What to Do with Your Files or to Set Up FTP

Once you have your HTML files and a web host, you need to put your files on the server. This is done using file transfer protocol, or FTP. To set up FTP, find a client that you can use. Many of the programs you are going to use to set up your website have FTP built in. There are also many free options out there for FTP programs including:

• SmartFTP
• WS-FTP
• CoffeeCup Free FTP

What the FTP program does is copy the files for your website from your home computer to the server's computer. Make sure you find FTP software that is compatible with your server and home operating system. Once you have the FTP program correctly installed, all you have to do is drag and drop the files from your home computer to the server. You will see areas for both in the FTP program. When you get your domain name hosting package, you will receive some crucial information about your FTP access.

• Host name - The host name is your domain name address. This is the name of your website.
• User ID - This is the ID from your hosting company. They will provide this information to you.
• Password - This is also provided by your hosting company.

You will use this information to log on to the host server. When you log on to your FTP program, your files will be put into a directory called public_html. Some servers will put it in a different directory. If you are not sure where to upload your files, check with your web host. Your files, whether they be folders, images, or files, will load the way they look on your home computer. Most of the time your website will show up immediately when you upload your files to your web space.

Where to Find Website Building Tutorials

If you still have more questions, look for web site tutorials. Here are some good examples.

• mediacollege.com/internet/design/webdesign01.html
• netintegrity.com.au/tutorial/webindex.html
• w3schools.com/site/default.asp
• pcurtis.com/webtut.htm

These tutorials will teach you all the answers to your questions. You will learn what is FTP, how to learn HTML, and how to register domain name. These are the basic steps in learning how to build websites.