It is crucial to have an online presence, and having a website can be a beneficial choice for establishing or enhancing your presence on the internet amidst various options available today.
I will outline the essential steps and information required for you to start hosting a website, from selecting a domain to choosing the best hosting service. This will help you share your ideas and business online efficiently.
Shall we begin?
1. Purchase a domain
The initial step in hosting a website involves obtaining a personalized domain, which serves as a distinct and exclusive web address. This domain is essential for individuals to locate the website online and typically follows a format like mysite.com.br.
If you have a domain, you can move on without registering one. Otherwise, you will have to go through the domain registration process, choosing from various options like .com, .com.br, and .org. In Brazil, the preferred choice is typically .com.br, accounting for about 92% of national domains and is generally the recommended option.
You have the option to register a national domain (ending with .br) either through the Registry.br or a web hosting provider. Registering through the Registry.br means you won’t be tied to a hosting company. However, signing up with a hosting provider also has its perks, such as the convenience of having everything in one place and possibly getting the first year of domain registration for free.
See our article on the distinctions between signing up with the Registry or a hosting company if you are uncertain.
If you wish to register a global domain like .com, you must go through a hosting provider as the Registry.br does not provide this service. Look into various cost-effective companies to register your domain and benefit from savings. 🙂
Select a website hosting service.
Choosing a web hosting company is essential for publishing a website. The domain only provides the address, while hosting stores all website files for access worldwide. Hosting is like the “home” of your site.
When selecting accommodation, there are several inquiries to consider, such as determining the ideal hosting for your website and exploring alternative methods for publishing a website. These questions are crucial and warrant careful consideration. Let’s assist you in addressing them promptly.
Selecting the hosting type for the website
Shared hosting is a common and affordable type of accommodation for websites, suitable for most websites and blogs. It is cost-effective and can support new projects effectively for a long time.
For websites and blogs with high traffic, virtual stores, and other demanding applications, more advanced hosting options like private virtual servers (VPS), cloud hosting, and dedicated servers may be necessary. These options cater to websites or applications with specific resource requirements.
Hosting resale is another option for web professionals who want to sell hosting services to their clients.
Several companies provide specialized services for WordPress websites, known as WordPress Hosting, with varying prices and features. Shared hostings are generally compatible with WordPress, but WordPress Hosting offers exclusive features for this widely used system in website and blog creation.
Instances where a website may not need hosting
This article explains the fundamental procedures for website hosting. In certain instances, hosting may not be necessary, such as with site creators like Wix, which are user-friendly tools that allow individuals to create and publish websites without technical expertise. Site creators operate directly on the browser without requiring any software installation, as hosting is already integrated within the service.
Website builders like Blogger and WordPress, along with certain e-commerce platforms, already provide hosting services within their packages, eliminating the need for separate accommodation.
Before selecting a hosting service, it is crucial to assess and select the appropriate platform for building your website. This way, you can narrow down the range of options available for hosting a website.
Create a website and make it public
After learning about domain and hosting, it’s essential to consider the entire project when creating a website.
- If you lack technical expertise, you can build a website or blog independently using a user-friendly tool such as a website builder (including WordPress.com, which operates similarly).
- If you possess technical expertise, you can build your website or blog independently using platforms like WordPress or other CMS options such as Magento and Joomla.
- If you choose to have someone else build the website for you, they can help select the appropriate tool based on your project requirements. WordPress is often the preferred choice for its flexibility.
Here are the distinctions between WordPress that can be installed on any web hosting and WordPress.com, a service provided by the platform’s creators.
Creating a website and making it available online.
Website creators typically provide hosting as part of their service, allowing users to experiment with building and publishing their sites before committing to a platform. It’s advisable to test out different platforms before making a final decision.
Prior to that, it is beneficial to create a fundamental plan for the website you intend to develop and the content you will feature. This will significantly streamline the site creation process, irrespective of the platform used.
After designing and launching the website, sharing it online is just the initial step. However, this is not the final stage. In fact, publishing marks the start of the process. Websites need to be regularly maintained and updated with fresh content to engage and draw in new audiences.
Publishing a website on a web hosting service
Regardless of the hosting service used for contracted websites, instructions for accessing the control panel and hosting server are typically provided. Many companies offer comprehensive guides on hosting websites, which help users get closer to publishing their own site.
Follow the provided guidelines to connect your domain and prepare your website for publishing. Files can be uploaded to the server using the file manager or FTP/SFTP programs if needed. Advanced users can also utilize SSH connection. Site publication may need additional server settings based on the chosen technology. Your hosting company is available to address any questions and assist with this process.
When opting to build a WordPress website, you will require it to be installed on your hosting platform. Most hosting providers offer a free automatic installer for this purpose, although manual installation of WordPress is also feasible.
Summary of hosting a website
The fundamental procedures for hosting a website have been outlined.
- Register a website domain.
- Select a website hosting provider (or a service that comes with hosting included).
- Build and launch the website.
Additional configurations may be necessary in certain situations, such as directing the domain to the hosting service. Hosting companies typically offer detailed guides and technical assistance to aid customers with this setup.
Now that you have learned how to host a website, take pleasure in discovering our team’s top picks for accommodation.
If you have any more inquiries about hosting a website, feel free to leave a comment on this post for assistance! 😉
Article first released on 10/08/2013 and revised on 15/06/2023.
Publication date: June 15, 2023
Tutorials are tagged.
