Introduction about how to create a website like this one

Perhaps you would like to create your own site but just don’t know how to go about it. Here I present you with a very brief guide. With this guide you get the a basic outline about how to create your own web site.

Step 1: Obtain you’re own domain name

I bought my domain name from namecheap.com . Despite the name, it’s a reputable place. The domain name for this site, newconceptzdesign.com, only cost ten dollars! Also, namecheap.com allows you to easily search for available domain names.

A second option that is easier to set up is to buy your domain name from the same site that hosts your website. I prefer not doing this. With namecheap.com, if I change to a different web hosting service, I can easily tweak my settings at namecheap.com so that when I type my url address (e.g., http://newconceptzdesign.com) the web site will now pull web pages off the new web hosting site. I like this versatility.

Step 2: Obtain a web hosting site

https://www.awardspace.com offers free space on the web to host your site! Most places will charge you $50, $100, or more per year.

And this site gives a review of yet other free web hosting services to consider: http://www.hostingadvice.com/how-to/free-web-hosting/ . Another route to consider: PC Magazine’s recommendations for low costs web hosting, along with advice on what to look for in hosting services: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2427219,00.asp .

One of PC Mag’s recommendations is inmotionhosting.com. I’ve used them in the past and I can vouch for them. This site is currently hosted by dreamhost.com. I started trying out awardspace.com. It looks like it will work fine.

Make sure to look for a web hosting service that offers WordPress (more about this later).

Note that when I signed up at awardspace.com for free space, I wasn’t asked for any credit card info or anything of the like. I would expect the same for other free hosting sites.

Step 3: Forward your domain name from namecheap.com to awardspace.com

If you chose the namecheap.com route for a domain name, then in your account at awardspace.com (or whatever service you selected), look for an icon or link for configuring domains (you have to be signed in with a password to do this). Click on it. Chose the option “Host a Domain” and enter your domain name. (All web hosting service sites are all basically the same. The nomenclature may be a bit different on each. Each site is structured a bit differently. Be prepared to fish about a bit in order to figure things out.)

Next, go namecheap.com and look for the domain name you bought and then configure it. Look for the Name Servers option, and pick Custom DNS. Enter this:

Nameserver 1: ns5.awardspace.com
Nameserver 2: ns6.awardspace.com

When you were setting things up on awardspace.com, these name would have been provided to you.

These name servers point your domain name from namecheap.com to awardspace.com. Typically 2 or 3 nameserver names are supplied. Enter all of them. Note that this process takes 1 to 24 hours for the settings to filter through the Internet. Be patient. To test if things worked or not, every so often enter your url address (e.g., http://mynewsupersite.com) into the address bar of your web browser. When you stop seeing a “Server Not Found” error message, then at that point your domain name is being recognized by the Internet.

Your space on your host site

With the effort you put in above, you now have an empty directory on your web host site. The directory name is the same as your domain name. In my case it’s name is newconceptzdesign.com . As a member of your web host service, you now have various tools to see this directory or upload files to it. We’re going to put a program called WordPress into it. With WordPress you don’t have to know any web page coding. WordPress is a free program.

If you would like to view files in you space (usually starting out empty or with a small “hello” type of the there), you can also use a program called Filezilla (or similar type program) to view it. You should be able to find password and log in information from your web host provider. Look for the keyword “ftp” to find that info on your web host’s site. (Your provider must provide an ftp service for this to work.)

Step 4: Upload to your site WordPress:

Awardspace.com has what they call a “Zacky Installer”. Go there and you’ll see an option for installing WordPress. It walks you through themes to use, plugins to install, and so forth. If you’re not sure what to install, don’t worry about it. You can change it later.

I think of working with WordPress like working with the MicroSoft’s menu system alongside MicroSoft Word. When you create web pages you drag in pictures to your page and add the text you want.

You log into a WordPress workspace like this: http://mynewsupersite.com/wp-admin

When you do this, you’ll be asked for a user name and password. Your web host may have, automatically (without humans), sent your log in name and password via an email. Different web hosts have their own way of supplying you that info. Once logged into your WordPress site as an administrator, to me it’s like working at a theater, and you’re behind the scenes where the theater equipment operates. You’ll see various menus to control your site. And from there you’ll write your web pages.

Note that I had a bit of trouble installing WordPress. I went the Settings/Reading section and fooled with settings there. But I think my real problem was that I didn’t give time for the host site system to function and set things up correctly. In the settings area I set the “static” page that is to be your home page. That seemed to work. Look through the settings area. Most settings you can leave as is.

What’s next?

Log into WordPress and poke around. I something breaks, you can go to the directory where WordPress is located, and reinstall it. That’s a drastic step, and you should never have to that. And if something breaks, how much money did you lose? Nothing.

Go to youtube.com and search for WordPress, WordPress basics, and/or WordPress tutorial. You’ll find plenty of tutorials to get you started.

Conclusion

The method above is a very easy and expensive way to get you a page on the Internet. Probably the most scary part is obtaining a domain name and getting WordPress installed. If that seems too daunting to you, then get a geek friend to help you out in this area. The hardest part is setting things up. Once that’s done, it gets much easier.