Having your own homepage is now considered good form, and not just for companies, media providers and authorities. More and more private individuals are also using the websites, which can be set up quickly and easily, to maintain blogs or create topic pages. But what steps are necessary to be able to run your own homepage on the Internet?
Step 1: Secure domain and hosting
First of all, you have to find a name for the site. This is the so-called domain, also known as the URL, and must be registered in your own name. You can find out whether a domain is still available at all through central registration offices and providers such as Easyname.com. Then you have to rent web space, i.e. server space, to give your own website a home. Providers have various packages available for this, which usually include the booking of one or more domains.
Step 2: Install CMS
In order to edit a homepage, an editor program is required – a content management system, or CMS for short. This is the only way to upload content, run comments and forums, and even set up entire shops. Systems that do not restrict editing of the website to just one computer, but allow editing from any Internet connection using a password, are particularly recommended. One of the most popular CMS of this type is WordPress. It can be installed on the rented web space with just a few mouse clicks – and you can start designing the homepage. To act as an interface between the computer and the web space during installation, an FTP program is recommended – such as FileZilla or Total Commander.
Step 3: Design your homepage
After installing the CMS, it is now time to give the homepage a face and add content – i.e. text, images, videos, chat rooms, etc. – to the site. The face can either be created by an experienced web designer or you can add it to the website yourself in the form of a ready-made template or theme with just a few clicks. There is now a large selection of free themes for most CMSs – but if you like, you can also purchase stylish designs from specialised template providers for little money. Once this framework is in place, text, images, etc. only need to be entered and uploaded using online or offline editor masks – and the homepage is ready.
