When setting up a website, one of the largest hurdles is deciding on a host site. Much time is spent deciding on pricing and the amount of resources that will be required, and this will be a quick walk through of the process. The first thing to take into consideration is any special needs your site will require, as for smaller sites (a personal blog for example) a paid host may not be required, as there are specialty hosts for many different applications, such as WordPress, Blogger, etc.

Some specialty hosts include:

WordPress – Makes easy to use pages that can be modified to other applications with the use of different templates that are in a large database. Free hosting on this site is available and will look like sitename.wordpress.com.

Blogger – Uses a series of templates to set up blogs for personal/business use. Pages are comparatively simpler to set up, but there is less customization available. Free hosting on this site is available and will look like sitename.blogspot.com.

Biz sites – Sets up free sites for businesses in particular, but uses an older style control panel to create user pages. Not recommended for those without experience in building sites. Free hosting on this site is available and will look like sitename.biz.nf or sitename.biz.ly. (These addresses do provide the same function as .com addresses)

Assuming you are attempting to run an average business site which requires a unique address, you will probably want to purchase a domain and hosting from one of the various registrar and hosting sites. These sites essentially allow you to select an address (provided it is not already taken) and usually will provide hosting for an additional cost. GoDaddy is one of the most popular, however it may not be the cheapest, so browse around competitors such as Name Cheap or 1&1.

As of compilation competitive domain pricing for a year is as follows:

.com – $9.99
.net – $9.99
.org – $6.99
.me – $9.99
.biz – $5.99

Hosting prices are highly variable and different hosts provide different services but a brief description of popular host sites can be found here:

http://www.webhostingsearch.com/wordpress-hosting.php

After selecting a pricing plan and domain name (Having your registrar host your site is highly recommended) you will need to build your site from the index page up. If you are unfamiliar with web design, try selecting one of the easy startup options that your registrar provides, such as an easy WordPress install can make a professional looking site even with little to no knowledge of web design.

An example of a WordPress setup, using GoDaddy:

Step 00 – Find your hosting sites control panel