How do I purchase a domain name and set up a hosting provider?

You've worked hard and are ready to upload your site to the internet. 🤔 How do you do that?

There are a few steps involved but don't worry; this is definitely in your wheelhouse. To claim your own space on the internet you'll:

Purchase a domain name
Sign up for web hosting with a hosting provider
Download an FTP client
Transfer your site to your hosting provider

Something to keep in mind is that every web host is just a little bit different. Taking a look at your web host's documentation is a great way to make sure that you have the most up-to-date information. And if you get stuck, try contacting their Live Chat. Since they know their servers best, they can often be super helpful. And you can usually receive a transcript after the call.

Domain Name

The first thing you need to do is register a domain name. This can be fun…and a little daunting! What name do you want? And what’s available?

Your domain name is your site’s name on the internet. Our domain name is Skillcrush.com. What will yours be?

There are tons of domain providers out there. Web hosts like Peopleshost, Dreamhost, and Siteground allow you to get your domain name and hosting in one place, smoothing the process. Or you can choose from companies like NameCheap and PorkBun. Pick a provider and do a little searching and tweaking until you find a name you like. And then grab it! That’s your spot on the internet!

When purchasing a domain name, you might consider domain name privacy. If someone looks up your domain name on WhoIs.com, they'll see the domain provider's info instead of yours.

Hosting Provider

Now it’s time to do a little price comparison and figure out your hosting provider. A hosting provider is a company that runs the web server where your web files will be hosted. Right now your web files are hosted locally on your computer, but you need to host them on a web server so they can get out of your computer and into the world!

Hosting providers typically offer similar pricing options. The one you choose is up to you! There are a few add-ons you might take a look at like an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate. Many web hosts offer free ones through Let's Encrypt. (GoDaddy does not.)

When you choose which plan to sign up for, don't choose the option that automatically loads WordPress onto your site. If you decide to upload a WordPress site in the future, you can update your hosting service. If you plan to take the Skillcrush WordPress courses, see this Skillcrush FAQ about WordPress hosting plans for additional things you should consider before purchasing hosting.

Download an FTP Client

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol, a way to transfer your web files to a web server. An FTP client is a piece of software that connects your computer to a web server. While some hosts offer a web FTP option (connecting via the browser), we recommend getting yourself an FTP client so you can set up connections for multiple sites (your own and/or your clients). Most hosting providers will also offer a more secure SFTP connection option that encrypts the connection between your computer and the FTP server.

There are a number of FTP clients to choose from, some free and some paid, and they all essentially work the same way. Two great free and cross-platform (Mac and Windows) FTP Clients are:

Upload Your Site Files via FTP

This is the last step! Once you do this, you will have a site that’s live on the internet!

Remember, each hosting provider is a little different. Taking a look at their documentation first is a great way to start. Here are links to some of the web hosts students frequently use:

Any time you use an FTP client, you’ll need three things:

Hostname (also called a host or server domain)
Username
Password
You may also need the port number

Your username and password are usually the same ones you use to access your web hosting account. These credentials are sent to you by your web host when you sign up for hosting. Your hostname or server domain is a separate domain set up by your hosting provider. If you don’t know your web host’s domain, just ask them!

Using an FTP client is very similar to logging into any site on the internet. Instead of navigating to a site, you'll add the server name/host you want to connect to. Then you'll use your username and password to log in. (You may also need to add the port number.)

Where to add your credentials on FileZilla:

Where to add your credentials on Cyberduck:

Once you're logged into your server, you'll navigate to where you'll add the files on your web host. Inside the web folder named for your website domain, you'll find a public_html folder. (Some hosts, such as DreamHost, use a folder named after your domain that you should upload your site files to instead.) The public_html folder (or domain name folder) will take the place of your local project folder. It's where your local files will be moved to.

Next, you'll use the FTP client to navigate to the local project folder on your computer. You should see the files and folders that are inside of your project folder.

Now you just need to drag and drop your website files into the public_html folder (or domain name folder). 🙌

TO RECAP, HERE ARE THE STEPS YOU NEED TO FOLLOW:

Get yourself an FTP client like Filezilla or Cyberduck.
Go to your hosting provider and get your SFTP hostname/server domain, username, and password. This information is usually stored under Users, but ask your hosting provider if you can’t find it.
Log in via your FTP client and open up the folder for your domain name. Look for the public_html folder (or domain name folder if you're using DreamHost).
Navigate to your local project folder. You should see the files and folders that are inside of the project folder.
Drag and drop the content that is inside your project folder into the public_html folder in your FTP client window.

Then, go to your URL and open your site!

Congratulations! YOU DID IT!!