Having a website allows you to reach a wide audience of people from anywhere in the world. A website is great for businesses and companies, blogs, photo galleries or simply personal use. However, putting your ideas onto the Internet itself can seem challenging since there is seemingly a lot to do before you can even start uploading your website's files. In reality, getting your website posted online is rather simple, and takes just a bit of research to find out what works best for you.
Instructions
1. Prepare your website for the Internet. This just means making sure all your pages and images work so you can upload them right away once you find your hosting and domain. You can test your Web pages and view them just as you would online by opening them in a browser and seeing how they look.
2. Purchase your Web hosting after deciding which host you would like to use. The Web host is where you will upload all your files and images. There are many factors to consider when choosing a Web host, such as uptime, reliability, customer service, price, and how much you get. If you don't want to buy hosting, there are many free hosts out there as well.
3. Buy a domain through a domain registrar. If you're interested in purchasing a domain (for example, "www.mysitename.com"), you'll need to select a domain registrar on top of your Web host. Sometimes you can buy domain and Web hosting from the same company, but if you don't, it's still easy to link your two accounts together when you are finished.
4. Log in to both accounts once you have purchased both your domain and your Web hosting. From your Web host, you will need to find your name servers. These are typically listed in your host's control panel. Once you have found your name servers, log in to your domain registrar and edit the settings of the domain you have just purchased. Change the names of the current name servers to those you just found on your Web host, then save your changes. This essentially points any user who types in your domain name to your Web host and website.
5. Log in to your Web host's control panel and open the file manager. Under the main directory, often the "www" folder, upload all of your Web page files and images, being careful to keep them in their respective directories. For example, if you have an "images" folder with the rest of your files, create a folder named "images" in that directory, then upload all of that folder's contents inside that folder, not with the rest of your files.
6. Test your website by typing in its domain name in your address bar just as you would any other website. If everything has worked correctly, you will be taken to your website and be able to browse it freely. This also means that anyone who types in your domain will also see it.
