Hosting Guide for Beginners

Starting a website feels expensive and technical. It is not, if you do the steps in the right order. This guide is the order I recommend to every beginner. Step 1: Decide what the site is for. A blog, a portfolio, a small business page, or an online shop each need different things. Write one sentence: "This site helps ___ do ___." That sentence decides every later choice. Step 2: Choose a domain name. Short, easy to spell, and easy to say out loud. Prefer .com if available. Avoid numbers and double letters that confuse people. Step 3: Choose hosting — and read the renewal price. Hosting is where your site lives. For a first WordPress site, shared hosting is the normal starting point because it is the cheapest and easiest to manage. Before buying any plan, check three things on the provider's official page: (1) the introductory price, (2) the RENEWAL price after the first term, and (3) the term length — 12, 24 or 48 months changes the monthly price a lot. The cheapest firs...