RIGHT UP TOP let's acknowledge that this is a collection of absolute basics. It can serve as a starting point for people whose business is so small they can't afford an outside person to take care of their website. If you're going to DIY, this page can help. If you can afford to hire a web person, this page might help you understand some of the language.
To have a presence on the internet, you need three separate things: 1) a domain name, 2) access to a server that's hooked to the internet, and 3) the software necessary to build pages and move them from your desktop computer to the server.
1. Domain Name: This is your "Dot Com" name, also called a URL (uniform resource locator). You can acquire a domain name through a registrar, a company that is licensed to sell you one. Like anything else for sale, the price varies depending on which supplier you use. There are companies that will sell you a domain name at a premium price, and there are discounters who will sell you the exact same thing for a fraction of the cost. A discounter like Name Bargain can walk you through the steps for buying a low-cost, no frills URL. A supplier like Register.com can sell you a URL plus more admin options. Once you own a URL, you can upgrade the options or move it to another registrar. KEY POINT: Make no mistake. A domain name is property. And like any valuable business property, you should keep a paper file somewhere safe with everything the registrar sends you. Even if you don't understand the words, keep them for future reference. EXAMPLE: Right after you acquire part 2 below, you'll need to go back to your registrar, log into your account, and change the DNS info on your domain name.
2. Access to a server that's hooked to the internet: To have a website that's visible to your customers, you need to rent space on a server that is part of the internet. Yes, your desktop computer is "hooked to the internet" in a sense. But this is different. Commonly, this specialized service is known as "hosting" a website, so the suppliers you'll be looking at will be offering "hosting packages." Again, there are lots of pricing options. Usually, the least expensive package is more than you'll need to get started. If you just want a website, you don't need to sign up for a "dedicated server" and you do not need to become a "reseller." Just get a hosting package. Two good suppliers are WestHost and Rochen. KEY POINT: After you sign up for your server space, you'll receive a very important e-mail from the company that will be hosting your website. Just like the e-mail from the registrar, you'll want to save that for future reference. In that e-mail will be something about the "DNS Info" which you'll need. DNS stands for "domain name server" and it's the system that permits someone to type in your domain name on any computer in the world and wind up on your website. More important, it's how search engines will one day send traffic to your site. The registrar you used in Part 1 has set the DNS Info to their default name server. You need to log back in to your account with the registrar and change the DNS Info or settings to the ones supplied by the hosting company. When that's complete, you have both a domain and a place for it to live. Now all you need is something to put up there for all the world to see.
3. Software to Build Your Website and Upload the Pages: Get this picture in your mind - You build a website, page by page, on your desktop or laptop computer. Then you upload the pages to the server (Part 2, above). Depending on the type of software you're using to build those pages, the picture outlined above is not always accurate, technically speaking. But it's true in this important way: there are two sides to the site-building process and a sort of bridge between them. There are local files (or "unpublished" files), and there are remote files (the ones that are live on the server for everyone to see). Between the two kinds of files there is a separate mechanism that moves the files from one side to the other. You need software to build local files and you need software to transfer those files to the remote server.
SOLUTION #1: Blog Software - If you're trying to hold down costs, you can't beat this. You get all the software you need to accomplish Part 3 at a cost of FREE. Both Word Press and Joomla are two solutions that will allow you to build entire websites from your desktop without having to invest in an HTML editor or an FTP program. That said, hear this: FREE doesn't mean it won't cost you time. You will have to go through a learning curve to produce a website that looks and acts the way you want it to. Of the two, Word Press is the more intuitive and more widely used. Joomla has more bells and whistles. Many hosting packages have Word Press or Joomla available right there on the package you buy, and they offer support that will walk you through the installation. Hosting companies are NOT help desks for Word Press or Joomla, but there is a lot of help out there on the internet. Even if you go this route, you'll probably need some kind of graphics software (see below).
SOLUTION #2: Graphics Software, HTML Editors, and FTP Software - A graphics program will help you manipulate photos and create the artwork (logos, backgrounds, etc.) you'll need to generate visual impact. HTML editors help you generate the computer code you'll need to tie artwork and text together so that web browsers—like Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari—will be able to display it as a page on your website. FTP (file transfer protocol) programs enable you to move files from your computer to the server where your website lives. It's the FTP program that lets you change your website anytime, day or night. You can post new pages or revise existing pages by "overwriting" the code that was already there. The price of software that will do these jobs runs from FREE into thousands of dollars. Take graphics programs as an example. You can find everything from Gimp (free) to Photoshop (not free). You can find powerful, highly intuitive programs like Xara Extreme for a moderate price. Likewise for the other components you'll need. CoffeeCup is an example of a free HTML editor, and an industry standard like Dreamweaver now comes from Adobe for a hefty price. FTP software runs from FREE (like Smart FTP) to modest investments like WS_FTP Pro.
