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Harness your Inner Webmaster -- Create a Website!

Published in The Aggie on November 07, 2006

Does your Facebook profile look particularly insignificant lately? Do you need more space than what MySpace.com provides? Try following these steps and break free from the confines of a mere “profile” with your very own website.

Sign up for a Web hosting service

First, you will need a Web host to store your files online. For personal sites, look for at least 100 megabytes of storage and a generous bandwidth quota. Expect to pay about $10 a month for hosting. Free hosts are available, but these services usually have low storage and bandwidth, file restrictions, limited tech support, and ads.

Register a domain name

Once you have your Web host, you'll need to register a domain name for your website (some hosting services also register domain names.) Your domain name can be almost anything, as long as no one else has claimed it, and registering it is relatively cheap – about $10 a year.

Build your website

A vast support system of online resources, tutorials, and software exist to get your first home page out there. Here are two suggestions:

  • Use Macromedia Dreamweaver to build your website visually or directly through code. It organizes the code and gives an instant preview of what your website will look like.
  • Go to www.w3schools.com. This comprehensive reference site has information on all the technical ingredients of website building, like HTML, CSS, and Javascript. It also has some great tutorials.

And don't forget the Meyer Media Lab. Located at the south end of campus in 1154 Meyer Hall, it has all the software and equipment you need. You'll find Dreamweaver MX and Flash MX already installed on the 22 computer workstations, and scanners to use for any images or photos you want to upload. For more information, check out meyermedialab.ucdavis.edu.

Go live!

OK, you're almost done. But before you can have your own corner of the Web:

  • Upload your files to your web host. Whatever host you chose will provide specific instructions. Some hosting services use online forms to upload files; others use FTP (file transfer protocol). Make sure to name your home page “index.html”. Once all your files and images are uploaded, your site is essentially live. You can access it with the default URL your host gave you.
  • Point your domain name to your host. In order to use the domain name you bought, your domain name registrar will need to know where you are hosting your site. Likewise, your host needs to know your domain name in order to replace the default URL they gave you. This process can take a couple of days for both parties to sync. Again, refer to your domain name registrar or your host for specific instructions.

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