Starting a website can be very simple. There are essentially just three main components to every website.
- Domain Name
- Web Hosting
- Website Development
Domain Name
A domain name is an address that visitors use to view your website on the web. When starting a website, it's important to find a good domain name that represents your brand or business. Domain names are typically sold annually and can be renewed prior to expiration.
Web Hosting
After you have a domain name registered, the next step is to get a web hosting package. At AhostPal, we recommend starting with the Basic hosting plan and upgrading later if you find it necessary.
Of course, if you need custom software or packages that aren't offered in the Basic Plan environment (such as live video streaming), a VPS or Dedicated Server might be a better option.
Once your hosting plan is purchased, your domain will be pointed to your web hosting account by changing the name servers for that domain name, and any visitors to your domain will be able to view the website hosted at your web hosting provider.
Website Development
A website is usually a file that is coded with HTML to display text, images, videos and other multimiedia elements. There are many ways to build a website. While it is possible to create a website using a text editor like Notepad, for beginners, it's usually best to use software geared for web development. You can download free software for creating a website such as KompoZer or use AhostPal's free sitebuilder.
Programming languages like PHP, Ruby, Python, Perl and ASP.net can also be used to create dynamic web sites. Fortunately there are many different open-source, web-based applications which use these languages and don't require much programming experience such as:
- WordPress
- Drupal
- Joomla
