Are you ready to establish a web presence for your church, ministry or business?  Here is a step-by-step guide to getting started. 1. How to Get a URL/Domain Name What is a domain name?  A domain name that identifies one or more IP addresses. For example, the domain name microsoft.com represents about a dozen IP addresses. Domain names are used in URLs to identify particular Web pages. For example, in the URL http://www.pcwebopedia.com/index.html, the domain name is pcwebopedia.com. Every domain name has a suffix that indicates which top level domain (TLD) it belongs to. There are only a limited number of such domains. For example:    gov - Government agencies    edu - Educational institutions    org - Organizations (nonprofit)    mil - Military    com - commercial business    net - Network organizations    ca - Canada    th - Thailand Okay now decide on a URL/domain name (www.mychurch.org).  Yes you need to decide what your website will be called.  Choose a name that best represents your church, ministry or business.  When choosing a name, try to come up with several alternatives because your first choice may be taken. You can check for name availability at www.whois.net. Click on the “WHOIS” link to see if your name is available.  If the name you have selected is not available, a number of similar options will be displayed with various extensions such as .org, .biz etc.  I recommend that you use a .com, .org, or .net as most other extension will not be remembered by most users.  If you are a non-profit, I recommend that you use the .org extension. URL/domain names can cost anywhere from $13.00 -$35.00/year.  Sometimes if you purchase a web-hosting service with your domain name, the domain name may cost less or sometimes it may be free with your hosting service, depending on your provider. source: webopedia.com 2. Find a Web Host Provider What is a Web Host Provider? A web host is a computer, commonly called a server, on which the web site resides. A Web host provides server space, web services and file maintenance for web sites controlled by business, individuals or companies that do not have their own Web servers.   Choose a web host that you feel is both reliable and affordable. The average cost of an host provided can cost anywhere from  $3.95 – $12.95 a month. Webs of Faith can provide you with a domain name and web hosting for as little as $50.00 a year. 3. Planning Your Website Here are some of the topics you should think about and that we will cover when we speak: What is the goal, purpose or mission of your website? Do you have a slogan, motto or favorite scripture verse? Do you have a specific color in mind for your website? Do you have a theme you might want for your website? Approximately how many pages will your website consist of? Will you be supplying a logo? Will you be providing photos? Will you need a Customer Response Form? Will you need a Guestbook? Will you need a Calendar? Have you visited similar websites and seen something you like? Do you want to sell goods or services online? Once your site is up and running, who will keep it current? 4. Web Design Now you are ready for your web design.  The cost to develop a website will be affected by the amount of content and the complexity of your site.  We recommend you contact us here at Webs of Faith.   Webs of Faith is a Christian company dedicated to providing professional, creative, inspirational, and affordable web sites.  We are dedicated to working with you to help spread the gospel worldwide. We build web sites for churches, ministries and Christian businesses that operate on biblical principles. We have the expertise and the knowledge to provide you with the best in Internet technology.