Every website needs three things: (1) a way to build and maintain the website content, (2) a domain name, and (3) a web hosting service. This tutorial will give you a brief overview of these components and help get you up and running with your own website even if you have no previous web-building experience.

1. Build a Website and Maintain It
In order to build a website you will need some website building software, such as: Macromedia Dreamweaver, Adobe GoLive, or Microsoft FrontPage. These programs help you to build a website without needing to know too much HTML (programming code.) Or, if your find a web host with a good site builder you can create your site online with the web host's website building software. Online site builders are usually best for small or personal sites, or websites that need to be built and posted in a hurry. If you would like a complex or custom site invest in some software. (Or pay for a web designer and they'll build a website for you!)

2. Get a Domain Name
Everywhere you look now days, TV, magazines, billboards, you will see a www.something.com. The something.com is a domain name. This is the name by which people will find your website. You have got to register a domain name before you can have a website hosted and sign up for a web host. When you register a domain name you pay a yearly fee for the amount of time you choose to register the domain. (1-10 years) After the registration year(s) is over you may renew the domain or let it expire and the name will go back into the pot of available names.

iPowerWeb will register your domain name free when you sign up for web hosting. But if you prefer to sign up for a domain name before you are ready to host a website go to GoDaddy.com. They have the cheapest prices, including $7.95 for .com names. (Some registrars will charge as much as $35.00 USD for a domain name!)

3. Get a Web Hosting Service
In order for the website you built on your home computer to be available to the entire world via the World Wide Web you need a web hosting service. The web host will allow you to upload your website files to their servers. Which are basically really big computers that will "serve" your files to anyone who requests them by typing in your website name into the web browser. The web host places your files on heavy-duty hardware that is connected 24/7 to the Internet via a very fast connection so your website is available for viewing at any time of day in any part of the world.

There are hundreds of thousands of web hosting services who, for a monthly fee, host your website files and offer other useful web site building and maintenance features. Finding the best priced web host with the right features for your website needs can be a chore with the thousands competing for business. We recommend BlueHost as an affordable ($6.95 per month) and reliable host with all the essentials and good customer service.

Easy as 123
So that's it. Building a website, registering a domain name, and signing up with a web host are the three necessary steps to getting a website online. Obviously there is a lot of hard work involved and it can be difficult for first time webmasters to find the best services, but with our hosting and domain recommendations you will be off to a great start. There has never been a better time for building a website. Good Luck!