Hosting your website is the process of getting on the world wide web. By now, you probably have a folder on your computer full of images and html pages ready for the world to see. That is where hosting comes in.

Background Information

Basically, for your site to be seen it has to have a domain name (ie. www.yournamehere.com) so that people can find it and a host (a big computer that will ’serve’ your files to the internet 24/7).

Note: If you chose to sign up for a Blogger or Wordpress account, your domain name is probably something like yourname.blogspot.com or yourname.wordpress.com. If that is the case, you are done with this step.

If not, it’s time to make a decision. You can either choose to get a free domain name (which is actually like a subdomain… ie. yourname.netfirms.com) or pay a couple bucks a year for a real domain name (ie. yourname.com). I recommend getting a paid domain name, which I explain at the link. Well, once you have your domain name it is time to host your site.

Hosting Your Site

Okay, now that you have your domain (which is used so people can access your site) it is time to host your site. This is done by registering with a hosting company such as Netfirms, GoDaddy, or a free host such as 000webhost.com.

There are free and paid hosting companies:

• Free Hosting - Usually has ads, limited resources, and frequent downtimes (meaning, your site isnt accessible). The only good FREE host I have found, and actually has NO ads is 000webhost.com. I encourage you to use this one if you are committed to keeping your costs down.
• Paid Hosting - This requires a monthly fee but you are guaranteed uptime (accessibility), tech support, and depending on your package, unlimited space and resources. If you’d like to try a paid host I recommend Netfirms or GoDaddy.

Uploading Your Files

Once you register for a hosting account and setting up your domain with your host (your hosting provider will show you how, if not, email their tech support), you can upload your site files to your hosting companies’ server. This process is done by utilizing an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) client which basically allows you to transfer files from your computer to your host’s computer.

To transfer your files you will need to download an FTP client such as FileZilla (it’s what I use) and then connect to your server by using the FTP information provided to you. You then simply upload your files into the designated folder your host determines. Simple as that.

Note: If you have any confusions about all the confusing technical stuff, contact your hosting or domain provider. They have paid tech support staff that can help you with your problems.

That’s it! Now all you have to do is make sure things are working right and then its time to start promoting your site and making money off of it!