelming, so it's not be the best choice for a beginner. Also get yourself a good book about web design for beginners.
4. Upload the Site
Ready to go live? Your hosting company will give you passwords and tell you how to load your web site files onto their server (it’s easy!). They will also tell you how to set up your domain email accounts like sallystern@mycompany.com.
Related Article: Making the Most of Your Web Site
Related Article: Should You Have a Web Site?
