Web Site 101 - How to get a web site online

So you would like to get your web site online, the World Wide Web, the Internet or cyberspace. There are many names for it but the Internet is the most common name for the space we have all grown to know as a vast resource for information, entertainment and frustration. Getting a web presence online can be broken down into three basic elements presented in the following article.

I. A Domain Name or Web Address
II. The Web Site Design, Content and Programming
III. Hosting Your Web Site

A Domain Name
Assuming you already have an idea or concept that you are looking to share with the rest of the world, the first thing that is required to put a web site online is a domain name. Registering a domain name is basically leasing that name through a Registrar for a designated period of time, usually a year. Registrars are companies that sell domain names and offer a variety of additional services at different prices. The more additional services such as phone support, DNS Hosting and email addresses will increase the yearly registration fees. Some examples of registrars are NetworkSolutions.com and Register.com. Your Domain name is what comes after the http:// and is also sometimes referred to as a URL or “Uniform Resource Locator”.

The Web Site Content and Design
The web site content and design itself is the next piece of the puzzle you will need to get your ideas on the web. Web site content is built on a programming language called HTML, which is an acronym for “Hypertext Markup Language”. This is a standard language that web browsers recognize and interpret into graphics, text and images. As a result, a web page is rendered. You will need either find a web site designer or design the web pages yourself. Finding a web site designer is not an easy task since there are many choices amongst designers of varying skill level, cost and expertise. The second option is to design the web pages yourself, utilizing a variety of text based editors and WYSIWYG Design software. WYSIWYG is an acronym for “What You See Is What You Get” site design. These applications allow individuals with no programming or design experience to lay out simple or highly complex web site designs. Some examples of these types of applications are Macromedia Dreamweaver, Microsoft Front Page and Adobe Go Live. Or, you could hire a design company like Studio3xd to design your site quickly, affordably and professionally.

Hosting your Web Site
The Final piece that is needed is a Hosting Provider. A hosting company provides a pre-determined amount of space on their servers that are connected 24 hours a day and 365 days a year to the Internet. You are basically renting space from this company for a monthly or yearly fee. The monthly fees depend on the quality of the service, features and type of content being hosted. An example of a Web Hosting provider would be 3xdHosting.com.

Michael J. Klug
Technology Editor
3xdPress
Design: Studio3xd.com
Hosting: 3xdHosting