HTML is simply an acronym that stands for Hyper Text Markup Language. It is simply a file that contains tags that tell a web server what to spit out. You can create a web page in any text editor. This includes notepad. All you have to do is save it with the .html or .htm extension. Well, you need tags in the document as well, but that goes without saying.

Okay, so you know that html is just an acronym. And you know that html pages are simply text documents with tags in them. Now, let me show you the bare bones html structure you need to use:

Everything in brackets is a tag. You have to have opening and closing tags. We use the open tag first and then close it with the slash symbol in front of the tag name, enclosed with brackets. It's the way the markup language works. You have to start and end your pages with the html tag. That just tells the web server, "Here comes my html page." The header tag contains the title of the page, meta tags (we will explain in a later post), etc. The body tag lets the server know that the main part of the page is coming. This can contain text, pictures, tables, etc. We will have to cover that at a later point. But that's really the bare bones for you. We'll also cover some free tools soon.

That's right, we offer a ton of extra stuff, including free web hosting, when you buy or tranfer a domain through us!  This includes:

• Online Photo Filer
• 25MB email account
• Free hosting
• Web Site Builder
• Quick Blogcast
• 100 Pack Email Forwarding
• ETC!

So, why not get started and register a domain name.

The first thing you will need is your FTP login information.  FTP just stands for File Transfer Protocol.  It's just how files are transferred over the internet.  You don't need to know any more than that.  You may not know what your FTP login is.  Most of the time, you can find this if you login to your web host.  You will probably find that under your hosting information.  If not, give them a call and ask what your ftp info will be.  It is usually tied to your hosting login somehow.  Okay, once you have your FTP login it's time to get a FTP client.  The FTP client program will allow you to connect to the FTP server on your web hosting account.  Let me suggest some great, free FTP clients:

SmartFTP - I love this program and use it constantly.  It's free and easy to use.  It has a familiar file and folder look.  I highly recommend this FTP client.

FileZilla - A great program with a great name.  I know many people using this FTP program.  It's easy to use, but powerful.

Now, all you have to do is enter your site name and your FTP login information into one of these programs.  This will connect you to where you can upload your files.  If you are on a shared web host, then it should connect you straight into your web server file structure.  Just remember, if you are on windows, you will need an index.html file.  If you are on linux, you will need an index.php file if you are utilizing a php environment.  That's about it.

So, the thing most of us have done to keep in touch is to get in tune with email, or some have even gone the MySpace route to bridge the gap between us and the younger generation. There are lots of options out there to keep in touch with family over the internet, but one that is easier than you might think is having your own website. With your own website or blog, you are able to keep all of your loved ones informed about what is going on with you in your life at once. This allows for consistent communication without the back and forth of email.

And it's much easier than you might think. I recently set up a new site with a blog on it in about an hour with some help from the guys at Loudsign. And it's also not nearly as expensive as you might imagine. You can get out the door with a package from Loudsign, that covers two years of web hosting and your domain name for less than 70$! It's true, head on over to view all the packages Loudsign has to offer here.

If you don't have the time or energy for a website of your own, you can keep in touch with those family and friends with the Loudsign Online Photo Filer. This is a great service that allows you to share, print and manage all your photos online. More information about it can be found here.

So, don't mess with the spam zone that is MySpace, and save your email for personal conversations. But if you want to keep in touch with all of your family at once, get a website started with the good folks here at Loudsign.

It can seem like a daunting task if you are new to the web, or have just been lurking on the internet fringes, wondering if you have the ability to start a website that is attractive to advertisers. Well, let me be the first to say, you do. And the secret is, its not as hard as you might think.

But, lets not get ahead of ourselves yet, as the only way to have a great website is to begin with a solid foundation. Loudsign is equipped to help make it happen for you. Here are a few bulleted ways to get started on a website you can be proud of.

~ First of all, check out our last post on Domain Registration.

~ Next, decide what kind of website you want. Dream a little. If you want to start a blog, think about what topics you are passionate about and would love to be writing about. If you are interested in selling something, do some research, figure out what you could make a profit on and start crunching the numbers.

~ Once you have your idea, and your domain, you need to think about a good web hosting package. Loudsign has a really great variety of hosting options that range from 4$ a month all the way up to our dedicated server "website on steroids" plan. All the details can be found here.

~ Now you are almost ready to start getting creative, whether you want to create blog content, podcasts or an e-commerce shop, Loudsign has you covered. The creative process is yours to decide, but Loudsign has many ways to assist you through the process.

So, thats enough to keep you busy for awhile, keep checking back here for some more detailed info.....