Using cPanel

cPanel lets you do things like add email accounts, create new databases to hold info for dynamic pages, manage files, and more. Think of it as an operating system for your server.

Logging in to cPanel

The welcome email you received from your host after buying a hosting package should contain a link to the cPanel login for your site.

Most of the time, cPanel is accessed by visiting a URL with this format:

www.yoursite.com/cpanel

If you’ve just pointed your domain nameservers, this URL may not work for a while (24 to 48 hours). You can still access your website and cPanel by entering the IP address for your site, which is included in your welcome email. This IP address will looks like this:

12.23.345.67

And you can access your cPanel by going to

12.23.345.67/cpanel

Once you’re at the cPanel login page, enter the username and password provided in your welcome email and you’re all set.


Using cPanel

cPanel provides dozens of tools you can use to manage your site, but don’t let this overwhelm you. Beginning webmasters will only need a handful of these features.

Change Password

Pretty self explanatory, but still good to know. Since your default cPanel password is just a string of random numbers and letters, you may want to change it to something more memorable.

This should be a no-braner by now, but you need to create a secure password. If somebody hacks into your cPanel, they can do severe damage.

Email Accounts

This tool is used to create new custom emails like bill@yourdomain.com. You’ll also have the ability to set passwords and storage limitations for existing accounts.

To check email, you’ll go to www.yourdomain.com/webmail and enter your login information. Be sure to use your full email address, meaning bill@yourdomain.com and not just bill. Pick any of the email viewers  and you’re set.


You can also configure your local email client to view your messages. Consult cPanel for instructions on how to set up your particular email application.

File Manager

The File Manager is just what it sounds like: a tool for uploading, editing, and deleting files on your server.
File Manager is great for adding or editing a small number of files, but if you’re plan on working with larger groups of files then you should probably use FTP.

It works a lot like the Windows Explorer, with a file tree on the left and the actual files on the right.


Most of the files you’ll be working with are located in the public_html folder.

Be careful when working in File Manager. You can easily delete an entire site with the click of a mouse (trust me, I’ve done it). Getting your deleted files back can be difficult or impossible, so make sure you know what you’re doing.


Database management

As I talk about in the section on dynamic websites, most modern sites are driven by databases. cPanel offers a number of tools which make it relatively easy to create and manage your databases.

The only time beginning webmasters will need to work with databases is if they are manually installing a content management system like WordPress—and even then this interaction will be limited to creating the database and adding user.

Add-on Domains

If your hosting package allows you to host more than one site—and most do—you’ll use this tool to add new domains to your hosting space.

Redirects

There may be times when you want a certain domain or web page to point to another domain or web page. You can do this easily with cPanel Redirects.

Buying Web Hosting

Shopping for a web host can be overwhelming. The Internet is littered with hundreds of providers who all seem to be offering the same product at the same price.

The truth is that is that web hosting costs are about the same no matter where you look, so it’s most important to consider service and reliability when evaluating a hosting service.

There are lots of review sites for hosting companies, but many of these are just fronts for people trying to make affiliate sales.

I think the best and most honest advice comes from forums, so I highly recommend you spend some time browsing site like DigitalPoint or WarriorForum where you’ll find mostly unbiased opinions on hosting providers.


Tips for selecting a hosting service

Here are some other things to consider when looking for a web host.

History

The Internet’s low barriers to entry make it all too easy for shady people to set up legitimate-looking hosting services overnight. Hosting companies that have been around a long time can usually be relied on to provide quality service.

Don’t buy hosting through a domain registrar

Many domain companies offer web hosting as an additional service. This might seem convenient, but in reality most domain companies are not set up to match the level of customer support you get from dedicated hosting services.

I tried hosting with Namecheap (my preferred domain registrar) for a while and was disappointed with the service and performance. I still register all my domains with them, but I don’t use their hosting. I would also recommend steering clear of GoDaddy and Yahoo!.

Check forums

I know I mentioned this earlier, but it bears repeating. I think forums are the best place to get honest advice on web hosting providers. DigitalPoint, WarriorForum, and Web Hosting Talk are all good sources of information.


Buying Your Web Hosting Package

Once you’ve decided on a hosting company and package, go ahead and buy your hosting package. There’s nothing difficult about the actual purchase process—it’s a lot like any other online transaction.

The directions below apply to my preferred web host (HostGator) but it won’t be much different for other hosting companies.

1. Go to HostGator.com

2. Click View Web Hosting Plans

3. Select the Baby or Hatchling plan
The Hatchling plan only allows one site while the Baby allows unlimited websites. If you’re just making one site, choose Hatchling ($8.95/month). If there’s a chance you’ll want to make more sites in the future, select Baby ($9.95/month).

4. Register your domain (optional)
If you want to register a domain with HostGator, you can do it now. They currently charge $15/year, which is a bit higher than the $10 average.

5. Fill out the billing information form and click Create Account.

Once you’ve purchased your hosting package, you should receive a welcome email. This email will contain important information about using your hosting space, so be sure to keep it. I also recommend copying it to a text document on your computer for easy reference.


How to Buy a Domain

Buying a domain isn’t difficult, but it can still be a little confusing if it’s your first time.
Here’s an overview of the process.

1. Check domain availability
2. Choose a registrar
3. Purchase the domain
4. Point the domain’s nameservers to your web host

1. Checking domain name availability

The home page for any decent domain registrar is going to have a search box you can use to see if your domain name is available. This is fine, but it’s slow and a little clunky, so I recommend using other tools like the excellent Instant Domain Search (which I think is one of the coolest sites on the web).

2. Choose a domain registrar

You purchase a domain from a registrar. A registrar is a company that has been accredited by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). Popular registrars include GoDaddy, Namecheap, Register.com, and Domain.com.

I have used probably half a dozen registrars over the years and I prefer Namecheap. Their prices are good, they don’t try to upsell you a bunch of junk, and they offer a free year of WhoIsGuard, which keeps your personal information private.

Registering a domain through your web host : Many web hosts offer domain registration along with their hosting services. While their prices are not always competitive, it can be convenient to have all your web
services with one company.

3. Purchase the domain
Purchasing a domain is a pretty straightforward process. Simply create an account with your registrar of choice, enter the domain you want to buy, and follow the directions.
However, there are a couple of potential stumbling blocks you should be prepared for:


Contact Information
When registering a domain, you’ll be asked to provide four kinds of contact information:
• Registrant
• Administrative
• Technical
• Billing contact
Most of the time, you’ll put your information in all of these fields. The only reason they’re there is because some large organizations have different people handing different aspects of their website.


Private registration
Almost all registrars offer some sort of privacy protection for your domain. This is generally a good idea, because otherwise your personal information, including phone number and address, will be visible to anybody who uses a WHOIS lookup tool such as DomainTools.
Namecheap provides one year of free private registration.


4. Point the domain’s nameservers to your web host

Once you get your domain, you will “point” it towards your web hosting servers. This is done by changing the domain’s nameservers. If you don’t have hosting, then now is the time to get it.

Note that when you edit your domain’s nameservers, the changes do not take effect instantly. It takes some time before every computer on the web becomes aware of your changes. This is why your domain might not be accessible on your web host immediately after you modify your nameservers.

Terminology note

Something to keep in mind is that the phrase “buy a domain” is a little misleading. The registrar doesn’t own any domains, so you’re not buying a domain from them. Instead, you’re paying them to register a domain in your name. You are essentially hiring them to do the paperwork.

“Buy” and “register” generally mean the same thing unless you’re talking about acquiring a domain that has already been registered to somebody else. In this scenario, you truly are buying the domain from that person.


Pointing the Domain Nameservers

If you purchased a domain at the same time you bought your hosting, your nameservers will already be configured correctly and you can skip this section.

When you buy a domain, it will not be pointing to anything. That is, your domain does not know what to do when somebody visits it. This is why you need to “point” your domain to your web host.


You point a domain by changing the nameservers. The information needed for this step can be found in your web hosting welcome email.

These are instructions are for domains registered with Namecheap.com. If you are using a different registrar then consult HostGator’s DNS guide.

1. Check your hosting welcome email to find the nameservers. They should look this:


ns1.hostgator.com
ns2.hostgator.com


2. Log in to your domain management area


3. In the right menu, click More Domains


4. Click the name of the domain you want to modify


5. In the left menu, click Domain Name Server Setup


6. Select Specify Custom DNS Servers


7. Copy and paste the nameservers from step one into the first two fields


8. Click Save Changes

It can take up to 48 hours for the changes to take effect, so if you find that you can’t access your cPanel or view your site, use the alternate addresses provided in your welcome email.

 These alternate addresses will look like this:

http://74.52.128.210/~somtin.

A Note About Parked Domains

If you visit your domain right after you buy it, you may see a generic looking page with a list of links. This means your domain has been “parked” by your registrar. Some registrars just do this as an way to make extra money on domains that aren’t being used.

If somebody visits your parked page and clicks a link, the registrar gets a small advertising payout. This page will go away as soon as your site is live.

What is Web Hosting?

For your website to work, you need a place to keep your website’s files, and you need a way for people to download and view those files.

This is what a server does. A server is a specialized computer that stores (hosts) your website’s files and sends (serves) them to people who visit your site.

A server can be just about any computer with an Internet connection. In fact, you can use your home computer as a server. However, there are all sorts of risks involved with using a personal computer for web hosting, and this is where web hosting services come in.

A web hosting service is a company that manages servers. When you sign up for a hosting plan, you are paying them for the right to use one of their machines. You are also paying for the benefit of having professionals take care of the computer that holds all of your valuable website files.

A good web host also ensures that their servers have up-to-date software, constant power, and regularly scheduled backups.

Before moving on, let me clarify some terminology :

• The server is the computer where you put your website files
• You host your website on a server
• The hosting service is the company that manages that server
• The terms hosting service and web host usually mean the same thing


The Different Kinds of Web Hosting

In general, there are three kinds of hosting : shared, dedicated, and VPS.

You should know heading in to this section that shared hosting is probably going to be your best choice. Most beginners will never need dedicated or VPS services, but it’s still good to understand how they work.

Shared hosting

Shared hosting means that you share a server with other customers. One server is split up into a bunch of virtual partitions, with each hosting account being assigned to a particular partition.

Shared hosting plans are cheap (starting at around a few dollars a month) and easy to use. Most shared hosting plans are very full-featured and allow you to host unlimited websites.

The biggest issue with shared hosting is the “shared” part. Since you’re splitting server resources with other customers, your site’s performance can vary due to activity of other sites on your server. If a site from a different account experiences a sudden spike in traffic, you might notice slower page loads for a short period of time.

Most hosting companies have countermeasures in place that prevent any one user from hogging all the resources, but it may still be an occasional issue.

Additionally, if your site begins receiving tens of thousands of visitors a day, then you may begin to run into some problems on a shared hosting plan. It’s usually easy to upgrade, so this isn’t something you should worry about.

For 90% of websites, shared hosting will be more than sufficient.

Dedicated hosting

With dedicated hosting, you are essentially leasing an entire server from the hosting company. Nobody else will be allowed to use your machine. Your website will load extremely quickly at all times, and unless you are receiving insane amounts of traffic you’ll never have to worry about performance. You’ll also have the ability to make all sorts of tweaks to how the hardware runs, and you’ll be able to install custom software.

Dedicated servers are good for large companies, high-traffic websites, and complex web applications that need a lot of processing power.

Dedicating hosting is expensive, with most plans starting at around $140/month, and there’s a lot more you need to know about hosting when you’re in charge of your own server. There’s very little chance you’ll need dedicated hosting for your first site.


Virtual Private Server (VPS)

A virtual private server is sort of a halfway point between shared and dedicated hosting. Virtual private servers are created by dividing a single server into a small number of “virtual machines”. These virtual machines behave like individual computers. They have their own memory, operating systems, etc. Even though they all run on a single physical machine, they’re don’t affect one another.

VPS servers are split among a very small number of customers. Shared hosting servers will usually have a much larger number of users on the same machine.

As with dedicated servers, VPS hosting is not necessary for the majority of new websites.


Reseller hosting

Some hosting companies offer a special kind of hosting package called reseller hosting. Reseller hosting lets you create multiple accounts under a single master account. These sub-accounts can then be sold to other people.

Reseller hosting is typically only used by web developers who use it as a way to sell hosting accounts to their clients. As an individual or small business, you won’t need this kind of hosting.

Start small, then upgrade

Hosting companies usually make it very easy to upgrade your hosting package, since it means more money for them. With this in mind, I would recommend starting with a mid-range shared plan ($5.00-$10.00/month), knowing that you can always bump up if you decide you need more power.