But My Site Is Just For Fun I’ll Get A Domain When I’m Serious
“But my site is just for fun,” you say. “I’ll buy a domain when I’m serious about making a proper website.”
When I started my first website, it was just for fun. It was a place for me to post a few of the programs I’d writtenand dump my bookmarks which I had annotated with my own notes. Later, I also wrote short articles about my experienceswith creating websites to help visitors who kept emailing me for help. I never planned for that initial play site tobe anything other than a toy.
The beauty about websites you create for fun, as a hobby, is that they are genuine. They are not fake websites createdso that you can earn a quick buck. You pour your soul into it, and the love you lavish upon it can be seen inyour content. And people notice. And when they notice, they’ll come back for more.
What I’m trying to say is don’t underestimate this first website that you’re creating “for fun”.I never stopped working on that first site. It is still here today. You’re looking at it. It’s nowsplit into two,and known as thefreecountry.com and thesitewizard.com.
Your site may be a hobby site now. But who knows what will come of it in the years ahead?
What Are Domain Name Extensions
You can choose among popular top-level domain extensions such as:
- .com
- .org
- .net
Or go with a local domain extension such as if you want to focus on building a presence in a specific country:
- .co.uk
- .fr
- .au
Also, theres a bunch of creative domain extensions, launched recently. You can try playing around with them to create a shorter, brandable name. For example:
- Alchemi.st
- Handma.de
The Investment Needed To Get A Free Domain Name
You can get a free domain, yes. But that doesnt mean you wont be paying for other website services.
Sound confusing? Hear us out.
Many web host companies offer a free domain in exchange for signing up for their hosting plans. Bluehost, for example, gives free domain names for a year to customers who host their websites with them. This way, they profit from you indirectly, where the cost of the domain name is recouped from the hosting fee.
No need to panic, though. This method is still worth it since web hosting is something youll inevitably need when building a website. Plus, these web hosts provide you with excellent speed and uptime reliability.
But how much do you actually pay?
The fee you pay for your free domain name depends on the subscription plan you choose. For example, Bluehost plans start from $3.95 per month, whereas Dreamhost has plans starting from $2.95 per month. Hostinger, our top pick for the best web hosting services, is the cheapest, with plans starting at $1.39 per month.
Buying web hosting services isnt your only option, either.
Other companies offering a free domain may want free ad space on your website or access to the personal information of your visitors to sell on to advertisers. We dont recommend making deals with such companies, as saving $10-$15 per year for those things will not be worth it in the long run.
When it comes to domain name registration, there is no such thing as a free lunch.
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Plan Your Marketing Strategy
Now that you have a website and know how to use it, its time to figure out how youre going to get visitors to the site.
Ive written tons of articles on creating marketing strategies and generating traffic. Now, you can finally put them to use:
How To Register A Domain Name
+ Ways to Get it for Free
Are you looking to register a domain name, but dont know where to start?
Part of creating a website, is buying a domain name that has to be unique.
In this step-by-step guideline, were going to show you several options on how to register a domain name and also cover some commonly asked questions that might pop up in your mind while registering a domain.
Ready? Lets first start by explaining why is it crucial to choose a good domain name.
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How To Create A Website
An Easy, Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
When someone ask you how to create a website, point out to that cool guide to set it up : websitesetup.org
Every month 370,000+ people use WebsiteSetup to build a website.
Quote from the Author:
I wrote this SIMPLE guide to help anyone from bloggers to small business owners make their own website without having to learn code.
You don’t need to spend money on web developers and designers. Believe it or not, most of you will succeed.
If you get stuck, contact me and I’ll help you out for free.
Nick Schäferhoff
Templated Websites Versus Custom Built Websites
While template websites are great when you are starting out and do not have a budget for hosting, a custom build is always better in the long term.
Template websites have the following weaknesses as compared to custom builds:
Templates are harder to customize and hence you will find it hard to change important website elements. For the most part, templates tend to be what you see is what you get, and hence changing aspects such as layouts may be difficult for a beginner if not impossible. With custom builds you can always change almost anything using shortcodes, plugins and thousands of themes that you can get online.
A template website is not that great for branding given that your template may be used by tens of other websites online. With custom websites, you can always customize your website and make it as unique as possible, which is great for branding.
Pre-made website templates provide significantly less functionality as compared to custom builds. For the most part, you are limited in how much functionality you can add to say a Weebly website as compared to a custom WordPress build, where you can add anything from chat, cart, and forum functionalities among many others.
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Building A WordPress Site Without Hosting Conclusions
As you can see building a WordPress site without hosting is actually much easier than it looks.
The free methods that I have mentioned above will allow you to build your WordPress website on your computer without a domain name and without hosting.
However, if you do not want to download software, you can simply go on WordPress.com and get a free WordPress.com website.
You can then download a few free themes and start practicing your WordPress skills.
Either way, its not necessary for you to either purchase a paid theme or paid hosting in order to learn WordPress and develop a WordPress website on your own.
In fact, WordPress.com also has many tutorials that can show you the ins and outs or at least the very basics of getting a WordPress website up and running. The rest is up to you.
How Can I Use A Dreamhosterscom Subdomain To View My Site Before Pointing My Dns To Dreamhost
Another common use for a dreamhosters.com subdomain is to set up your site at DreamHost before migrating your content to DreamHost’s server. This assumes you’re currently hosting your site at another company and want to migrate your hosting services to DreamHost.
There are two ways to do this:
- Option #1 Upload your site to DreamHost, then use the dreamhosters.com subdomain to ‘Mirror’ your actual site.
- Option #2 Uploading your site directly to the dreamhosters.com subdomain.
View the following article for details on how to configure this:
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How To Register A Domain On Godaddycom
GoDaddy is also known as a web hosting provider, but you can also buy a domain name from them.
Step 1: Look up a new domain name first. If you havent come up with a good name yet or are assessing different options, GoDaddy has a nice set of extra features to help you out.
You can use the Bulk Domain search to check a bunch of domain ideas for eligibility in a click. Or you can play around with their free domain name generator to get some alternative suggestions if your primary choice is already taken:
Also, if you are feeling very determined to get your desired domain for branding purposes, GoDaddy can try to broker a deal for you with the owner. But remember, the original owner may name any price they deem appropriate so in that case, youll be paying:
- Domain purchase fee to the seller.
- GoDaddy Domain Brokerage commission.
- The regular yearly subscription price for the selected domain and add-ons.
If you are running a small business, going into a heated negotiation with some cyber squatters may not be the best investment of your time and budgets.
Wait out and see if the other person forgets to renew their domain or abandons it so that you could snatch it then. GoDaddy has a Domain Backordering service where you can reserve your place in line for a specific domain. If theres more than one buyer, the domain goes on auction. If its just you only, you get it immediately.
Again, youd be pitched several upsells in case you change your mind.
Create A Short But Meaningful Name
A good name should be easy to remember while representing the brand or business. For example, choosing a domain name containing the word Tech lets people immediately associate the site with a technology-related niche.
Here are two additional tips:
- Use a thesaurus to find synonyms for any taken domain name.
- Employ a domain name generation or suggestion tool.
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Does WordPress Host Your Website
WordPress.com can host your website for free. They have both free and paid plans available. Most people who have their WordPress website hosted on WordPress.com use it as a way to get their thoughts and creativity out on the internet without having to pay for hosting.
However, most people who want control over their websites, including things like monetization etc. will need to have a paid plan either with WordPress.com or with another web hosting service provider.
Wix The Best Website Builder Without Hosting
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Wix is the best website builder without hosting, which occupies a top position in the list of the most popular contemporary web design platforms. This is the all-in-one system with enhanced technologies and innovations letting newbies make websites from scratch literally in minutes. A powerful and versatile feature set makes it possible to come up with any website type from small blogs, professional portfolios, small business websites or eCommerce projects.
Here are some core issues that let Wix stand out from the main competitors in the web building niche:
- Mobile-Friendly Templates. Wix currently offers more than 550 different templates sorted by categories, which are mobile-ready, free and customizable by default.
- eCommerce, Blogging and SEO. The website builder allows starting digital stores and blogs and it also ensures efficient project optimization and further promotion.
- Wix ADI. Along with the Standard Editor meant for customizing complex projects, the website builder offers an advanced intuitive ADI tool geared towards the needs of non-techies.
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Sign Up For A Bluehost Hosting Plan
To get your hosting plan, head over to Bluehost here, and select the Get Started button.
From there, select the hosting plan that works best for you. Bluehost offers four plans, but each plan provides a free domain name for the first year.
I recommend the Choice Plus plan, because the price includes Domain Privacy, which protects private information like your name, address, and phone number from the public.
Creating A Website Without Purchasing A Domain Name
Yes, its possible to get your hands on a domain name for free. And no, Im not talking about the free domain you get when you purchase web hosting. Well talk about that persuasion technique later on. There are actually several ways to avoid paying for a domain name:
- Free domain name
- Website Builders subdomain
- Creating your own subdomain
There are domain names you can register without having to pay an annual fee. Though your choice will be limited to a short list of TLDs. Top Level Domains are the letters you find at the end of each domain name. The TLD for learnaboutwebsites.com is .com.
Youll be able to register a free domainusing the following TLDs: .TK | .ML | .GA | .CF and .GQ. Free domains are great, though in my opinion they should only be used for testing or training purposes. As you dont actually own the rights to the domains youve registered for free.
In the terms of service, youll find statements like: We reserve the right to change the terms and conditions of this agreement at any time without prior notice . Or similar statements which will strip you from having any legal right of ownership, see the image below.
Im assuming youre going to invest quite some time into creating your own website. Now ask yourself this question: Is losing all the work Ive put into building my website, worth an annual saving of just $10?.
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How Much Does A Website Cost
The cost of running a website can be broken into 3 main elements: the domain, hosting, and the way to make the website.
A domain is the unique web address that visitors can type into the browser to find your website, e.g. www.website.com.A domain name is typically a yearly cost, ranging from around $15/year and up.
Website hosting allows your website files to be stored and seen on the internet. This is typically a monthly ongoing cost, usuallyaround $14.99/month and up.
The website platform used to create a website is another factor to consider. The cost of making a website may vary depending on whetheryou choose a DIY approach, or hire a web designer or developer. Hiring a web expert can be a significant expense that generally requiresan initial design cost and an ongoing maintenance fee.
With Website.com premium plans, everything is included to create your website, including a professional domain name, web hosting, and a websitebuilder with easy tools to create your site. Premium plans range from $3/month ,which is an extremely cost effective way to own a professional website.
With a free Website.com plan, you can get a free website name and get online entirely for free. Keep in mind that Website.com premium plansinclude a professional domain name, more website pages and advanced features to lend more professionalism to your site.