The most fundamental steps
A web site without a domain name is like a house without
an address. Nobody will be able to visit you and you
won't be able to get any mail; your site won't actually
exist on the web without a domain. If you want a web
site uploaded and freely available on the Internet
for everyone to see, then you will need to have what
is called a "domain name". This is the string
of characters that a user will type into her/his web
browser (Internet Explorer is currently the most common
web browser) to access a web site. It is usually prefixed
with www. An example would be www.freedomfromthenet.com.
Once you have a good domain name chosen and registered
(see below), you will need to find some virtual real-estate
to place your web site on. What this means is that,
like a house needing a plot of land to be built on,
a web site needs more than just an address, it needs
somewhere for it to reside online. This is called
web hosting. Many companies online provide web hosting
for various prices depending on certain criteria.
See below for more details.
What domain name can I choose
and where can I get one?
Choose a domain name that is easily memorable and
relevant to the content of your web site. Try to make
it short as opposed to a long name as it is more easily
remembered. Catchy and clever names are the best.
An example of a domain name would be "www.freedomfromthenet.com".
This name strikes on two levels; the first relates
to freedom found through escaping the 'net' around
our lives (i.e. the daily 9-5 slog), the second relates
to finding this freedom through a profitable Net business
(Net is short for Internet). The more memorable the
domain name, the better. Another consideration is
the extension(s) to choose. There are a limited number
of these, for example .com, .co.uk, .net etc being
the more popular (see domain
name extensions for more details). If your domain
name is available, choose as little or as many of
these as you can. Ideally you would choose all extensions
(though not all are available to the public), but
most have to be paid for (though is is not expensive).
You buy a domain name for a period of time, usually
1-2 years, after that period you will be reminded
to renew your subscription. Failure to do so will
result in it being left open for someone else to possibly
buy! There is a good chance that your domain name
may already have been registered; make amendments
to the name until you have found a suitable name that
is available. Click
here for a listing of places where you can check
and buy domain names. Again, the listing we have provided
is for your convenience, however please use any domain
name agent that you may wish to use. If you buy online,
make sure the site is secure (a yellow padlock sign
in the bottom right of the window for Internet Explorer
users) and for .co.uk domains check that it is registered
through Nominet. The cost of a domain name varies
depending on the site you are buying it from and the
extension (.com, .net etc). So when you have chosen
your name and a few possible variants in case it is
already registered, click
here for a listing of places where you can check
it is available and buy it.
Ok, I have chosen my domain
name and registered it.. what next?
You need to have your web site hosted. There are many
packages out there, tailored for the varying types
of web sites available. Click here
for a listing of recommended links to companies renting
web space and also a description of things to take
into consideration before you buy.
Back to System
Stages
