Guide · Basics

Putting your website online: the basics

Before you start: you need two things – a domain (your address, e.g. mycompany.com) and web hosting (the storage where your files live). You can usually get both from the same provider, which is the easiest option.

  1. Choose domain and hosting

    Pick a host (e.g. Hostinger, IONOS, STRATO, World4You, easyname or ALL-INKL) and book a web hosting plan incl. domain. The smallest plan is fine for a normal website. If you ordered extras like a contact form or login area, make sure PHP (and MySQL for logins) is included – this is the case with almost every classic hosting plan.

  2. Unzip the file

    Unzip the ZIP on your computer (Windows: right-click → “Extract all”, Mac: double-click). The “website” folder contains the files that go online, including index.html. You do not need to upload the “UPLOAD-GUIDE” folder.

  3. Get your access details

    In your host’s customer area you will find either a file manager (upload in the browser) or FTP/SFTP credentials: server/host, username, password and port.

  4. Upload the files

    Upload the CONTENTS of the “website” folder to the root directory of your web space (depending on the host it is called “/”, “html”, “htdocs” or “public_html”). Important: index.html must be directly in the root directory, not in a subfolder. Delete or overwrite any placeholder file from your host.

  5. Enable SSL (https)

    Activate the free SSL certificate in your customer area (usually “Let’s Encrypt” or “SSL”). Only then will the padlock appear – important for trust and Google.

  6. Test

    Open your domain in the browser, ideally on your phone too. After registering a new domain, it can take a few hours until it is reachable everywhere.

  7. Register with Google (recommended)

    Add your website to Google Search Console for free and submit the sitemap.xml (if included). If you run a local business, also create a free Google Business Profile.

Tips

  • Forms (contact, booking) need PHP. Enter the email address that should receive enquiries in the “config.php” / “mail-config.php” file in the ZIP.
  • Never upload just the ZIP itself – unless your file manager can extract it on the server (e.g. Hostinger).
  • Changing texts later? Open the .html files with a text editor (e.g. Visual Studio Code) and upload the changed file again.

Hosts occasionally rename menu items. If you can’t find something, use the search in your customer area or contact your provider’s support.