What's the best site to use for a new homepage?

[kaichu dento]

I need to start a new homepage and would like any help in choosing a site, but also interested in any additional pertinent information to getting set up. :wave:

 

[Onuris]

What will you be using the site for? A business or something else?

 

[kaichu dento]

Mostly for posting gig dates, maps and also a picture history of gigs over the years, so I guess that would be both business and personal history.

 

[Onuris]

Hmm, if it was for a business and doing marketing of a product I would have recommended Site Build It. But for what you are doing, perhaps something like Homestead.

www.homestead.com

 

[prof]

It's hard to be bluehost (www.bluehost.com). They do assume you have some background knowledge, but the support is unreal.

 

[kaichu dento]

I'll try to take a look at both of these sites tonight. Thanks for the links!

 

[kaichu dento]

I've been trying to get up and running for the past couple days now and have already registered for two different sites, although the Jimdo.com site is the only one I've done anything with.

It's been really easy to use, but then I have nothing else to compare it to, so perhaps they're all easy to use?

My present problem is that I've decided to buy my domain name, but don't really understand the processes involved in attaching the domain name you own to a different hosting site.

Although I made myself a homepage once about 10 years ago, I'm completely lost on this stuff and... any more helpful suggestions?

Firstly I want to settle on buying my domain name and figuring out which hosting site to go with.

Any experience out there with Jimdo.com?

 

[CaseyS]

It's all about DNS (Domain Name System). When you register a domain name, the registrar creates a record that includes the IP addresses of the primary and secondary DNS servers for your domain. Those domain servers are where you define the name and IP address of the server that hosts your site, as well as the IP address of the mail server that handles your mail.

Large companies have their own DNS servers, so when they register, the record is setup to point to their internal DNS servers. If you register through a web hosting service like GoDaddy, they'll specify their shared DNS servers in your registration and pre-configure a record to point to your website at www.yourdomain.com. They also give you the ability to edit the registration record so you can point it to different DNS servers, like DynDNS.com, and they give you an on-line tool to add new DNS records or change the existing ones.

Candlepower Forums, for instance, is currently registered through Network Solutions which assigned the following DNS servers:

NS67.WORLDNIC.COM 205.178.190.34
NS68.WORLDNIC.COM 205.178.144.34

A record on those DNS servers defines www.candlepowerforums.com to have IP address 72.167.36.24 which is a server hosted by GoDaddy.

 

[prof]

Bluehost includes a free domain name with purchase. I've never used the others.

 

[blasterman]

Ditto on BlueHost. They are faily upper tier, but you get solid support.

Personally I use GoDaddy for nonessential stuff.

It's also much, much easier to register your domain name through your hosting site. Some don't like to use their own DNS, etc.

Gotta be honest though in that if you are dealing with a younger audience Facebook and such dominates in terms of social networking.