Last Updated on Saturday, 24 July 2010 22:37
Bascially, there are three steps you need to follow to have your own website.
First, make sure the domain name you want (www.mywebsitename.com) is available. If it is, buy it. If you are buying the .com name, consider buying the .org and .net names as well. That way, nobody can invade your space and tarnish your name.
There are a number of places that sell domain names, but I only use one - it's easy to use and they are quite inexpensive. Namecheap.com They frequently offer coupons such as a 10% discount on your first year. Just do a Google search for "namecheap coupon."
Note: Some webhosts (see below) offer you a "free" domain name when you purchase your hosting package. The problem comes when your year of hosting is up - they charge you more than it costs to buy it yourself, and to get the domain name transferred to you is a pain in the neck. If that company goes belly-up, they take your domain name with them and you have to fight to get it back from them, if you can.
My advice is to just purchase the name yourself so you avoid the headaches of wrestling the name away from your webhost. Own it from the beginning.
Second, find a "webhosting" service. Basically, it's someone who offers a 24/7/365 computer where you save your website, so that the whole world has access to it.
I've had my website for a number of years now, and I've had a few different webhosts. While all of them have done well, I can only really recommend three.
I'm starting to host some sites. I have a hosting site at livingwaterhost.com, but don't have any plans available yet. It's my spare time project, but don't have any spare time right now. If you'd like to host your site with me, please
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and we'll work something out. By hosting your site with me, you are also making it possible for a number of Scripture promotion organizations to have a website for free.
Third, create your content. You'll want to answer the questions "Who, What, When, Where, and Why" and also provide a way for your visitor to contact you.
If you plan to have a website with more than a few pages, consider using Joomla! It's a content management system that makes managing a larger site very easy. Most webhosts offer it for free with their hosting package, and installing it takes three clicks.
Read more about Joomla! by clicking here.
I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have. Just send me a note via the "contact" link on our site.
I also serve as webmaster for a number of Christian Peruvian organizations. If you'd like to donate to help pay for their webhosting, please contact me. Click to see their sites: www.atekperu.org, www.aidiaperu.org, and www.elarcafam.org
I'm the webmaster for two sites for Latin Americans who are using audio and video to promote the Bible in minority languages. They are "members only" sites, but you can take a peek at the "doorway" if you're interested: Narizdigital and Narizvideo
