How to Set Up a Website The Basics�

I'm Daniel Piechnick, a professional web designer.

I wrote this beginner's guide to help the large number of people who want to set up a website, but have absolutely no idea of what to do.

In Website Setup Guide, I show you exactly how to set up a proper, normal website with a .com (or other) domain name, from start to finish.

Creating a website and running it this way will cost you about $4-5 per month in total ( 3 if �you're in the UK). The information in this site is all free.

Thousands of people from all around the world have set up successful small business websites, personal websites, and blogs, by following these instructions. It's easy to create a website by following this guide, but if you ever get stuck, you can email me, and I'll let you know what you need to do.Setting up a website An overview�

Take note of this overview. It's important.

To set up a website, you only need to do these two things:

Sign up for website hosting, and choose a domain name (i.e. something.com). Create your website.

I will explain web hosting and creating a website to you, in the next two steps. Step 4 (Extra Information) provides lots of general information related to setting up a website, and Step 5 (Start Making Your site) covers the actual instructions you need to follow, to set up your site.

Click Here to Continue to Step 2 Web Hosting >>�

What is a domain name?

A domain name is the internet address of a website or blog. (For example, websitesetupguide.com is the domain name of this site.) You'll need to choose a domain name.

A domain name will cost around US$10-20 per year.

If you already have a domain name, that's fine. I'll tell you how to use that.Some domain name advice

Your domain name should be simple, obvious, and as short as possible. It's more important to make your domain name memorable and speakable than it is to make it accurate. Don't stuff your whole business name into your domain name. (e.g. Maude Smithers Landscaping & Gardening should use smitherslandscaping.com, not maudeslandandgdn.com) Don't use numbers or dashes (without very good reason). They look gimmicky.

What is web hosting?

Web hosting is where your website (or blog) actually sits, on a computer, in a building somewhere, when you put it on the internet. It doesn't matter where in the world you're located, or where your web hosting is located.

Web hosting (and a domain name) are the only things you have to pay for, to set up a website. Everything else can be done for free.

Likely Cost: Up to US$10 per month.My recommendation for web hosting

Choosing a web hosting provider is not easy. There's a huge number of very similar web hosts out there, and 99% of the information about them is from dishonest "review" sites.

Feel free to do your own research into web hosting, but I think you'll find it mind-boggling.

After investigating all the major hosts, reading countless discussions, and doing my own research, I've chosen to recommend HostGator for web hosting. Their prices are very good, their tech support isn't outsourced, and they just seem to be be a high-quality and ethical company. I could go into the pros and cons of different hosts, but readers of this guide typically just want me to recommend a web host to them, so I recommend HostGator.

Also, if you use HostGator, the instructions on this site will show you exactly what to do, to set up your website or blog.

Signing up with HostGator takes about ten minutes. (This is fully explained in Step 5 Start �Making Your Site, but here's a link to their site, if you want to visit them now. If you'd like a 25% discount off the price of HostGator's hosting, just type in WebsiteSetupGuide when you're asked for a coupon code, if it's not already written there.)Next step: Creating a website (or blog)

Now that you know what a domain name and web hosting are, the next step is to learn how you actually make your site.

Click here to Continue to Step 3 Website Design >>�

WordPress

WordPress is the system I recommend you use to design and manage your site (or blog). It's a very popular completely-online system that lets you build a professional-looking website and/or blog without any technical know-how. WordPress is ideal for people who know absolutely nothing about web design. You go to a "Control Panel" page on your website, and from there, you can create pages and make changes to your site.

There is no additional cost to use WordPress.

Setting up WordPress on HostGator's web hosting is very easy. Full instructions are in Step 5 (Start Making Your Site).Overview of WordPress

WordPress handles the whole technical side of your site for you. In WordPress, all you need to do is type in the text of your pages, and (if you like) add some pictures. WordPress will create the pages, apply your site's layout to them, and add a link to each one from the menu bar. If your site is a blog, you can easily make new posts. WordPress will add them to the top of the blog page for you, and manage visitor comments (if you allow comments.)

In WordPress, you don't design a layout. You just choose one. You can't edit these layouts, but you can very easily change major features, like the background colour and header picture. This makes things very easy.

WordPress operates from the internet, through your browser. Because of this, it works on any computer (PC, Mac, etc), and any browser or operating system. If you can browse the internet, you can use WordPress. It even works on smart devices (smart phones, iPhone, iPad etc.)What a WordPress Website Looks Like

This is a screenshot of a typical WordPress website, using the default TwentyEleven graphical theme. It's very simple and professional. You can change the header picture and background colour.

You can very easily choose a much fancier theme if you like. There are thousands to choose from.

+ More THEME SCREENSHOTS (CLICK here TO SHOW / HIDE)How WordPress Works

This is a screenshot of WordPress's Control Panel. You get here by clicking a little "log in" link that will be on your site, and then typing in a password.

Everything in WordPress is done from this Control Panel. At the left is a list of all the settings you can change, and things you can do. It's all very simple.Next Step: More Information

You've now read through the important steps of making a website. However, there are lots more things you might want to know about, before you start work on your site. The next section covers a variety of topics you may be interested in.

Click here to Continue to Step 4 More Information >>�

Articles & Extra InformationReady to begin making your site?

Continue to Step 5 Start Making Your Site >>�

General Information

Making Money Online The Reality� What is a Blog? Do I Need One? I Want to Make a Website that Does X. Can I? Set Up an Email Address at Your Domain Name Copyright, Privacy & Other Non-Technical Issues

Building a successful information site or blog

(An information site is any site or blog that doesn't sell anything.)

Make Money by Putting Advertising on Your Site Get Links from Other Sites Write Content

Steps to a profitable business site

(A business site is any site that's selling or promoting a product or service.)

Sell Things on Your Website (Via PayPal) Get More Visitors to Your Site by Advertising on Google Include Important "Keywords" on Your Site

Contact

Email Daniel PiechnickHelp Website Setup Guide

If you've found WSG to be a useful source of information, please help WSG, by putting a link to Website Setup Guide somewhere on your new website. This will increase WSG's ranking with Google, as well as provide a useful resource for your visitors.

Every link helps, and is appreciated.Overview

Website Setup Guide (WSG) was created and is maintained by me, Daniel Piechnick, a web designer from Adelaide, Australia.

WSG was launched on April 19th 2009, and is currently visited by thousands of people each day.

My aim with Website Setup Guide is to provide a guide that is succinct, honest, complete, and easy to follow.Statement of Principle

WSG is supported by commissions from the sale of some of the products/services recommended on the site.

You can be assured that all the information and recommendations on WSG are genuine, and that the product/service being recommended is the one that is believed to be the best value/quality by me (Daniel Piechnick.)Thanks! :)

Thank you for using Website Setup Guide. Good luck with your new website. :)

- Daniel PiechnickWebmaster