How to start our own site?

(2002-04-14)

• 1. What all do I need to start my own site?

  2. [S V Ramu, 2002-04-14]

  3. Generally speaking, you just need some server space. That is all. Of course you must have your site content ready as HTML pages and others.

  4. [S V Ramu, 2002-04-14]

  5. But I heard that I need my own domain name?

  6. [S V Ramu, 2002-04-14]

  7. That is not a must. If you get some free server space from Yahoo Geocities or other such places, you don't need any domain name of your own. Your home page could be something like www.Geocities.com/<your Yahoo ID>. But if you want to project a professional outlook to your users, it is better that you register your own domain name, and either point that to your free server space, or get your own server space too.

  8. [S V Ramu, 2002-04-14]

  9. Is there anything wrong with free server space?

  10. [S V Ramu, 2002-04-14]

  11. Anything that is free has its own hidden price tag. One obvious problem with free server space like Geocities, is that whenever somebody visit your page, some advertisements will be displayed too by yahoo. Many people do not consider this as an hindrance, if they are hosting their page as an hobby, or as an practice, or that they want to save money. Usually these people buy their own server space, when they think that their site experience has to be bit more professional.

  12. [S V Ramu, 2002-04-14]

  13. What should I do, if I want a domain name like www.MyDomainName.com? How much does it cost? And how long will it take?

  14. [S V Ramu, 2002-04-14]

  15. There are many web sites that allows you to search for the domain name that you want, and then block it before paying money. I registered in www.net4domains.com which has its Indian office under www.net4india.com. I search for my domain, block it in the site, note down the authentication number for that purchase, and go to net4india office (please look up the address from the site) and pay the money within the same day. Very simple indeed. At present a .com, .org site cost around Rs.400/- (for a year). Usually the whole process is done within the same day. But for your name to be registered in global databases, they usually take around two days.

  16. [S V Ramu, 2002-04-14]

  17. What should I do, if I want some server space? How much does it cost? And how long will it take?

  18. [S V Ramu, 2002-04-14]

  19. You can get it from the same ISP who registers your domain name, or go to a different one. With net4india it costs around Rs.800/- (for 2mb for a year), and to globally point your domain name to the IP address of this space, it takes the usual 48 hours.

  20. [S V Ramu, 2002-04-14]

  21. Once I get my domain name and some server space, how do I get to see my web page that I have prepared?

  22. [S V Ramu, 2002-04-14]

  23. Usually the ISP vendors provide either a FTP address (IP number or some name) and password, or a HTTP based wizard. With windows, you can just use your FTP space like any other folder. Or, you can use some free FTP clients for that. All you have to do is to upload your files in the directory structure you want. Universally, a file named index.html in the root directory of your space is your home page. These details could vary between vendors. Once your home page is visible, everything else is reached from that page.

  24. [S V Ramu, 2002-04-14]

  25. Can I use a database in my web site?

  26. [S V Ramu, 2002-04-14]

  27. It depends on your vendor and the package you bought. Usually you get some database bundled with your server space. But if you want a specific software in your server side, like ASP, Oracle etc. it will cost you money. These facilities and their cost vary greatly between vendors.

  28. [S V Ramu, 2002-04-14]

  29. Do I need to register a company too?

  30. [S V Ramu, 2002-04-14]

  31. Not at all, unless you want to. If the domain name you have is that of a reputed registered company, then you might (I really don't know much here) get into trouble for cyber squatting. But these legal issues are very cumbersome, and you must get some expert opinion, if you want to be sure. Usually I guess most people do not even think about a company, if all they want is only their own home page and maybe emails.

  32. [S V Ramu, 2002-04-14]

  33. Can I have something like myname@mysite.com as my email id?

  34. [S V Ramu, 2002-04-14]

  35. You could. Again depending on your ISP vendor, you usually get around 3-10 email id free with your server space.

  36. [S V Ramu, 2002-04-14]