Domain Name and Web Host
April 18th, 2008If you want more flexibility with your web ministry than a good option is to get your own domain name and web host. A domain name will cost you about Ten (10) dollars a year. A web host will cost you around Eighty (80) dollars a year. Having your own domain name and web host allows for more flexibility. I recommend this option as it allows you to set up an additional 24 blogs/websites for no additional money. Your Ninety (90) dollars a year gives you the option of setting up to 25 blog/websites. You also don’t have to deal with any advertising you don’t want and if you want to take advantage of advertising like Google Adsense you get the money that’s generated.
Domain Name
Let’s get a domain name. A domain name is the address of your blog/website on the Internet. You should think of a domain name that matches your site. You will then need to do a search to see if the domain name is available. I like to use www.goodnewsdomains for this.
Type in the domain name you would like in the search bar. Many domain names are already taken so will probably have to get creative. If the domain name is taken, the search results will include a list of ideas of name that are close and available. Lets try the process with “chickenwings”, and see what happens.
I doubt that chickenwings.com is going to be available, because, everybody likes chicken wings.
I thought that would happen. Not only is chickenwings.com not available, the .net, .info and .org are not available either. We did get a list of possible ideas based on our search.
There are a couple of close choices, chickenwings.ws and chickenwings.name are available. Or I could go for chickenwingssite.com or chickenwingsblog.com. See if there is an option you like or try searching for a different domain name. Once you choose a name go ahead and register it. When you are signing up for anything on the internet always write down the information you use (user name, password, etc.) because you almost always need it later.
Once you enter you name and password click Continue and you will be at the Registration and Checkout Options screen.
Follow the directions on the screen, and when you have entered all your information you will see a screen that says Thank You for your Order. Make sure you have written down all the important information. Then press Login to My Account.
Type in your Customer number and Password and hit Secure Login. The first time you do this you will get a screen asking for a Call in PIN number.
Enter in a 4 digit pin (write it down) and press Save.
Web Host
The next step is a web host. Web Hosts store your blog/website on the internet. There are a lot of web hosts choices available. I use GoodNewsDomains.com for this service as well. They have reasonable prices and a control panel that is easy to use. WordPress is also available for free for your blog. Using WordPress will make blogging a lot more enjoyable. At the GoodNewsDomains welcome screen hover the mouse on the Web Hosting button and on the drop down menu press Hosting Plans.
I suggest using the Linux server deluxe plan. The plan is usually Eight (8) or Nine (9) dollars a month. It will be money well spent.
Click on Add and then follow the directions (don’t forget to write down your user name, password, account number, etc). You will get a screen asking you to customize your order. You can always come back and upgrade later. Read through and click Continue. You might be offered a service called Website tonight. Since we are going to install WordPress you do not need Website tonight. Click Continue to Checkout. Give all the necessary payment information and you will get another Thank You for Your Order. Click on Login to My Account. Hover the mouse over Web Hosting and on the drop down menu press My Hosting Account. You will see this:
Click on Setup Account. Read the Hosting Service Agreement and click Next.
Enter a user name and password (write it down) and click Next.
Select a domain name from your list (you probably only have one) and click Next.
Go with the default setting on this screen and click Next. Review the information and click Finish.
The account is now pending setup. This normally takes anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour. Once your site is active you need to install WordPress.
Go back to the GoodNewsDomains.com site and hover your mouse over the Web Hosting button and a drop down menu will appear. Click on My Hosting Accounts.
Log in with the Customer Account number and the Password you set up when you signed up for your domain name and web hosting.
At the next screen your hosting account will be listed and there will be a link that says Open or Manage Account. Click on the link and you should see the Hosting Control Center screen.
Look for the Value Applications link and click on it.
Find the Show all applications link and click on it. Scroll down the page until you find the WordPress application.
Click on the WordPress button.
Click on the Install Now button. You will then be asked what domain you want to use. You will probably only have the one you just got to choose from. Click on the domain name and click Continue. You will then be asked for a Database description and database password.
Type in a description for your database. I suggest using use the name of your blog/website but you can call it anything. Enter a Password. Make sure you write down this information. Click Next and you will be asked to choose an install directory.
The screen will have wordpress typed in it. You need to put your cursor in the box and delete wordpress. For this installation you want that folder to be blank.
Once its blank click Next. Now enter your admin name, password, a working email address, and your blog title. You can always change the title in the future if you need to. After your title is in click Finish.
It takes a few minutes to an hour for your blog set up to be complete. You can check to see if your blog is installed by typing in your domain name in your web browser. Once its installed you will see your blog. Congratulations!
