You'll need a web
host so the world can see your new website. Think of the web host as
the hotel where your website pages sit, and the guys in charge of it keep everything
running smoothly. They have all of the bellhops and whistles to make viewing
your website possible: the technology, servers, software and Internet connectivity.
And - they make sure all of your website files (text, graphics, sound,
support files) are good to go at the click of someone else's mouse out there on
the World Wide Web.
Your web host is the same
place where I'll be uploading new files and updates as we make changes in your
site's design. Uploading is also called FTP, or File
Transfer Protocol.
Before your new website can be visible
by its name (as in www.my-site-rocks.com), there are two things you're going to
need:
1. Own a Domain
Name 2. Domain Name Service
(also known as DNS, Domain
Name System, Domain Name Server)
DNS
is what associates your website name to the web host's server that holds your
web site (and is connected to the knee bone). The Domain Name is simply the name
of your site.
Getting started can seem overwhelming in the beginning.
I'll help simplify this and spell it out in non-techie terms because no matter
how much we may want to be, we're not all computer nerds. A lot of it is
self-explained when you sign up with your hosting plan, but it all can be confusing
when you're going through it for the first time. I understand completely
the frustration of clicking around inside the Web Hosting or Domain Name sites
and not knowing what to expect next.
When you have questions, I'm here
to help.
Once
I go live with hosting, will I still pay my Domain Name provider to hold my names?
What does it mean to have www.mysite.com "parked" at GoDaddy.com?
Having
it parked at GoDaddy (or any other Domain Name registrar) simply means it's not
being hosted on the Internet yet (not viewable); it's there waiting to be hosted
or it's in-between hosting plans at the moment.
Yes, you'll need
to pay your Domain Name Registrar (you're not bound to stay with the same provider
each year) to keep your Domain Name your own. You can pay for multiple years (up
to ten at a time) or you can pay annually. Registration for your Domain Name is
usually available for about $8 a year.
Will
I leave my Domain Name registration with GoDaddy.com? Since
my site is hosted at WebHostingBuzz.com, do I have to move the registration?
No.
You can have your domain registration with one provider and your hosting plan
with another. It's not necessary to keep them together.
INCLUDES FLASH TUTORIAL TO HELP GET YOU STARTED
These are just two examples. There are tons of
good web hosting plans out there. Try this
link to compare choices and platforms. I like to go with Unix or Linux platforms,
and always want to test run their CPanel,
or Control Panel, before buying.
What
you will need to move, unless your Domain Name Service and your Web Hosting Provider
are one in the same, are the DNS
settings for your Domain Name account.
When you sign up with (Your Choice
of Hosting Providers - we'll use WebHostingBuzz for this example)
they will give you detailed instructions about what to do next. They'll be giving
you some numbers that you copy into your GoDaddy (or your chosen Domain Name registrar's)
account. Open up your control panel at your Domain Nameserver Provider and make
the necessary changes by doing the following:
Log in with your password,
Click on Your Account, and select Manage DNS. Then you should find
(depending on which Nameserver
Provider you are using, let's go with GoDaddy for this example) something which
reads - GoDaddy Parked Nameserver, or default Nameserver. You should
see two (2) places where you will copy the new numbers provided to you
in email from your Web Hosting Provider. These new numbers will replace the numbers
currently being displayed as your DNS settings inside that control panel at your
DNS Nameserver provider. It sounds more complicated now than it will be, when
you log in. Most control panels at these providers are very intuitive and easy
to follow. It's possible that you could see more than two boxes in this area (more
blank spaces to add numbers) but only concern yourself with DNS 1 and DNS
2. Copy/paste dns19.WebHostingBuzz.com (use the numbers/name given to you
by your web hosting provider in this section, these are only examples) to
the first section and dns20.WebHostingBuzz.com (again, this number is only
used as an example, you should use the number provided to you through your Web
Host) to the other - and click okay.
You'll
receive verification from GoDaddy that someone has changed your DNS settings and
you'll be asked to reply with your nod of approval. Reply affirmative to this
letter. If you prefer for me to process this step of changing the DNS settings
for you, just send along the GoDaddy password with your web host DNS information.
It's a one time thing, as long as you stay with the same hosting provider.
The
new DNS (Domain
Name System) numbers you typed into the boxes will change the location (path)
of where web surfers will find yourwebsite.com. You've moved it to your
new hosting provider's space on the Net. It won't be "parked" anymore.
It will be sitting pretty over at Your-Web-Hosting-Provider-Guy's driveway.
And within about 3 days or less, you'll be able to see it as www.yourwebsite.com.
At first, you'll only be able to access your site through typing a certain
number in the address bar that looks something such as 66.186.218.170/essen....
Don't worry about those numbers, because they'll disappear in a few days as they
get magically changed into your unique www.website.com name (this is called
"propagation"
- it usually takes about 48 hours to propagate around the world; but some people
may see it change to the name yourwebsite.com before you do). I'll
need that strange looking number your Hosting Provider sends you though, to get
your site uploaded and in place before propagation is complete. So you'll
be forwarding me all of their info as it arrives, but hang onto all of the information
they send - you'll need it to manage your account later. You'll want to
print it and store it away someplace safe.
::What about cost and payments for
Piñata Sky design work?
I
want a website, but I'm not ready to spend a lot of money.
You
could plausibly set up low cost one-page website (less than $300 including initial setup and upload) to get your
presence on the web and we could expand on it later. As I may have mentioned
before, your www.YOU.com Domain Name is purchased separately from a Domain Name
Service (about $7 to $10 per year). And if you're having trouble coming up with
a name, I can help you with this, too. When you're ready, your name will
be there waiting for you (www.yourwebsitename.com).
I accept payments via business check, money
order and credit card payments through PayPal Secure only. To pay by credit card,
please click the button below.
PayPal no longer requires a personal PayPal account
in order to to use their services. If you do not currently have a PayPal account,
you can now remit payments using your credit card like any other secure online
purchase.
Other online payment solutions include Bill Pay from
your online banking account.
::Going Live
Once
we're done with the content, what does it take to go live? Would you mind walking
me through the process?
All
you have to do to go live with your site once the design is in place, is
to get your hosting plan. You can head to someplace such as www.findmyhosting.com
and pick one out that feels comfortable on you. I like to check the customer
comments and "assured hosting" reliability reports. A Unix or
Linux based platform should work well for you.
After you secure your
account, you can forward all of the instructions, login name, and passwords to
me and I will set you up. You'll be able to go into your Control
Panel and upload other pages later if you like, but it might be easier to
let me get the index.html page (that's the main one all the others link from)
and all of the image, sound, or Flash files up & in their right folders for
you in the beginning. I won't charge extra for that.
We don't have
to actually 'turn it on' until you're ready. If you like, I can put a "site
coming soon" place-holder at your address until you've made any last-minute
changes to your site. And don't forget, nothing is permanent if you want
it to change later.
Depending
on the content of your site, you might have changes that need to be made on calendars,
or for something as simple as a changed telephone number. My base rate for
non-artwork is $59/per hour. (Artwork and technical scripting is charged
at $59/per hour and is taxable only in Texas). It's a good idea, when possible, to bundle several administrative
or uploading tasks at once to get the most bang for your minimum
charge dollar.
The same price applies for site maintenance, specialized
research, and typing of text not presented in text-ready format for your pages.
Additional Expense Examples
I'm a writer and a proofreader by past
profession and will alert you to any spelling or grammatical problems I might
catch and deem favorable for a change. But in the end, you will be responsible
to proof and okay your final copy before we launch your site to the Net.
Can
I have a page that I can update by myself? I'm in a band and need to change the
schedule every week.
My
design is built in Dreamweaver. If you know Dreamweaver or someone familiar with
the program, tinker away!
If you're concerned about breaking the code
on your page or mild tearing out of hair, I can build a page that's separate from
the rest of your site. If the code is accidentally changed on your new page it
won't effect links throughout your website. I'll show you the ropes of editing
your changeable page via your hosted Control Panel if you need help.
Now that I have
my new website, how do people find me? Do I need to pay someone to Optimize my
site? Can I do it myself?
You
have to flirt with the search engines if you want to be seen. There's an irony
intertwined here though, because if you try too hard you won't be seen either;
rather, simply ignored. Kind of like real life, huh? There’s a whole lot of competition
out there trying to find their way to the top of the search engine ranks. If you
can think like a search engine, more precisely - think like the customer who is
searching for your product, and offer what it's looking for, your chances of being
noticed become much greater. What words might they type into a search engine to
locate your product or information? Having a brand new website is a wonderful
thing, but there’s really no point in having a pretty new dress if it never leaves
the hanger.
I will automatically build some simple elements into your
site to optimize your chances of being found in search results. There are people,
even major companies, who specialize in search engine optimization, and you might
consider relying on one or more of these options. But just a little finesse here
and there on your files can go a long way in tempting the search engine gods .
If you need help finding more information on SEO, just let me know and I will
try to point you in the right direction.
There are things you can do
on your own - I would suggest beginning by adding your URL to every legitimate
free search engine submission you can find; be certain to read the particulars
before signing on. Google,
Yahoo
and MSN
(you will find some excellent links here to learn more about successful site indexing
and ranking) are good places to start. If you have a C-Panel
hosted site, most of the work is done for you. Just login to your control
panel and click "Search Engine Submit" and you will be well on
your way.
