There are a lot of reasons to start a website. Maybe you want to share something about yourself, maybe you want to market and/or sell a new gadget to the world, or maybe you just want to do it because all your friends have. Whatever your reason, you've decided it's time to join the 21st century and I'm here to help.
When it comes to starting your first website the biggest problem is not knowing where to start. There is a lot of information out there and a lot of it is filled with tech savvy words and acronyms, which can be a bit overwhelming if you don't know what they mean. Unfortunately, there is no way around some of the terminology so I'll do what I can to keep it simple and explain what stuff really means.
You probably want to start out by asking yourself what your budget is going to be. You don't have to spend a lot of money on your website, in fact you can even do it for free (if your needs are modest and you are flexible on the domain name, that's the name you type into the browser window to arrive at your page. ex. http://www.google.com). At the bottom of the page I've provided some links to hosts (websites that offer Internet space for the use of people like you and me) who have free plans available. There are some downsides to using them but they can also be a great place to start and learn. Check out my article on free web hosting to learn more.
For those who have decided a free site just won't meet their needs, you should be prepared to spend anywhere from about $7.00 per month up to around $22.00 per month. Why the wide variance? Well it comes down to the services you need and the length of commitment you are willing to make. Fees are almost always due in advance and for the best rates you'll need to be prepared to pay for a year or more in advance.
