Welcome to the Web - Rocketface(R) Workshop Webmaster's Tutorial - "How to Design a Website"

Picking a Web Host
Finding the right home for your website

What is a Web Host

Web Hosting is the storage of your website or home page on the internet so that others can see it and interact with it. It is important to find a high quality, dependable Web Host that can publish your website and provide you with an easy to use interface (i.e. connection) with their server.

Be sure that they provide 24/7 support. You should be able to contact them anytime day or night. You should be able to maintain your website whenever it is most convenient for you, not for them.
Don't sign-up for more than you need. Start with the cheapest plan and work your way up if necessary. Often web hosting companies try to get you to subscribe to more services than needed and of course this will needlessly increase your expenses.
Do not transfer your domain name registration to them. If you do then they will have full rights to the name and you will have no further say in the matter. The domain name will belong to them not you. Should you want to change web hosts in the future you will have to change your domain name and lose those visitors who have come to know you by it.

Free vs Private Web Hosting

There are two ways to host a website. You can use a free web hosting company or a private one that charges a fee. The difference is that a free web host will require you to have some form of advertising on your site, such as a banner or pop-up window over which you have little or no control. Whereas a private web hosting plan puts the controls in your hands.

Free Web Hosting

The free services also limit the amount of memory space available to you as well as impose many restrictions as to file sizes, types, etc.. For a business site this can pose problems but a personal site might use this service quite well as long as you are not seeking much exposure.

Also, the search engines tend to rank free websites rather low. It is difficult to obtain a good ranking on the major search engines with a web address that is several layers deep. Such an example would be, www.freehost.com/id number/your website. Your website is not an upper level address but a second or third level one. This makes it difficult for the search engine spyders to find you.

Selecting a free web host

Be careful in your selection of a free hosting provider. Each has their own way of doing things. Some will plaster ads all over your site which can be a great distraction to your visitors. Others will have slow uploading speed and/or very little bandwidth and storage.

Also, the tools they provide for your site maintenance may not be user friendly. If you intend to publish your first website this can make your job more difficult. These are some of the things you need to check out before you sign-up.

Private Web Hosting

Private hosting services charge a fee for their services but afford a greater range of freedom for the webmaster. The amount of storage space and website support is limited only by your pocketbook.

However, these services vary widely in the fees that they charge and the quality of their services. You need to do some shopping around if you a looking for the best value.

One of the most important things about the web host that you select is its reputation. If they host spammer sites and other questionable customers your standing in search engine results can suffer right along with theirs.

Go to an independent web host ranking service such as Webhostingratings and do some homework. You will not be sorry that you did.

Starting a Website

Understanding the Basics of Owning Your Own Website

Even in this day of technology there are some people who do not understand the fundamentals of owning their own website.

Registering Your Domain Name

Registering a domain name is a quick process that often seems complex. It is far easier than most general web surfers suspect.

How to Choose the Right Domain Name

Your domain name will be your “Internet identity,” so it will be helpful if it closely matches the name of your business, product, or service.

What Do I Need in a Web Hosting Package?

If you are buying web hosting for the first time, you may have some questions about what you need and what you don't.

10 Key Tips on Choosing the Best Hosting Package for You

The overall "tip" here is that you need to get accurate information to make comparisons among hosts.

Don't Get Burned By Web Designers

If you bring up the subject of web design with small business people, it wouldn't take long to find someone who has been burned by a web designer.

Types of Websites

There are several types of websites on the Internet each specializing in a particular service or use.

Website Goals

No matter how great the graphics might be or the navigation scheme or the flowery words, the success of your website will depend on how concisely, clearly and effectively you present your ideas.

Designing Web Pages

Designing good webpages begins with good webpage layouts. Good webpage layout is not rocket science.

Your Website from the Ground Up in 10 Steps

So, you have finally decided to build yourself a website, but really have no idea where to start. The following 10 steps will give you some insight into what you need to address when creating a search friendly website from the ground up.

Promoting Your New Website

If your new website has not been properly optimized for the search engines, then this is a necessary first step you must take.