CMS, domains and hosting – What you need to know

CMS, domains and hosting – What you need to know

Let's say you want to start writing a blog or open a website. You have all the skills and a clear idea of what topic to put online. But it's not like putting pen to paper. In the web world there are rules and technical tools that you must follow and use. They are not difficult to use, nor to understand, but if you don't know where to start, we provide you with this little guide to understand what's behind a website/blog.

The first steps to launch an online website/blog are: choose a CMS (Content Management System) I recommend you use WordPress, scegliere un nome di dominio per il tuo blog e scegliere un provider di hosting, noi ti consigliamo V-Hosting o Siteground.

Do I choose CMS or static pages?

To start composing a website/blog you need to choose a Content Management System (CMS) or a static site. A CMS is a system that allows you to create a website without having to learn to program or write programming code.

CMS-based websites are super simple and allow you to update content and make layout changes quickly and with one click (my website is built with WordPress), without having to hack into the website's code. CMS-based sites use a database where the content is stored.

Static pages, on the other hand, are websites for which you write the code yourself in HTML, CSS and other web technologies, of which you obviously need to have at least a basic knowledge. The simple templates on these sites often don't require a database. The problem is that changing these sites to static pages is really complex and takes a lot of time. If you are not really expert in web programming, we recommend you approach a website/blog with a CMS solution, which is safe, fast and always valid.

Which CSM to choose?

We can recommend you among the best CMS systems Joomla o Drupal, but if you really want ease and speed, use WordPress. You certainly have to make a comparison between the services offered by the three, but with WordPress you really have many functions, many themes to choose from, many plug-ins, an edge with Google and above all, if you are interested in monetizing your website/blog with WordPress you can seamlessly access the Amazon Affiliate Program and integrate our solution Dropshipping.

WordPress was born as a system for publishing blogs, many content articles, images and videos, but today it is truly the most used system for creating private and business websites, especially due to its ease of use. Furthermore, it is constantly updated by the developers who offer you extra features every day, help you with online support and guarantee security and professionalism.

What is the right domain?

The second step after choosing and installing a CMS is to purchase a domain. The domain will be the name of your website/blog and is what visitors will see e.g. www.ilmioblog.it. When you choose the domain, you need to choose a name suitable for your content, so that typing visitors will already know what type of website/blog they are looking at.

Otherwise you can build a logo and brand for the website/blog if you open it for a purely commercial activity. In this case the domain can obviously be the name of the brand, which must in any case be registered first.

We recommend choosing a domain that indicates the theme of your site and can later become a brand. The domain of a blog almost always takes the name of the blog, choose it carefully and you will never have to change it again.

What is the right hosting?

L’ultima fase prima di pubblicare il sito web/blog è scegliere l’hosting. Le società che forniscono hosting offrono un servizio in cui viene installato il tuo CMS, i contenuti archiviati su un server e spesso offrono anche un servizio di backup. I servizi di hosting sono disponibili 24 ore su 24, sette giorni su sette, 365 giorni l’anno. Molte aziende offrono sia il CMS che l’hosting come pacchetto, in una forma semplificata per la gestione soprattutto all’inizio.

We recommend using a hosting where the majority of the audience your website/blog will target resides. For example, if you want to reach the American audience, it would be best to use hosting from a US company.

Often several companies offer the same services and at the same price. Making a difference and choosing is never easy, but you can rely on user reviews, a reputation for quality service and fast, professional technical support. Always check that, as your website/blog grows you may need other services, the company can provide you with a new "upgraded" hosting plan quickly and easily, when needed.

And in the future?

As previously mentioned, the web world is very fast and changes happen in a few seconds every day. Everything you decide for your website/blog must be well thought out, because changing a site is never profitable. The three focal points: CSM, Hosting and Domain are fundamental in the technical characteristics of your website/blog.

Obviously if you are not satisfied, you can always change domain or hosting company, but it is not as quick as it seems, and therefore it would be better to evaluate everything when you decide to open a website/blog.