Abstract

This article Website and blog guidelines will give you some ideas to find out how you can realize a Website or blog. I will explain what a domain name and hosting is as well as what the possibilities are to build a Website or a blog.

What is a domain name ?

Examples : google.com / amazon.fr / ebay.com / lemonde.fr

The domain name is the unique address of your Website or blog in the Internet. With this address your browser calls the Web server which delivers the content of the Web page of a Website or blog. The browser will then display the content of the Web page.

browser sends the address → www.google.com → Web server sends the page → Web page
↑                                                                                                                                            ↓
↑ ………………………..← content will be displayed in the browser ←………………………………. ↓

Free domain name

Free domain names are usually the so called “sub domain names” offered by a free hosting service. Go on reading for information about “Free hosting”.

Paid domain name

Paid domain names are available from Web hosting companies or from a registrar. The registrar is a company which manages the registration of domain names. Domains are available for 14 $ per year.

Pros and cons

• You are not the owner of a free sub domain name, as soon as you pay for a domain name, you own it

• If a free service stops its business your sub domain name will be lost irrevocably

• Some analysis tools do not work properly with sub domain names

• A domain name for your Website or blog shows that you are serious about your business, not so a sub domain name

What means hosting ?

Hosting stands for a place where your Website’s or blog’s Web pages will reside. In order to display your Web pages in a browser, they have to be on a Web server. A Web server is a computer running in a datacenter of a Web hosting company also called Web hosting provider.

Free hosting

A free hosting service offers you a place on a Web server for your Website or blog. Free hosting provides a so called “sub domain name”. This name can be like yourdomain.freehost.com. Some free hosts force you to have their advertising on your Website or blog. Free hosts have some limits on usage and generally ask you to upgrade to their premium plans, so you will probably end up with a paid hosting service.

Example : Freeserver

Paid hosting

The paid hosting service is offered by a Web hosting company. A basic package is available for 50 $ per year ! This normally includes all the necessary elements to run a nice dynamic Website or a blog. No advertising will disturb your magnificent design, nor will it slow down your Website or blog.

Example : 1 and 1  –  HostGator  –  Bluehost

Pros and cons

• Starting point
  Free hosting services are a good starting point to get familiar with Websites and blogs…
  …BUT if you are serious about your project, I recommend you strongly to seek out for paid hosting services !

• Advertising
  When you get a Website or blog hosted through a paid Web hosting service, you have the full control. It’s your decision whether you want to place advertisements or not. If you place advertisements, then the whole of the revenue generated comes to you.

• Speed
  Paid hosting services have a better speed performance than free hosting services. In addition you have more possibilities to tweak.

• Customer support
  Paid hosting services have usually a better customer support than free hosting services.

• Company stops business
  If a free hosting service stops its business, your sub domain will be lost forever. If a paid hosting service stops its business, you can change the Registrar for your domain name and upload a backup of your Website/blog to the new hosting service, so your Website/blog will run without any interruption.

Build a Website

If you decide to get a Website and you know how the design will look like, you have to choose how much time and money you will invest to realize it.

Using a free Website builder

Free Website builders typically require customers to sign up in order to have access to the online Website builder program.. This is the fastest, cheapest and easiest way to build a Website. You don’t have to code, just put the text, the pictures you want and select the colors you need. You will also get a free sub domain for your Website.

Examples : Wix  –  WordPress

Using a free WYSIWYG editor

WYSIWYG means What You See Is What You Get. A WYSIWYG editor is a program on your computer. These editors attempt to display the Web page as it will show on the browser. They are visual editors and you don’t manipulate the code directly. After having created your Website, you have to upload the Web pages on a Web server and you have to get a domain name for your Website. Of course, you can choose between a free hosting or a paid hosting service.

Examples : Dreamweaver  –  openWISIWYG

Professional Web designer

They build a Website based on your business on a solid technical basis. They have the know how to realize all of your needs, if its is necessary on a coding level. A skilled professional also looks after the environment of your Website, like the speed, security, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) as well as marketing strategies. The chosen Web hosting service and domain name is usually a paid one.

Pro and cons

• Do it yourself and free stuff is a good starting point in order to get familiar with building Websites !

• Professional Web design and development as well as the know how of the “little details” requires a good training and experiences of several years. This has NOTHING to do with “I also can build a Website”…

• Professional Web designers and developers offer also monitoring services, on this basis you can decide what to change in order to improve your Website. The service concerns basically security, speed and SEO.

Build a Blog

If you decide to get a blog and you know how the design will look like, you have to choose how much time and money you will invest to realize it.

Using a free blog builder

The free blog builder works similarly as the free Website builder. You sign up in order to have access to the online blog builder program. To build your blog, you don’t have to code ! You will get a free sub domain for your blog.

Example : Blogger  –  WordPress

Using a free CMS

CMS means Content Management System. In order to build a blog based on a CMS, you have to be able to get a domain name and your Web space on a Web server. There are hosting companies which offer domain name services as well as Web space on their Web servers. Usually hosting companies have a so called “one click installer” mechanism to install a CMS easily. Now you can build your blog online without the know how of coding, because a CMS has an integrated WYSIWYG editor.

Examples : WordPress  –  Joomla  –  Drupal

Professional blog designer

The points mentioned above for “Professional Website designer” are also valid for blogs.

Pro and cons

The points mentioned above for “Pro and cons” under “Build a Website” are also valid for blogs.

The same article in French