Where to start with a website?

[Claire83]

This is embarrassing, so please hang in there while I explain.

I'm thinking of going mobile once I've completed my course so I'm thinking about researching websites and how to make them/domain names and what not.

What I am really confused about is where to start. I think I understand that my domain name, is my url but I require hosting too. Am I right?

If I was to create a website on a site such as Mr Site, Wix, Webs etc, can I move my created site to a domain I have bought from 123 instead of having to have a .webs.com address.

Does this make any sense to anyone?

Like I said, I'm not looking to do the website just yet, I just want to get a feel for what I'm needing and prices for hosting etc.

Thanks.

 

[Lynne Baker]

Buy the domain name first, and then create a website, and then point the domain name to the website. The website will need hosting, you're quite correct. If you buy a package from webs.com they will host it as part of the package.

 

[Claire83]

Thank you!! It makes sense now, it was just working out the who/what/where/when/how!

 

[Ruth Mills]

Yep, with a 123-reg domain, you can point the domain to a different host fairly easily (you either need to update DNS [domain name service] settings or nameserver settings, but your web host should be able to advise which).

Your new host will also need to configure your server to work with your domain.

But (in my opinion) 123-reg are one of the best domain name providers to go for (they are who I use personally)... although I would only initially recommend buying a domain name from them and not any extras (e.g. hosting or email), especially if you are planning on using a different host for your website anyway.

 

[Claire83]

Thanks Ruth, I think I will go with 123 for the domain name, not even thought about the rest yet. I'm sure it will all come right when I'm ready to go!

 

[steviemac]

Take a look around Claire, you should be able to get a reasonable package with domain name, hosting, email etc. for about £50 per year.
I would recommend www.blackfoot.co.uk for excellet customer service.
with 123, you need to pay extra for an email address so shop around first.

 

[Ruth Mills]

Take a look around Claire, you should be able to get a reasonable package with domain name, hosting, email etc. for about £50 per year.
I would recommend www.blackfoot.co.uk for excellet customer service.
with 123, you need to pay extra for an email address so shop around first.

I know, that's why I recommend that people don't buy email from 123-reg.

What I do is to use 123-reg's e-mail forwarding service (which doesn't cost extra) to forward the e-mail to my Linux server in Wolverhampton.

And, just for the record, these guys - Website Hosting - cPanel Shared Web Hosting - UK Web Hosting - Midlands Web Host | VeloxServ Communications - are a fair bit cheaper than Blackfoot too - if it's just bog standard web hosting that people are after...

 

[torella]

ive just bought a domain name from 123reg... was gunna do there £1.99 a month package to build a website- is this a bad idea?
If so, where else should i look? and what should i be paying?

 

[Ruth Mills]

ive just bought a domain name from 123reg... was gunna do there £1.99 a month package to build a website- is this a bad idea?
If so, where else should i look? and what should i be paying?

123-reg are great for domains, but I'd be inclined not to sign up to their website builder package unless you are able to try it out for free first. If you're feeling creative and are prepared to put the time and effort in, there are some "free" options that can be used in conjunction with 123-reg domains (so you'd just pay for the domain name, and "point" it at the free website provider) - although do bear in mind that you may end up being limited to a pre-defined set of templates, and the end result is going to be dependent upon your skill and the amount of time and effort you're prepared to put in to set up and maintain your site.

It should also be possible to use a domain you've bought via 123-reg with a professionally designed website too - again this would be question of pointing the domain name at the server used by the professional web design company.

 

[torella]

and how would i go about doing that? how much would i be looking to pay? and also how much would you charge? as i see that your highly recommended on here! xx

 

[Ruth Mills]

and how would i go about doing that? how much would i be looking to pay? and also how much would you charge? as i see that your highly recommended on here! xx

To "point" a domain bought via 123-reg to a different server or hosting provider, you'd either need to go to "Manage DNS" or "Change Nameservers" on the 123-reg control panel... your new web host should be able to explain the necessary changes you would need to make though. There's no extra charge for making those changes on 123-reg, as it's a standard part of the package they give you with every domain.

Can't mention [on this thread] how much I charge personally as that would be against the site rules on here

 

[spoilt]

oh god where do i start . i tried webs.com/ first it works SOMETIMES ... then i tried CREATE! also a free make your own web site.. it took me days hours weeks. the spelling grammar everythinh is up to yourself.... even the size and fornts anyway to cut a long story short . they were unprofessional ... i poster www.tanningbyspoilt.webs.com/ on here for feedback . hahahhahahahahha ohh did i get feedback... RUTH MILLS HAS just rescued me! very reasonable and she has her work cut out . my pages have lots in them..... i recomend this way if you want to stand out from the rest... ME im eagerly waiting my proffesional site and mean while hoping people dont pick up to much on the mistakes in my poor effort... lol:o:o

 

[Jodie]

When buying a domain name with 123-reg, ae you better off getting an ssl certificate with it? ..

 

[Ruth Mills]

When buying a domain name with 123-reg, ae you better off getting an ssl certificate with it? ..

You only need an SSL certificate if you need to provide secure access to your website, e.g. for the transfer of credit card details or other sensitive information.

Even if you are running an online shop, you don't always need an SSL certificate provided that you use a third party payment gateway for handling credit card details, e.g. PayPal, Google Checkout, SagePay etc.

If you do need an SSL certificate, then you don't have to buy it from the same company that you got your domain name from, e.g. you could buy your domain from 123-reg but buy your SSL certificate from Comodo, for example.

But I really wouldn't rush in to buying an SSL certificate unless you are completely sure that you need one - and even then, I'd recommend shopping around; you certainly don't need to buy it at the same time as you buy a domain name even if you did decide to buy it from 123-reg.

 

[Ruth Mills]

When buying a domain name with 123-reg, ae you better off getting an ssl certificate with it? ..

There are also specific technical issues to using SSL certificates that you would need to be aware of too, e.g. you can only run one secure domain name per IP address (even though you can run multiple non-secure websites with different domain names on a single IP address) - this is because of the way that the https protocol works.

Then there are different types of SSL certificates available too, so you would need to research the most appropriate one for your needs. Currently, the most expensive ones available are called "EV SSL" (extended validation); if you have one of these for your website, then the address bar goes green in Internet Explorer; there are a greater number of identity checks that need to go ahead to verify you are who you say you are before you can be issued with an EV SSL certificate though.

Then you would need to be sure that your web host supports SSL too - particularly with regards to what I've said above about needing a dedicated IP address for each secure domain name. There are also additional configuration steps required to get SSL working too, above and beyond what you need to do for a standard non-secure website.

 

[Ruth Mills]

When buying a domain name with 123-reg, ae you better off getting an ssl certificate with it? ..

Also - like domain names, SSL certificates are only issued for a limited period of time - usually a year at a time. So you'd need to pay every year to renew your SSL certificate, on top of other costs like domain name renewal, web hosting, etc.

 

[Jodie]

Thank you for your help Ruth!!

What would you suggest is the best site/company for web hosting then?

Iv just bought my domain name, so now looking at creating the website. Really i want one that as a built in website maker?? .. To make it easier to do. If you get what i mean?!

If im not making sense, please feel free to tell me to shut up lol. All this setting up a business stuff is stressing me out now! ha.

Jodie.

 

[Ruth Mills]

Thank you for your help Ruth!!

What would you suggest is the best site/company for web hosting then?

Iv just bought my domain name, so now looking at creating the website. Really i want one that as a built in website maker?? .. To make it easier to do. If you get what i mean?!

If im not making sense, please feel free to tell me to shut up lol. All this setting up a business stuff is stressing me out now! ha.

Jodie.

The "best" company for web hosting would really depend on your requirements and budget; if you're reasonably technically minded and either happy to use an "off the shelf" template or good with graphics then there are plenty of "free" options out there.

If you'd prefer a "bespoke" graphic design, yet want the ease of being able to edit the website yourself, then you'd probably want to go with a company that offers good graphic design and a "content management system" for updating your website, which would give you the control to make changes as and when you need to. Also, it's worth checking to see if the graphic designer is also able to help with things like flyers and business cards too, if you want to create a unified "brand" for your business across all media (both print and web).

In both cases, I'd recommend using the "Search" facility on here and have a look at recommendations from other salon geeks.

Hope that helps :hug: