This will be part one of a three part series. I have just created my first site and thought that the readers of this blog would like to know how I did it. It is not an easy task for a beginning webmaster, but I’m here to guide you.

1. Choosing a domain name
First things first… we cant’ build a web site without registering a domain name. The first step to registering a domain name is to sit down at the keyboard and brainstorm. Just start writing every name down that you think pertains to your site. You’ll get a lot of bad ones (trust me), and a few good. Well good news… You only need one!

Alright, so you’ve found that one Super-Can’t Miss-Outstanding-Creative-Brilliant name that you want to register for your domain! Way to go! Now for the bad news, make sure and circle about 10 more because that one is probably taken (it’s ok to bang your head on the keyboard now). You can see if a site is registered by check out www.whois.com or www.domainsearch.com. Check these sites to make sure that your domain name isn’t registered. Once you have found a domain name, it’s time for the next step!

2. Registering Your Domain
Alright, you’ve found a domain that isn’t taken. Although it was the 14th choice on your list, it’s still available. Now what?

Well now you have to register your domain. You can register your domain at any number of places. Most domain registrations will be less than $15 a year. When you register your domain, don’t forget to sign up for hosting. Pick a hosting plan that is right for you (price, storage space, transfer, etc.). The most popular choice for domain registration and hosting is…

Go Daddy is also the host that we use here at One Mans Goal. Highly recommended for it’s ease of use, and affordability. After you sign up your account should be ready within 24 hours (If you plan on blogging, make sure to set your server on Linux instead of Windows, it doesn’t matter what Operating System you are running). Mine took 4-5 hours. Then you’ll be ready for the next step!

3. Install Blogging Software
If you decide to use Go Daddy then installation couldn’t be easier. Go to your account and select hosting options… select “content”… and then click the “metropolis” tab. Next you it will take you to all sorts of applications that you can apply to your site. Find the link for Wordpress and click it. Install! It’s that easy, they install it for you and it should be ready within an hour or two.

If you decide against Wordpress (the most common) blogging software. You have other options, including… Blogger, Moveable Type, Joomla, etc.

If you use a different hosting option than Go Daddy, you can still install blogging software… To install wordpress go to WORDPRESS. Just sign up for a free account, and follow their installation instructions. It is much easier to just choose Go Daddy and let them do it for you!

That’s it for today. We’ll get a little more complicated with the lesson tomorrow. Tomorrow we’ll learn how to FIND A TEMPLATE, USE FTP SOFTWARE, and CUSTOMIZE YOUR TEMPLATE!

Check back for more…

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Next: Pt. 2–>

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