How to Build a Website

This series of articles (videos coming eventually) is intended to get you up and running on setting up your own website.

It's not a how-to on setting up a webserver in your living room. Instead we'll be using someone else's computers, the web hosting service's, and put our site on their hardware.

My bias: I like to keep things simple. I'm not a pro designer and I don't get paid to build sexy sites for people. Unix Tools (this site) and Wordpress blogs are about as complicated as I get. So if you're looking for a high end discussion of web site design, or how to build the next Amazon.com... well, I suggest browsing Amazon.com's book selection.

I haven't tried all of the site builders or blogging platforms that are out there. So these articles will be based around what I have had experience with. It will certainly be enough to get you started, though. Eventually I'll have videos up which will walk you through every procedure that I write about.

What I will show you is everything from getting a domain name, FTPing stuff, putting up your first blog, and so on. I will make plenty of product recommendations, some free and some paid, and some of those will be affiliate links (meaning that I get paid if you buy the product.)

Did I leave anything out or not answer your site building questions? Hit the contact page and send me a note. Heck, if what I write here helps you out then let me know! This section is moving to the blog, so you can leave a comment there, if you like.

Now you need to ask yourself some questions (Or answer mine:)

I'll assume that you haven't put up a website before, or tried and had problems. If it's old hat to you then you might find some of my comments interesting or completely at odds with your experience. Especially if you build those big sexy sites (no, I'm not talking about those sites) or use different tools.

Update: The entirety of this section is moving to the blog, which you will find here: How to Build a Website

• Do you want/need to go 100% free or can you afford a few bucks a month for hosting and a domain name? If you're not sure then check out our free hosting Vs. paid hosting page.
  
  
• To blog or not to blog, that really is a questions these days. Blogs range from teenage diaries to serious, professional sites. If you're not sure about blogs take a look at How to Start a Blog.
  
  
• Do you want to build the site yourself? Muck with the code? Or just write and let the software handle the code? I prefer the later these days, though I used to do all the code by hand. It got complicated and I got lazy. This site is done entirely with XsitePro. A similar solution is Site Rubix, though XSP is what I use. Any HTML/CSS coding that I might happen to do, which is pretty rare these days, is done with Dreamweaver.

So what do you want to do? All the articles are below:

• Free Website Hosting or Paid?
  
  We all want to limit our costs and free web hosting has some appeal, but you give up a lot...
• How to Create a Domain Name
  
  People say all the good names are taken. Wrong. Youi just need some creativity. Here are some tips to help you get a good domain name.
• How to Buy a Domain Name
  
  You're not really buying that domain name, you're renting it, and here's a step by step guide on getting yours.
• How to Buy Web Site Domain Hosting
  
  Buying webhosting is easy. Just follow a couple of steps and your site will have a new home.
• How to Start a Blog
• Definitions
• Bandwidth Explained
• Related Website Building Links
• Alternatives to Domains and Hosting
• Reviews