Have you ever thought you would like to place a website on to the internet but have no idea where to start and how to finish. Well let's run through it step by step. You will soon realize that it is not that difficult.

First off, your website needs a name and address. That name is referred to as a domain name. There is a wide assortment of online sources where you can purchase your domain name. They will guide you through the whole process. They will help you to select an available domain that is not currently in use. The name you want quite possibly is already taken so they will guide you in the selection of a domain name that closely matches the one you want. At that point they will register the name with domain authority registry.

Now you need to assign that domain name to a hosting location. This is commonly referred to as pointing your domain or assigning nameservers to that domain. To accomplish this task you will need to select the hosting company where your website will be stored and displayed on the internet. Each hosting company has addresses or so called nameservers to describe the location of your domain and in turn the website that you upload to that location.

The types of website hosting packages available today vary widely and a package is available that will satisfy any need. Someone just entering the website hosting arena will likely do just fine with a shared webhosting package. These typically include every imaginable feature a newbie could want. One fine example of a monsterhost package can be found at Hostmonster Website Hosting. They are a good suggestion for newbies simply due to simplicity. They offer one package only for all customers.

This is a very good package that satisfies most requirements for everyone from newcomer to advanced and their price is quite competitive. Many other reputable hosting providers can be found as well. Most offer several levels of hosting that are more tailored to specific needs. These would include well known names such as Yahoo and Godaddy.

You may encounter a few choices with all website hosting offers. The two most common platforms, Unix and Windows are widely available and offer various options and have differing abilities. Don't let this choice confuse you. It bears no relationship to the operating system you will be using on your computer. Your choice of platform will determine the utility and type of software that you can use. Unix Hosting allows for easier use of common programming languages such as Perl, PHP, MySQL and Python.

For most basic shared hosting; the operating system should not make a big difference. UNIX and Linux are stable and more affordable than Windows. Microsoft FrontPage is supported on the Windows OS, UNIX, and Linux.

Arguably, the best way to choose between UNIX and Windows is to look at your website publishing resources. If your website publishing resources use mostly Microsoft products, such as Access, Front Page, or VBScripts, it's probably better to stick with Windows. But, if reliability, universal compatibility, and stability are a concern, UNIX would probably be the way to go.

Features of either package will be the same and in fact the features offered by most reputable hosting providers will be very similar. Competition has closed the gap on pricing as well. Most packages offered today will allow you a free domain registration and free account setup. Other typical features usually include several email accounts, the ability to host several domains within that same account.

Many offer onsite website building software. You can use their step by step tutorials and their templates to quickly produce a very nice and professional looking website. No previous website building knowledge is required.

Most of the process is quite simple but it does revolve around one issue. If you are depending heavily on your hosting provider to step you through the whole process, it is critical that they have a reputation of good support. This can not be overstated. Support is important. You are dead in the water if you have run into obstacles and can not get help from the support people.

Again, it important to select a proven reliable website hosting provider with top notch support. This may well be the most important issue in your selection.

That should be the basics you need to know to get off and running with your website. It really will not be that difficult. Start now by selecting a hosting company and deciding on a preferred domain name. I like the monsterhost for newbies. Check them out!

By : Thomas Henricks