Welcome to the second post in our �Build Your Own Freelancing Website� series. In the first post, we talked about�choosing and reserving a domain name. Once you�ve done that, you�re ready for the second step � choosing a company to host your website and purchasing a hosting package.
Step 2 � Choose a web host and purchase a hosting package.
Two basic options: Hosted blog service or self-hosted.
There are two basic ways to publish a blog-based website: (1) use a hosted blog service, such as www.blogger.com or www.wordpress.com; or (2) use a self-hosted blog. What�s the difference? The main thing you need to know is that with a hosted blog service, you have a lot less control over your website. Different services have different rules about what you can and cannot do, and you should review those rules carefully if you�re considering using a hosted service.
If you really want your site to look professional and business-like, I recommend against using a service such as Blogger or WordPress.com. They may be easier to set up (and free), but you�re sacrificing the ability to completely customize your site.
Note: WordPress.com is a hosted blog service; WordPress.org offers WordPress blog software for free download, which you can then install on your self-hosted blog.
Setting up a self-hosted website.
If you�ve decided to take the plunge and set up a self-hosted website, congratulations! You�re on your way. I think you�ve made a good decision. Now it�s time to choose a hosting company.
There are literally hundreds of web hosts to choose from, and there�s no way I could list them all. Here are 3 web hosting companies that I believe to be reliable and user-friendly. I�m an affiliate of ReliableWebs, but not the other two:
1.�ReliableWebs
2.�Bluehost
3.�GoDaddy
All three of these companies will install WordPress for you (one less thing to worry about). I recommend that you visit their websites, read about their offerings and pricing, and select the one that you think will work best for you.
You could also choose another company � I�m just trying to keep things simple. The important thing is just to select a company and purchase a basic hosting package (it should be less than $10/month).
One other option: Squarespace.
Just in case any of you are freaking out or feeling overwhelmed by the idea of a self-hosted site, I want to mention one other option: Squarespace. Squarespace is a hosted blog service, but it gives you far more control over your website than services like Blogger or WordPress.com. It has a lot of built-in options that make it easy to get your site up and running, and the learning curve is much shorter than with a self-hosted blog.
Unlike Blogger or WordPress.com, Squarespace isn�t free. After the 14-day free trial, you�ll have to pay $14/month for the version allowing custom domain names (meaning you can post your website to your own domain name, instead of on a domain name such as www.yourname.squarespace.com). But if you�ve ruled out self-hosted blogs because you think they�re beyond your technical ability, I strongly recommend Squarespace over the other hosted services. I built my first website (The Breadwinner Mom) with Squarespace and have been happy with it so far.
I put together this extremely brief video to show you what it�s like to set up a new site with Squarespace. It�s my first foray into the world of video so please let me know if you have any suggestions for improvement. Hope you find it useful.
(note to the curious: I don�t work for Squarespace and I don�t benefit financially if you use Squarespace. I just think it�s a good option for people who don�t have the time or inclination to learn about self-hosted blogs)
photo credit: KristianD
COMING FRIDAY: Step 3 � To Blog Or Not To Blog?
Traci Feit Love is a freelance writer, editor & communications consultant for businesses that need smart, impressive content. To learn more or to sign up for her free e-course, �How to Get More High-Paying Clients,� visit her website at�http://tracifeitlove.com.