A Beginner's Journey to Launching a Website

My web development journey began in September 2018. Like many new developers, I struggled to balance learning fundamentals with keeping pace with the industry's rapid evolution. Building a simple, locally-stored website felt miles away from launching a live, internet-accessible site. Yet, I did it! And it was far less daunting, complex, and costly than anticipated.

It all started with an email to Chris, inspiring an informative article that clarified the process. I didn't have a fully-fledged website—just a project to aid my learning. This ongoing project motivated me to accelerate the live launch process. You could even replicate this with a simple "Hello, world!" HTML file.

I chose Gatsby, a React-powered static site generator. Its modular approach resonated with my background in physical product and mechanical design. Building felt intuitive, like constructing a Lego castle, adding components until the final product was ready.

This isn't a tutorial, but a personal account. Hopefully, it inspires you, showing that it's achievable even without formal training, as someone who'd only been coding for a year.

Domain Registration

Initially, acquiring a domain felt significant. Ownership implied responsibility—people would access content I provided. I spent weeks agonizing over the perfect name, exploring acronym generators and thesauruses. Ultimately, I opted for joshlong.design, a simple reflection of my identity and profession. I still relish seeing it in the address bar.

Following Chris's advice (partially!), I purchased two domains: a .com and a .design. The .design required some price-comparison. Managing two domains is manageable; I rarely need to access their settings.

The purchase process was straightforward, akin to any online transaction. Namecheap (.com) and Google Domains (.design) offered similar experiences, requiring standard personal and payment information. Google didn't aggressively upsell; they offered free WHOIS protection, which I accepted for privacy. Namecheap, however, actively promoted add-ons like hosting, email, VPNs, and SSL certificates—all unnecessary for my setup. I already had hosting, used an email alias, and my hosting provided a free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate.

Hosting

Choosing a host proved more challenging than domain registration. My Gatsby site's static nature (HTML, JavaScript) simplified the decision. I didn't need a server-heavy solution like one optimized for WordPress.

Given Gatsby's popularity, I chose Netlify. Their documentation is excellent, and I comfortably remained within the free tier. Netlify's ease of use was a significant factor.

A quick GitHub note: I'm not a Git expert. I created a repository, following instructions to commit and push changes via my VS Code editor. It worked, though I'm now learning command-line Git.

Back to Netlify: I created an account (no credit card needed), linked my GitHub repository, and watched Netlify deploy my site. After deploying to Netlify's temporary URL, I linked my registered domain. Netlify provided nameservers, which I added to Google Domains. Propagation took about three hours (it can vary). Finally, my domain pointed to my live site!

Content Management Systems (CMS)

The CMS landscape is vast, but thankfully, irrelevant if you choose to bypass it. I found freedom in this realization. My Gatsby site used a markdown file directory as its CMS—my text editor. This approach, discussed on ShopTalk Show, worked perfectly.

For structural consistency, I later integrated NetlifyCMS, a fast, open-source CMS. Now, I can create and draft posts from anywhere with an internet connection.

Asset Hosting (CDNs)

A CDN, as Chris explained, stores website assets (HTML, CSS, images). Netlify included a free CDN, improving site speed and navigation significantly.

The Journey's Conclusion

Before launching, I considered sticking to local sites, believing the process to be too difficult, lengthy, and expensive. It wasn't! My domain name was my only cost. The path was surprisingly straightforward:

<code>Code > Buy Domain > Find/Buy Hosting > Update Nameservers > Upload Code > Live!</code>

(Skip nameservers if using the same provider for domain and hosting.)

Launching a website is achievable. The process requires steps, but with patience, it's manageable. The satisfaction of sharing your creation is immense, exceeding my initial expectations. The web community's collaborative spirit was invaluable throughout my learning journey.

I'd love to hear your experiences! What were your challenges and successes? Was it as daunting as it initially seemed?

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