Help with my website/blog?

[Bitsy]

Hi,

I have decided that now is really the time to make myself a (monetized) website and I have been asking all over for help, first for someone to make a blog for me, but now I give up and I'm just asking for help at all. I essentially have the entire website, all its sections planned out already, I chose a WordPress theme that requires a lot of tweaking to make the site how I want it.

I did everything on paper, is there anyone at all who could take me step-by-step through all the things I need to do to realize my website on the Internet? I'm talking from scratch, I know absolutely nothing about what to do. I just have everything on paper, and I don't know even step 1 after that for how to make it into a website on the Internet.

Is there anyone with the patience to help me?

Thanks.
Lucia

[prasunsen]

If you have no experience at all, you'd better try with hosting a test blog on blogger or wordpress. Just go there, sign up and read the help.

If you insist on having your own domain from the beginning, you need the following:

1. Domain and web host
2. FTP program and very basic knowledge how to manage with the host's control panel

Good luck

[Restrikted]

I'm not sure how much you know about coding, but you might want to start with some html tutorials just to get a feel for it, then css, then php/mysql. It's really not hard to get started, but to realize your ideas, you need a lot of practice to figure out how to get things just the way you like them.

[Marth]

Originally Posted by Bitsy

I did everything on paper, is there anyone at all who could take me step-by-step through all the things I need to do to realize my website on the Internet? I'm talking from scratch, I know absolutely nothing about what to do. I just have everything on paper, and I don't know even step 1 after that for how to make it into a website on the Internet.

Is there anyone with the patience to help me?

Thanks.
Lucia

I am not familiar with wordpress but I'm sure they are step by step. Learning curve for websites is difficult, there was no one to teach me, so I feel obligated.
1) Know the URL name you want. You want an easy to remember, roll off the tongue, spelled like it sounds .com

There's 2 ways to go from here. SBI!(299$ with step by step help with lots of helpful steps & less nerve racking) or the classic buy domain&hosting account(~$10 + ~$8/month) For SBI! click here & read steve's article on SBI

Here's instructions for classic:
1) go to Complete Web Solutions: domains, hosting, site builders and SSL., check the availability of your URL & make sure its not in use, otherwise find one that is.

2) buy both the domain & hosting account.

3) your ftp(where you move your files onto website) should be ready. Type ftp.(yourwebsite.com) & enter your hosting account's Username/password that you made.

4) open notepad, type home, & save it as "index.html"

5) move index.html into the ftp, you now have a homepage & website!

[Dan.Linehan]

Hi Lucia, I can help if needed. Let me know!

[Bitsy]

Hi!

Thanks a lot you guys!

I checked a few of my chosen names and the best ones were still available. It's only $10/year?? I think I can afford that, even without a job.

I got lost in Steve's SBI articles. I don't know if that is the best thing for this particular project. It would sure be nice to make a lot of money (esp since I quit my job), but I'm not doing this particular project to make money, that is secondary. The primary purpose is to make a place for my self-expression and some of my interests and to share those things, and also add interests as I figure out how to transfer them to the net. I hope I could make a certain amount of money eventually with that, but I can't see myself ever doing something with the primary goal and motivation being to make money. SBI seems to be geared only towards people who are making sites for the sole purpose of making money. I don't know if my site will fit into the requirements of a website/blog-website, it doesn't seem like it will, which figures, since nothing else I do fits into the pre-established required categories.

Marth, I was looking up some webhosts, like Dreamhost. That page you gave me a link to where I pay $10 a year and buy the domain name I choose, is that site a webhost? Or what is that? Is a webhost something different? If I buy a hosting account, does that mean I don't have to pay a monthly fee for a webhost?

[Marth]

Originally Posted by Bitsy

SBI seems to be geared only towards people who are making sites for the sole purpose of making money.

Although I haven't used SBI yet, I think its main goal is to provide you tools to have a high traffic website, to reach a larger audience.

I don't know if my site will fit into the requirements of a website/blog-website, it doesn't seem like it will, which figures, since nothing else I do fits into the pre-established required categories.

well you haven't given any specifics yet, so I can't help you out there.

Marth, I was looking up some webhosts, like Dreamhost.

personally have only have used godaddy.

That page you gave me a link to where I pay $10 a year and buy the domain name I choose, is that site a webhost? Or what is that? Is a webhost something different?

well from the godaddy.com you can buy a URL & a hosting account. The $10/year fee is for the URL. The hosting account is bought seperately & is required for actually hosting your website, all the files, website stats, etc.

If I buy a hosting account, does that mean I don't have to pay a monthly fee for a webhost?

The URL fee & the hosting account fee is all you need for a website on the internet. The hosting account would be the monthly fee and is generally ~$8 a month. You should see the option to buy it while buying your domain name. Don't get lured in by all those added fees godaddy likes to put in. Once you have bought your hosting account. I think you have to create a user/pass for the account. This user/pass will be entered when you go to ftp.(yoursite.com); your folder for your website.

[Bitsy]

Ah, now I remember where I saw DreamHost and some other webhosts. WordPress › PHP / MySQL Web Hosting DreamHost was recommended on WordPress. I think I ought to choose one of the webhosts that is recommended for use with WordPress. So I understand now that once I have those things, I can install WordPress...wonder what a TB is...

Anyway, it doesn't seem like you can buy a hosting account with these other webhosts.

[Dan.Linehan]

Yep, definitely use Dreamhost. They rock.

Go to: https://signup.dreamhost.com/
Select pay yearly, for $119.40.
Use coupon code "MDDR" for $97 off.
Pick the domain you want and leave all other options set their defaults.

Hosting means online webspace. Domains are just a name to point to your webspace.

This setup will give you a domain and a full year of hosting for $22.

After the first year your domain will need to be renewed. This will be $10. Hosting (renting the web space) will be $5.95 / month. So, after the first year (which is $22 total because of the coupon code) the cost will be $6.50 / month for your domain and hosting.

[Marth]

I read on these forums a person has had hosting problems aka they stopped hosting the site for an hour+ a day. But you've had no problems Dan?

[Dan.Linehan]

I've had lots of problems like that with 1and1 - none with Dreamhost so far.

[SeanFu]

You can use a hosting company such as Lunarpages, which if you go into your host account panel and select the fantastico option, they have an automated up-to-date wordpress installation, which also includes a 1-click upgrade for future upgrades. There's a bunch of 1-click installs (joomla, forums, etc..etc) with that too.

As for the new blogger who doesn't know much about coding, I would do one of the following..

A) use a pre-designed template.
B) hire a site designer.
C) find a template style that you like and download it. Don't use that template, but rather see how it works and functions.. then based on that design your own template.

[dave marshall]

Hi Bitsy,

click the link in my signaure -free website builder- and have a look, this is the easiest way I know to get on the web. It is a little more than 10 dollars but very much worth a look for someone new website production.

cheers

Dave

[jpmcgrew]

Originally Posted by dave marshall

Hi Bitsy,

click the link in my signaure -free website builder- and have a look, this is the easiest way I know to get on the web. It is a little more than 10 dollars but very much worth a look for someone new website production.

cheers

Dave

That link appears to be down. I'd like to look over that site too, is there any other way to access it?

[Bitsy]

The link didn't work for me either.

It looks like my website project is getting put off again for something more urgent. Thanks to everyone for their help and suggestions. I hope you're all still around when this urgent thing is over . Maybe by then I could take a course in web design though.

Maybe the SBI thing would be ok, although I'm not trying to sell any product. Anyway, I have to deal with my current crisis first.

[Dan.Linehan]

Good luck on your emergency, Bitsy!