How to publish a website on the Internet? A complete guide for entrepreneurs

Introduction

"If your company doesn't exist on the Internet, it doesn't exist at all." - this phrase, which a decade ago sounded like a marketing slogan, today is a real reflection of reality. Customers search for services and products online, compare offers and make decisions even before they contact a company. If you don't have your own website, unfortunately. Your competitors are just taking over your potential customers.

Many small and medium-sized business owners are thinking about creating a website, but the very thought of "publishing on the Internet" seems complicated. Where to put it? How to buy a domain name? What is hosting? What if something goes wrong? These are natural questions, especially if you deal with something completely different from technology on a daily basis.

Fortunately, the process is not as difficult as it may seem. In this guide, I'll walk you through the steps - from your initial idea, to choosing a domain and hosting, to publishing your site online. We won't use programming jargon - instead, we'll use practical examples and simple tips to get your business online in no time.

Ready? Let's start with the basics - how do you prepare to publish a website?

1. preparing the site for publication

Determining the purpose of the site

Imagine you want to open a new store in the city center. What do you do first? You choose the premises, decorate the interior, decide what products will be on the shelves and how customers will navigate through it. A website works exactly the same way - before you publish it, you need to know what it's for and what to put on it.

Think about what information will be most important to your customers. If you run a local beauty salon, your website should include information about your services, a price list, a booking form and photos of your results. If you sell products online, you need an e-store with a clear offer and a convenient path to purchase. Or maybe you want to build an expert brand? Then a key element will be a blog, where you share your knowledge and attract customers through valuable content.

An exercise for you: Before you go any further, answer the questions:

• What is the main goal of your website? (Selling? Building trust? Winning customers?).
• What information must be on it to fulfill this purpose?

Choosing the technology to create the site

At this stage, one of the most common questions arises:"Do I need to know how to program?". The answer is no, but you have to decide how you want to create the site.

You have several options:

1️.Ready-made page builders (e.g. Wix, Squarespace, WordPress.com, Shopify) - ideal if you want to create a site quickly and not worry about the technical aspects.
2️.CMS - content management system (e.g. WordPress, Joomla, Drupal) - a great solution for business websites, blogs or stores if you want more control over the look and functionality.
3️.Website written from scratch (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, frameworks like React, Vue, Angular) - an option for those who want full flexibility, but require programming skills or collaboration with a developer.

Each of these options has its pros and cons, so it makes sense to match the technology to your skills and business needs.

In the next step we will get down to specifics - how to choose a domain and hosting, which are the foundation of any website.

2. choosing a domain and hosting

How to choose a good domain name?

A domain is the address of your website on the Internet - something customers will type into a browser to reach you. It's like a signboard for your business in the digital world.

When choosing a domain, it is worth remembering a few rules:

✔Short and simple - The shorter and easier to remember, the better. The domain "mariokwiaty.pl" will be better than "kwiaciarniamariowarszawa24.com".
✔Ease of spelling - Avoid difficult words and hyphens. If your customers have to figure out how to type the name of your site, they're likely to go to your competitors.
✔Domain end - If you operate locally, bet on ".pl", and if you plan to expand internationally, consider ".com" or ".eu".

Where to buy a domain? In Poland, popular registrars areHome.pl, OVH, Nazwa.pl, LH.pl. The cost of a domain is usually a few tens of zlotys per year.

Example: If you are running a local coffee shop called "Black Filizanka", a good domain name is "czarnafilizanka.pl" or "filizanka.pl". It is better to avoid a domain like "czarna-filizanka-24.pl" - long and unintuitive addresses can scare away customers.

Choice of hosting

Hosting is where your site's files are stored. It's like renting a place for your store - the better the location and infrastructure, the more convenient for your customers.

You will find different types of hosting on the market:

1️.Shared hosting - The cheapest option, suitable for small businesses. You share a server with other users, which means that your site may run slower if there is a lot of traffic on neighboring sites.
2️.VPS (Virtual Private Server) - A more advanced solution where you have more control over resources. Good for companies that are planning for growth.
3️.Dedicated hosting - Ideal for large e-commerce and high-traffic portals. However, it requires technical skills.
4️.Cloud hosting - A flexible solution (e.g., Google Cloud, AWS, DigitalOcean) that allows you to dynamically scale resources as needed.

For most small and medium-sized businesses, shared hosting (e.g. LH.pl, Zenbox, dhosting) will be sufficient. The cost is aboutPLN 100-300 per year, depending on the parameters.

Tip: When choosing a web host, check whether it offersSSL certificate (providing a secure HTTPS connection), backups and good technical support.

Now that you have a domain and hosting, it's time for the crucial step - thepublishing the site on the internet.

3. how to add a site to the server?

Now that you have a domain and hosting, it's time to make your site visible on the web. Depending on how you created it, you have several publishing options.

Option 1: Publish the site in a builder (e.g. Wix, WordPress.com, Shopify).

If you use the page builder, the whole process is trivial. Once you have finished editing the page, just click"Publish" - The system will automatically take care of the rest.

✅For whom? Ideal for people who want to get a site up and running quickly without technical knowledge.
❌Minuses: Limited control over the site, often higher costs in the long run.

Option 2: Publish HTML/CSS files to the server.

If your site was saved as a set of HTML, CSS and JavaScript files, you have to manually upload them to the server.

How to do it?

1️. Log in to the hosting panel and find the "File Manager" or "FTP" option.
2️. If you use FTP, download the programFileZilla orWinSCP and configure the connection (you will receive access data from the hosting company).
3️. Upload the site files to the root directory of the hosting (usually "public_html").
4️. Once the upload is complete, open your domain in your browser - done!

✅For whom? A good option for static sites and simple business cards.
❌Minuses: No panel to easily edit content.

Option 3: Install WordPress on your own hosting.

WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS). If you want full control over your site and the ability to develop it, it's the best choice.

How to install WordPress?

1️. Log in to the hosting panel and find the option"Application Installer". - Most web hosts offer WordPress installation in a few clicks.
2️. If you want to install manually, download the WordPress files from wordpress.org and upload them to the server via FTP.
3️. Create a MySQL database and connect it to WordPress.
4️. After installation, log in to the administration panel(Twojadomena.com/wp-admin) And start configuring the site.

✅For whom? A good option for companies looking to run a blog, company website or online store.
❌Minuses: Requires regular updates and basic technical knowledge.

Option 4: Cloud publishing (GitHub Pages, Netlify, Vercel, AWS, DigitalOcean)

If your site is built on frameworks such asReact, Vue or Angular, it is worth considering cloud hosting.

✅For whom? Developers and those building advanced web applications.
❌Minuses: Requires knowledge of version control and server management systems.

Now your website is online! But that's not the end of the story - in the next step we will take care of domain configuration and security to ensure its stability and safety.

4. domain configuration and security

Your site is already on the server, but before you start promoting it, it's worth taking care of some important technical aspects.

How to hook up a domain to hosting?

If you bought a domain and hosting from the same provider, most often the system automatically assigns the domain to the server. But if you bought them separately (for example, a domain on OVH and hosting on LH.pl), you need to manually configure DNS settings.

How to do it?

1️.Log in to your domain registrar panel (e.g., Home.pl, Nazwa.pl).
2️.Find DNS settings And edit the records:

• A Record (IP Address) - indicate the IP address of your server.
• CNAME - If you use page builders or the cloud, such as Netlify.

3. save the changes and wait for DNS propagation - It can last from a few minutes to 24 hours.

How to check if the domain is working?

• Type it into your browser - if the page opens, everything works!
• You can use the WhatsMyDNS.net tool to see if DNS has spread around the world.

SSL certificate - why is it necessary?

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). is a protocol that encrypts the connection between your site and users. If you don't have it, browsers may mark your site as "Unsecured" - which scares away customers.

✔Free SSL Certificates - Let's Encrypt (most web hosts offer it for free).
✔How to activate SSL?

• Check the "SSL" option in the hosting panel and activate the certificate.
• In WordPress, you can force HTTPS in the settings or with a pluginReally Simple SSL.

Example: If you run an online store, SSL is an absolute must - without it, customers won't trust your site, and some browsers may even block payment options.

Additional security features

In addition to SSL, it is worth taking care of several other issues:

✔Backups - Check if your hosting does automatic backups. You can also use tools likeUpdraftPlus For WordPress.
✔Protection against attacks - Enable protection against DDoS and malicious traffic (e.g. Cloudflare).
✔Strong passwords and 2FA - if you are logging into the admin panel, make sure you have strong passwords and two-step authentication (2FA).

Now your website issafe and ready for action, but to attract customers, it is worth itoptimize.

5. post-publication page optimization

Your website is already up and running, but just "uploading" it to the Internet is only the beginning. Now you need to make sure thatwas fast, visible on Google and worked well on a variety of devices.

Basic SEO optimization

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a set of activities that help your site gain better positions in Google.

How to improve the SEO of your website?

1️.Well-chosen titles and descriptions - For example, instead of "Home page", better "Florist Warsaw - Order beautiful bouquets online".
2️.H1-H6 headings - The main title of the page should be labeled H1, and subsequent subsections should be labeled H2-H3.
3️.Keywords - use them naturally in the content (e.g., "How to publish a website on the Internet" in this article).
4️.Internal linking - For example, if you have a blog, it's a good idea to link to other posts so that users can more easily find content of interest to them.
5️.Site Map and Google Search Console - Add the site to Google so it can be indexed faster.

Example: If you run a renovation company, instead of a general "Services" it is better to call the subpage "Apartment renovations Warsaw - price list and offer".

Page loading speed - the key to success

Did you know that 53% of users will leave a site if it doesn't load within 3 seconds?

What can you do to speed up your site?

✔Image compression - tools like TinyPNG help reduce the size of image files without losing quality.
✔Use caching - Plugins like WP Rocket for WordPress can significantly speed up a site.
✔CDN (Content Delivery Network) - if you have customers in different locations, Cloudflare can help you deliver content faster.

How to check the speed of your website?

• Google PageSpeed Insights - A free tool from Google that will tell you what to improve.
• GTmetrix - A more accurate analysis of charging times.

Adaptation of the site to mobile devices

In 2024, more than 60% of internet traffic comes from mobile devices - if your website is not customized for phones, you lose customers.

✔Responsive design (RWD) - Make sure the site looks good on every screen.
✔Avoid text that is too small - If the user has to zoom in on the screen, it's a sign that something is wrong.
✔Test the site on different devices - Google Mobile-Friendly Test will help you check that everything is working properly.

Example: If you run a hair salon, customers often search for services on their phone. If your website doesn't work properly on a smartphone, they will go to a competitor.

Adding a website to Google

In order for your site to appear in Google's search engine, you must submit it there.

1️.Create an account in Google Search Console - Add your site and submit a site map (XML Sitemap).
2️.Google Analytics - With this tool you can check how many users visit your site, where they come from and what they do.
3️.Google My Business - if you operate locally, adding your business to Google will help you appear in maps and local results.

Now your website isoptimized and ready for first customers. In the next step we will deal withmaintenance and development of the site, so that it always runs smoothly and attracts new users.

6. maintenance and development of the site

Congratulations! Your site is now published, working properly and appearing in Google search results. But it's not over yet. A website is not just a business card - it's a tool for attracting customers, building your brand and growing your business. To make it work effectively for years to come, you need to update, secure and improve it regularly.

Regular updates and backups

🔧Why is this important? A site that is not kept up to date can become vulnerable to attacks or stop working properly over time.

What should you do regularly?

✔Update CMS, themes and plugins - if you use WordPress, Joomla or any other system, regularly check and install updates.
✔Make backups - Even if your hosting offers backups, it's a good idea to have your own. Tools such asUpdraftPlus for WordPress allow you to create copies automatically.
✔Test the functionality of the site - From time to time, check that contact forms work, that the site loads quickly and looks correct on phones.

How often to do backups?

• Static pages - once a month.
• Online stores, blogs - A minimum of once a week, and preferably every day.

Example: If you run an online store, regular backups are essential - in the event of a disaster or attack, you could lose order data and customers.

Content management and website updates

Your website is not a flyer - it should live and evolve with your business.

What is worth doing?

✔Add new content - Publish regular blog articles, update your offerings, add photos and customer reviews.
✔Improve existing content - Google gives a premium to sites that are updated. If you have an article from a year ago, see if you can improve it and add new information.
✔Analyze user behavior - use Google Analytics to see which pages your customers are visiting, where they are coming from and what content they are interested in.

Example: If you run a construction company and notice that the article "How to choose a renovation team?" generates a lot of traffic, you can add an offer of your services to it, or even create an e-book download.

What to do if the website is not working?

Technical problems happen to everyone, but what matters is how quickly you solve them.

The most common causes of failure and how to solve them:

❌Is the page not loading?
➡ Check that the hosting is working (e.g., visit your provider's website and check the status of the server).

❌Error 404 - page not found?
➡ You may have deleted a file or changed the URL. You can redirect the old page to the new one using SEO tools.

❌Page loading too slow?
➡ Test your site in Google PageSpeed Insights and see what's slowing it down - it could be images that are too large or a lack of caching.

❌Has the site been hacked?
➡ If you see suspicious changes on the site, immediately contact your web host, restore your backup and change your passwords.

Tip: If your website suddenly stops working, don't panic. Often the problem can be solved in minutes - the key is to act quickly and have a backup.

Summary and additional resources

Your company deserves a professional website - it's your business card, a sales tool and a way to get customers. Now you know how to go through the entire process from choosing a domain, to publishing the site, to optimizing and maintaining it.

The most important steps you need to take:
✔ Determine the purpose of the site - what do you want to achieve?
✔ Choose the right domain and hosting.
✔ Create a site in a wizard, CMS or write code from scratch.
✔ Publish the site on the server and configure the domain.
✔ Take care of security - SSL, backups, updates.
✔ Optimize the site for speed, SEO and mobile devices.
✔ Add new content regularly and monitor site traffic.

Additional resources:

• Google PageSpeed Insights - check the speed of your site
• Google Search Console - a tool for monitoring search engine positions
• TinyPNG - image compression tool

Your turn!

Now that you know all the steps, it's time to act.