Get Your New Website Online: A Step-by-Step Guide

Before you start

You can get your website online in about 30 minutes, for roughly $62 in your first year.

You need three things:

• The website file you downloaded with Download My Website (it is called index.html)
• A credit card or PayPal account
• An idea for your website address, like yourbusiness.com

Putting a website online takes two pieces that work together. A domain is your address, the name people type to find you. Hosting is the space on the internet where your website file lives. You buy both from the same company, and this guide shows you how.

The host we recommend: FastComet

We use FastComet for our own websites, and we recommend it for one reason above all: their live chat is open 24/7, answers in minutes, and will do the technical steps for you. That matters more than saving a few dollars when you are putting your first website online.

You also get free https (the padlock in the browser), which switches on by itself, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

A note on links: the FastComet link below may be an affiliate link. If you sign up through it, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Start here: FASTCOMET

What it costs (prices seen in November 2026; they change, so always check the total on the checkout page before you pay):

If you would rather lock in the low price for longer, the 3-year term is $71.63 up front ($1.99 a month). It costs about the same as 2 years and covers you for 3.

Step 1: Buy your domain and hosting together

Buying both in one checkout is the simplest way, because they connect to each other automatically.

1. Open FASTCOMET and choose Shared Hosting, then the Starter plan.
2. Choose your term. 1-year is the usual choice.
3. Choose the server location closest to your customers. For the United States, pick Dallas, US.
4. Choose Register a new domain, search for the name you want, and add it to the same order. A .com is the one people remember and trust most.
5. Skip extras you do not recognize, such as email add-ons, site builders, and security upgrades. You can always add them later.
6. Read the order summary before you pay. It shows what you pay today and what the plan renews at.
7. Create your account and pay. Then click the verification link that arrives in your email, because a domain can be suspended if you skip it.

Step 2: Ask support to put your website online

You do not have to upload anything yourself. Sign in to your FastComet account, open the live chat, and say:

“I have a one-page website file called index.html. Please upload it to my new domain.”

Send your index.html file when they ask for it. They will do it or walk you through it while you watch.

Step 3: Check it works

Open https://yourdomain.com on your phone and your computer. You should see your website with the padlock in the address bar. If something looks off, find it here.

Prefer to upload it yourself?

Uploading is one file, and the File Manager works like the folders on your computer.

1. Sign in to your FastComet account, open your hosting plan, and click cPanel.
2. In cPanel, open File Manager.
3. Open the folder named public_html. This is the folder that shows your website to the world.
4. If public_html already has a file named index.html or index.php, delete it so yours takes over.
5. Click Upload and choose your downloaded website file. Wait until it shows 100%.
6. Go back to the folder and check that your file is there and is named exactly index.html, all lowercase. If your computer renamed it to something like index (1).html, right-click it, choose Rename, and change it to index.html.

The padlock (https) switches on by itself within a few minutes of your domain being set up. You do not need to do anything for it.

What it costs after year one

The low first-year price is a promotion, and renewals cost more. The regular hosting price is roughly $120 to $145 a year, plus your domain. Three habits keep you from being surprised:

• Put a reminder in your calendar 30 days before your renewal date.
• Keep auto-renew on for your domain, so you never lose your address.
• If you no longer want to keep the website, cancel before the renewal date, not after.

Need help?

For anything about buying a domain, hosting, or putting the file online, FastComet’s live chat is the fastest help. Tell them: “I have a one-page website file called index.html. I need to put it online at my domain.”

Websites Made Easy is a YippityDoo product.