G'day DP I have decided that I am going to take the plunge, and have a go at setting up a website myself, the only thing is, I have no idea where to start. From doing research, I have decided that I want to set it up through Word Press, as it appears to be quite cost effective and allows me to manage it myself. I know that I need to purchase a domain name, and that i need to arrange hostage, however I am just struggling to understand the entire process. If anyone can provide me with any guidance, or a step by step guide as to what i need to do, or a link to a free ebook or thread that explains the process, it would be much appreciated. Listed below is a summary of the things I am struggling with. What Do I do First? Do I buy my domain name? Or do i buy hostage? Or do i set up my Word Press account? Domain Name: I know i need to buy a domain name, but where is the best place to purchase it from, and how do i link it to my Wordpress? Hostage: Where is the best place to get hostage and how do i go about linking it up to my domain / wordpress? Control Panel: Do i need to purchase control panel? Does it come with my Hostage depending on who i go with? Site Development: What application do i use to design my wordpress site and make the updates? Do I make changes and that through Wordpress, or do I do it through something like Control Panel, or do i have to purchase another application? Bearing in mind that I dont know a lot about HTML code. Any advice that you can provide would be much appreciated as I am struggling a bit to put everything together. Cheers Jake
I can help you out here. Tell me though, what is the nature of your website? I say this because although you'll have to make sure you're W3 Compliant (sometimes a tedious process) to get the same SEO benefits a class A CMS like WordPress offers, a static page might be better suited to 1: Your learning curve 2: your content offering and 3: Your overall experience. What kind of site are you running? This will determine your hosting, the need for 3rd party control panel softwares, free or commercial, dedicated or shared hosting. Etcetera. Some more information about what you intend to offer, assuming is branded to you, would really help to get you running faster.
Register your domain with namecheap, godaddy, or some other domain register. Find a host that has Fantastico in their control panel for an easy installation of wordpress, eg. hostmonster, lunarpages, hostgator, or many other hosts (find one you like).
Thanks for your advice Micksss Unfunded, thank you for your post. At this stage, I am looking to set up a website that I can use to advertise my services. I hope to provide people services such as providing quality feedback on their website, and idea that they can use to improve their website's look and functions, drive more traffic to their site, help out with odd jobs for people who own websites etc. For example, i have been helping out a couple of people from forums doing various things, providing quality feedback on their sites, making quality posts on their forums to drive traffic etc I have been helping people out for a pretty cheap fee, basically whatever they want to pay, providing it is realistic. So i thought, while I am doing this, I might try and set up a website, so that when i help someone out, i can do it under the name of my website. By driving traffic to my website, it could help me get more exposure and pick up more odd jobs around the place, while making my services look more professional. I see it partly working like a website, that pretty much just states the purpose of my services, and lists what i can do for people. I then hope to also use the site like a blog, so that I can make updates, show people what i have done recently as an example for what i might be able to do to them. As for experience, i have managed a couple of sites previously, but i havent actually set them up from scratch, so that is why i am a bit rusty. I know a little about HTML, but not enough to start a site up from scratch using it. I know the basics of purchasing a domain name, hostage, wordpress etc, but once again, I am just struggling to put it all together. Cheers Jake
For domains use namecheap.com For hosting use asmallorange.com For wordpress advice see the wordpress site If you need any further info, add me to MSN. Thanks
First you buy your domain name. Then get some hosting. When you have hosting they will send you the details of your nameservers. Now go back to where you bought your domain and in your account change to your new nameservers. Then go to http://yoursite.com/cpanel and install Wordpress from fantastico. By the way, great to see another Aussie!
This site is pretty much what you are looking for: http://internet-starter-guide.com it walks you through all steps and also the wordpress setup.
I will build a website suited for your needs, Private/Corporate - doesn't matter, Fast delivery - within a week Price: $200 for 15 webpages. $350 for 30 webpages. Minimum price - $200 Thank you!
it's not spamming, it's advertising, I'm offering an easier solution, of course one could go with a DIY solution such as 1. get host 2. build website 3. upload website 4. do the SEO Kel, there you go! happy?
Thank you for all your help. With my first site, i went down the path of hiring someone to develop it, however in the end, i found that it was quite an expense, and it made it difficult for me to recoup my costs, as they were so high. This time, I have a bit more experience, so i thought i would have a go myself, to save money and to learn. However it is becoming a bit overwhelming, and at stages, i think about just throwing in the towel and paying someone to do it for me. Thanks for your help Kel. I have been doing some research and at this stage i am leaning to buying a domain and getting hostage through hostagegator, however some people tell me that i should be going through bluehost, where they look after your hostage and provide you with a free domain name, however I am struggling to determine which is best for me. I also want to try and have some control over my site. I look at some of the wordpress templates, and they look rigid. What is the best and easiest option, if you want to personalise your wordpress? I dont have a lot of technical ability, such as html coding etc. Thanks heaps for your help. Cheers Jake
YA the hostage stuff is best suited for counter strike and other FPS multiplayer games like that. Sorry to trash the thread but even i am considering similar stuff. I have decided on going solo without cash. I am in process of setting up a blog and then once you are able to drive traffic to your blog you can drive traffic to your site too. I am a bit scared about taking the plunge as I havn't made a web 2.0 site or maintained it before. I would be watching this thread and am currently searching this forum for similar ones hoping to find a formula that worked for everyone. Will try and not trash it next time . Good luck.
[QUOTE Thanks for your help Kel. I have been doing some research and at this stage i am leaning to buying a domain and getting hostage through hostagegator, however some people tell me that i should be going through bluehost, where they look after your hostage and provide you with a free domain name, however I am struggling to determine which is best for me. I also want to try and have some control over my site. I look at some of the wordpress templates, and they look rigid. What is the best and easiest option, if you want to personalise your wordpress? I dont have a lot of technical ability, such as html coding etc. [/QUOTE] do you mean hostgator? If you do both hostgator and bluehost have fantastico which makes installing wordpress a breeze. last time i tried hostgator phone tech support was good. with wp you are able to use your own header graphic. if you do go the html route kompozer.net, nvu, etc. have wysiwyg editors that don't require html knowledge. or dreamweaver and webexpression for commercial software.
Yes, many people make that mistake. I'm a software engineer and website developer, but I don't just go around recommending that someone hire my services, or the services of other developers. If a person has an idea for something complicated, or out of the ordinary that requires a custom database, then yes, I say "let's talk." Otherwise, go with a "canned" service. There are many, many hosting companies that provide inexpensive "all-in-one" solutions that work for 90% of people who want to start from scratch and don't have much experience. Those solutions include hosting, a website builder so you can edit your site's content at any time, etc. Google for those hosts, read this thread and others in Digital Point. You can find a solution for your needs for anywhere from $5 - $50 per month, depending on your needs (closer to the low end for what you describe). Good luck!
using wordpress for a first website is a good idea, it is very easy to update your content ... and you can download different set themes... and edit them
Or would it be worth trying blogger to start with? Just to get a feel for things? They're so easy to set up, and you can buy your own domain for the blog, although you won't have as much control over it as the WP option. Don't want it all to get too overwhelming!
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"What Do I do First? Do I buy my domain name? Or do i buy hostage? Or do i set up my Word Press account?" Buy your OWN name first. Lock that in now.