Once you’ve created your website files and purchased web hosting services, you need to transfer the files to the web host. After this is done, your website will be live and people should be able to access it. If you’re not sure how to get your files to the host, read on.
Most web hosts come with a browser upload tool. Read the documentation that came with your web hosting package or look at the options when you sign into your web hosting account so that you can find this tool. This is usually the easiest way to get files onto the Internet.
The upload tool lets you create folders on the web host and upload your files to it. Some upload tools require you to upload files one at a time, while others allow you to upload all of your files at once. Once your files are uploaded, you can preview them using the tool. Some upload tools allow you to edit HTML right from the tool, so if your web pages don’t look the way you expect them to, you can fix it without having to re-upload.
If you use a browser upload tool, you need to make sure that you are uploading your files to the correct directory using the tool; otherwise, people will not be able to access your files. Most browser upload tools give you access to several different folders; upload your files to the root directory or the public HTML directory if you want people to see them. You can make other folders within this directory if you wish. For example, you can make a folder for images. If you do this, the folder will be added to your web address–i.e., http://mybusinessite.com/images/index.html
The other most common way of uploading files to your web host is to use File Transfer Protocol, or FTP. Usually you have to download a separate FTP client to do this. The FTP client is a program that allows you to connect to the server and upload and download files.
FTP is a quick way of uploading files. Once you put your username and password into the FTP client, you can upload your files in a matter of minutes. In addition, you’ll be able to tell which files were uploaded if you lose your Internet connection in the middle of a transfer, while browser upload tools make it more difficult for you to find this information. Most FTP clients don’t allow you to edit HTML on the spot, however, so you will have to edit your files in your web editing software and then re-upload them.
Although there are other methods of uploading files, using the browser upload tool or an FTP client are the two most common methods. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. If you are uploading a lot of files, you will probably find FTP easier, while browser upload tools are less intimidating for people not familiar with Internet technology. Either way, you should now know what to do to get your files online so that you can start using your website.