If you want to set up a website yourself there are three basic requirements to get your site up and running. You’re going to need the following;

• A domain name. Such as gdswebdesign.co.uk or bbc.co.uk.
• A host. This is where all the pages of your website will live.
• A website. This is the collection of pages, files and images that are linked together to form your website.

Domain names.

Choosing a domain name is an important part of developing your online presence. It’s worth spending some time thinking about the name you want to give to your domain. Registering your domain name typically starts at around £5 a year.

Here are some tips to get you started.

• Keywords. Have a short list of phrases or words that describe the business you are in.
• Unique. You’ll be competing with more established websites so you need to make your name stand out from the crowd.
• Choose the right suffix. This is the .com or the .co.uk. part of your websites address. If your customers are all in the UK then choose a .co.uk address, if you trade worldwide then .com is best.
• Keep it short. This makes it easier to remember.
• Easy to type. Avoid words that are difficult to type correctly.
• Make it memorable. Try to avoid using hyphens and numbers.
• Deliver on your name. When someone hears about your domain they should have a good idea of what they’re going to find when they visit your website. For example www.autotrader.com you know what this website is about instantly. Of course www.amazon.com has nothing to do with the amazon so needed far more branding and advertising to achieve the level of dominance it enjoys today.

There are plenty of companies that will register your domain name for you. One company is www.123reg.co.uk head over there and try out some of your domain name ideas.

A Host.

This is rented space on a hosting company’s server. These are basically “always on” computers that are home to your website.

There are many hosting companies available – and choosing one can be difficult. A simple brochure style website needs far fewer resources than say a fully featured e-commerce store. If you find a website similar to how you’d like yours you can always ask them about which hosting company they use.

At GDS Web design we don’t act as an agent for any hosting companies as we prefer to choose the host depending on the websites requirements. We’ve arranged hosting for clients with Chichester and Bognor Regis based businesses from a little as £5 a month.

A website.

Once your website is ready its uploaded to the hosting company’s server and is now accessible to anyone with internet access.

This article is only intended as a brief guide to the process of publishing a website. GDS Web Design usually do this as part of their web design process, call us on 07857643387 or send an email to gary@gdswebdesign.co.uk to find out how we can get your business online.