Before Beginning: Print this page so you do not have to keep skipping back to it. I will be sending you off to different places on the web.

There are four things you are going to need to make your own website:

  1. A Domain name (This is the name and address of your website) Mine is Stormthecastle.com This will cost you a few dollars. Usually about $15.
  2. An account with a web hosting company. This will cost you a monthy fee. If you shop around you can get a cost as low as $5per month..
  3. You need web design software such as Frontpage or Dreamweaver. I will lead you to a free version you can download.
  4. You will need FTP software that will allow you to upload your website and pages to your webhosting company. Note that if you use FrontPage or Dreamweaver you will not need the FTP software. These programs have the ability to do this for you. If you use the free web design software then you will need to get the FTP software. I will lead you to a site where you can get this software for free.

 1.Getting your own domain name

You probably have been thinking about a domain name. Maybe you have a few ideas for a name but you are not sure if they are already taken. Your-site.com is a great Internet Service Provider that has very low rates and they have a search tool that will help you easily find out whether the domain name you want is taken.

Click on this link and lets get started:   The Your-site web hosting company

On the very first page you see a domain name search box. Enter the name you would like to have for your website. If the name is already taken you will asked to try another name. Grab a dictionary if you need help thinking of something. Keep entering names, maybe with small variations until a name you are happy with is available. They also have a name wizard that will help you to choose a name.

 

Once you have found an available name that you like then Flux Services makes it easy to continue on with step 2.

2. Setting up your account

Your-site.com makes it very easy for you to set up your site. Once you have chosen your domain name then you can simply continue on with the process by clicking on the order-service link. They will take you quickly through the set-up process. After completing the required forms you will receive a verification email. Reply to this email. Shortly you will receive another email from Your-site with all the information you need to get your website going. Infomation like where how to find it through their servers and the password you need. This may take one or two business days. Once this is done you are now the proud owner of your very own website.

3. Software to design your site

If you already have Microsoft Front Page or Adobe Dreamweaver then you are ready to start designing your site. If you do not have this, or similar software then here is a downloadable copy of FrontPage Express. It is a freeware simplified version of Microsoft FrontPage. Go to my webpage for FrontPage Express, download the program then come right back. FrontPage Express.

4. Getting FTP Software So you can upload your website to the server at Your-Site.com

If you have FrontPage or Dreamweaver they have a command called publish which will allow you to easily publish your website to the server at Your-Site.com. If you are using FrontPage Express or some other program that doesn't have the abiliity to publish then download and use this free program.

You can get it free from Internet-Soft It is a great program, the one I use, and only a 500K download.

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TANGENTS

What is FTP Software? FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. When you surf the internet you get files from other computers and load them automatically on your computer so you can view them in your web browser. But when you are making your own website you have to upload files from your computer to the webhost computer. You do this with the FTP software. It allows you to place files on the webhost. And it is all password protected so other people can't modify your website.