I was doing my reservist last week.  And I got to know a couple of new friends over there who actually don’t know how to start their own websites.  They are very interested to start one, but they just couldn’t figure out how to do so.  I think I should do one back-to-basics post for you to understand.  (Do note that I have affiliated with GoDaddy and HostMonster when writing this post.)

What do you need to get started?

First of all, you need to register a domain name of your own.  This is where you can have your own name such as CharlesLau.com for myself.  A full URL link will be http://www.charleslau.com or http://charleslau.com .  I will recommend you to use GoDaddy to register all your domain names because they provide very professional service and yet extremely affordable as well.  It should cost you below US$15 per year (depending on their promotions).

Secondly, you will need a web hosting plan.  This is where your website files will reside once your visitor clicks on your URL.  I will highly recommend you to use HostMonster as a starter.   They are always costing between US$5.95 and US$6.95 per month.  And you will only have to dedicate 1 year, which I think it is just nice to try it out.

That’s all you need.  An investment of less than US$100 to try out starting a website for one year!  :)

So how to start a website with your own domain name?

Step 1: Simply do a search of your ideal domain name at GoDaddy website.  Once you have found it, get your credit card and purchase it.

Step 2: Once you have gotten a domain name and login, go to your Domain Manager found at the top left corner (as shown in the screenshot below).

Step 3: Tick on your domain name, and click on “Nameservers” (as shown in the screenshot below).

Step 4: A pop-up will be shown.  Just fill in the two nameserver addresses as follows:

Step 5: You are done with GoDaddy.  Now, work on your web hosting plan with HostMonster.  Start purchasing a plan with them, and log into your account.  It’s advisable to get their free domain name as the name of your control panel for internal usage.

Step 6: Look for this link “Addon Domains”.  Click on it.

Step 7: Fill in your domain name and get yourself started!

You are done!

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