Web Basics
There’s only three basic things you need to get a website up:
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Registering your domain name. Registration is like getting your business name set up with your local government (but it’s a thousand times easier). Registration is typically separate from web hosting as web hosting and domain registration are two different services and products, but with all the recommended web hosts here, you can get both hosting and registration done at the same time, and the registration is usually free. Hosting itself is explained next. If you choose to use a registrar for your domain registration, there are a lot of registrars out there, some are really expensive and some are really cheap (and you don’t get any more benefit from the more expensive ones, or less from the cheap ones, it’s all about the same stuff in the end).
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Web Hosting: After your domain name is registered, or while it’s in the process (note: you can get hosting and the the domain name registration at the same time at most of the hosts on this site) the next step is hosting. Most people get shared hosting because it’s cheaper (and still perfectly fine) than dedicated hosting. Hosting is like renting your storefront. Your host has a bunch of servers located in a physical location on this planet. On one of those servers, in your own section, is where your files are stored — files that when viewed by a web browser (Internet Explorer, FireFox, Safari, Camino, etc.,) will be your website.
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Something to put up on your section of the server designated as your website (aka your website): The best advice is old advice: Keep It Simple (at least in the beginning). Focus on what you’ll be using your website for and and build on that. Is it to give advice, sell your services, act like a brochure so you can save some trees, sell your hand made soaps, blog about bunnies? See the article "For most individuals, businesses of all sizes, non-profits, families, moms, dads, and people with something to say, a blog is easy to use and easy to set up. Even attorneys, doctors, and other professionals can benefit from a blog driven site. Nearly all of the hosts listed on this site have one click installs of the best scripts (all free) that you can use for blogging, photo galleries, ecommerce stores, and more.
Please explore our top 10 hosting reviews. We spent a lot of time and effort reviewing the best hosting providers. What hosts have the best site builders? Which hosts offer a pro-rated refund if you cancel after their trial period? You'd be surprised on what we found out.
