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Ask HN: How do I set up my own simple website on a domain I buy?

• funkyy 11y ago
  The best way for a newbie would be to buy a domain, then buy a proper hosting with Cpanel. You can get Hostgator for 1c for first month or get Hawkhost for $3/mo. Cpanel is quite easy and auto-install scripts provided by Softaculous makes it breeze when it comes to installing common scripts and cms. You might also explore simple website building companies like Wix or Squarespace.
  • voltagex_ 11y ago
    Why not a static generator like Ghost, Jekyll or Pelican? That way it can be hosted on GitHub Pages. Can't beat $0/month. https://pages.github.com/ https://pages.github.com/
    • ghrifter 11y ago
      Yes - but wouldnt this be on username.github.io?
      • SomeoneWeird 11y ago
        You can set domains in a CNAME file in the root of a repository.
    • funkyy 11y ago
      For newbie CPanel is the easiest way to get a hold of web hosting and web design imo. Since you are in hosted environment there is not many things you can screw, support is always there for you and you can quickly start. With static websites and github you need to have at least proper basic understanding of html, hosting and programming. Also simple mistakes can cause big damage and since there is no live help, you need to spend a lot time searching for answers online.
      • voltagex_ 11y ago
        IMO CPanel hides too much. You can git commit && git push an index.html to GitHub and be up and running very quickly. That way when you get your first real job you're already going to have some basic Git skills.
        • funkyy 11y ago
          If you are looking for job like that. Yo are talking like a programmer, not sure if OP is one. From a programmer point of view - your option is much better. From newbie - absolutely not.
          • voltagex_ 11y ago
            From the OP: >Any good current tutorials? I'm thinking of working with the MEAN Stack or just in general javascript tech stacks. I think they're a programmer.
            • ghrifter 11y ago
              I am a programmer - junior as CS in college - I know html and css very well due to my job (in additon to C# and other knowledge) - but I have little to no idea on how to create my own "website"
              • voltagex_ 11y ago
                How are your git skills? I really really like GitHub Pages - https://pages.github.com/ https://pages.github.com/
              • gadders 11y ago
                1. Buy a domain 2. Get hosting (Sometimes 1 & 2 are through the same company but don't have to be) 3. Point your domain to your hosting via updating forms at your domain name provider/hosting provider (if 1 & 2 aren't from the same company) 4. FTP your html and css etc up to the www directory on your hosting provider 5. Check it all works, fix stuff that doesn't.
    • runjake 11y ago
      Ghost isn't a static site generator. It's a Node.js app.
• nostrademons 11y ago
  For a personal blog, just go to wordpress.com and sign up. You can buy the domain through them, it will host on their servers, they give you dozens of themes to choose from, you can publish via a WYSIWYG editor, and it'll give you traffic analytics as well. Also can setup static pages for them - most small businesses you see on the web are actually Wordpress sites.
• sideproject 11y ago
  How about HelloBox? https://www.hellobox.co https://www.hellobox.co
• kylex 11y ago
  Wordpress is you best bet. Most hosting companies have a "one click installation" through CPanel. Hostgator is one of them, i've learned a lot since building my first Wordpress website. It's a fun experience. I recommend buying your domain and hosting from the same provider.
• dpeck 11y ago
  If you want it to look nice and you're ok with a bit of a premium for that squarespace has some really good themes. Drop in a few photos and you've got a top notch brochure page with just a few hours of time dragging and dropping.
• Mz 11y ago
  You can do this with BlogSpot. You also do not have to purchase aa domain to have a BlogSpot blog, but you can add one, if you wish.
• notahacker 11y ago
  Assuming you're writing your own HTML and CSS and use a command line, deployment doesn't get any easier than http://surge.sh http://surge.sh , which is free
• brudgers 11y ago
  Like anything, it depends. I several orthogonal axes in the question: writing/blogging, domain ownership, and learning new technologies. The best approach depends on what priority you assign to each as well as the specific objectives within each. Amazon Web Services has a free tier and tutorials on hosting a static site on S3. That's great if the technical interests include cloud services and the content is static and the domain ownership isn't about running a bunch of web ads. On the other hand, Godaddy will sell, host, and install a Worldpress blog and keep it updated...this might fit a different set of interests. Wordpress.com will host a Wordpress blog and let you focuos on running Wordpress and writing. Heroku offers a different balance. Which brings the obvious question, what are your goals?
• meir_yanovich 11y ago
  for me the best way to start is to buy domain and connect it to https://www.blogger.com/home https://www.blogger.com/home see my blog : http://www.gamedevcraft.com/ http://www.gamedevcraft.com/
• anonfunction 11y ago
  GitHub pages is free.
• edelweiss22 11y ago
  I'd recommend a flat-file CMS like Grav (http://getgrav.org http://getgrav.org). It can run on any shared hosting, plus it does not even need a database, which makes managing a website super easy. Think making the site locally and updating it with a simple git push. I don't think a simple website needs Heroku or another PAAS or even needs to run on Node.js, which introduces unneeded complexity.
  • twelvedesign 11y ago
    Looks very promising. I'll give it a try.
• bootcat 11y ago
  I recommend using wix
• twelvedesign 11y ago
  Most hosting providers offer domain services, and one click installations of apps like Wordpress. It might take 10-15 minutes to set it all up. I am using Media Temple. It is not the cheapest, but it works like a charm. You can use my referral link to save 20% http://bit.ly/1OV1Mw9 http://bit.ly/1OV1Mw9