We start with a basic assumption that you know what website you are going to build. Put in other words, you must have already figured out whether you want to create an article directory or whether you are going to create a technology blog or whether your website will speak only and only about cats. Once you know and have the answer to ‘what’, you can start thinking of ‘How’. There are two questions you will face:
- How does a website work?
- How to build a website?
The first question is important and we need to start by understanding how a website works as that will give you the platform for building a website. Let us begin:
What is a website?
A website is a place where you put up some information. Alternately, it is a place from where you sell your product. So, it is actually a warehouse of information or products on sale. Thus, it is comparable to a warehouse in real world.
What is a domain name?
For a moment, let us forget about Internet and think of a warehouse in real world where a company has stocked some products and selling directly from the warehouse. You want to buy the product. So, logically, you need to physically visit the warehouse. For that, you need to know the exact location or address of the warehouse. In the world of Internet, a domain name is the address of a website without which, no one can locate a website. You need to buy a domain name. Make sure that the domain name reflects the nature of the business and it is not too long or too short. It must be easy to remember.
What is server space?
In the real world scenario, the warehouse we spoke of actually needs a plot of land to stand on. It cannot float in air. In the same way, the website you want to build needs a place to stand. For that, you will need to buy some space. This is called server space. If you think your website will grow exponentially over time, you will need unlimited server space. So, buy your server space wisely.
Selecting the host
Where do you buy your domain name and server space from? You buy it from a hosting service provider. Most hosting service providers will provide:
- Server space registration on a monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annual subscription.
- Most of them will provide unlimited space but some may not.
- Most hosts will offer 1-year-free domain registration for anyone opting for annual server space subscription.
A rule of thumb while selecting a host is to find out the number of years it has been in service. The longer, the better! If you are in confusion, search with Google with the phrase – ‘best hosting service’ and look for discussion forums. That’s where you will find honest opinions of real users. Select the one that is trusted by most of the forum members!