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Slap to the Forehead, Did I Just Make a Huge Mistake?

by andrealouisechang Banned
21 replies
I am a newbie, so please be kind (er).

So I'm there when a guru said to buy my own domain and a hosting so that I can use it for any affiliate marketing campaign I may have in mind.

So I did. Tada! (Moderated)

I then looked for a hosting. Since there were so many options, I of course looked for the cheapest. I saw a dazzling Namecheap ad that said $1 HOSTING and well, noob that I am, bought it. I have experience building a site with another hosting provider before, so when I saw that this Namecheap $1 hosting included cPanel, I bought it.

Only to realize that it was a $1 reseller hosting. But I spoke to a customer service rep and was advised that "Yes, you can use it to host your own domain." Whew, I was relieved.

For a moment there I was worried I flushed my precious $1 down the sewage.

I then found out that this particular cPanel or hosting package did not have the drag and click website builders I was accustomed to...

Huge slap to the forehead moment.

So I found a way to make it work anyway (lest that $1 go to waste)... I downloaded Dreamweaver and followed the steps in a tutorial I found online....

7 days and the site is still a mess, although Yebah! I learned how to Put and make the site go live at least.

I know I lost precious days, but I hate giving up on what I already started doing.

Silly question after the semi-novel up there that took 5 minutes off your day:

Should I go on using Dreamweaver until my site is done or should I let that damned $1 go and get myself another hosting?

If so, any recommendations? What I'm looking for is a user-friendly provider, inexpensive, and great customer support.

I could read reviews, but nothing beats getting suggestions from experts such as you guys!
#domain #forehead #hosting #huge #make #mistake #new affiliate marketer #slap #website builder
  • Profile picture of the author Sarevok
    First, congrats on taking action. And I like your domain name.



    Second, look to see if your Cpanel has "Fantastico Deluxe", and if it does - use WordPress instead of Dreamweaver.

    Fantastico makes WordPress install a breeze... Literally a few clicks.

    (I used to hand code everything with HTML and CSS and love Dreamweaver but WordPress has it beat).

    I wasn't sure if when you said "Drag and click website builder" you meant WordPress... But still check to see if your Cpanel has Fantastico.

    If it doesn't - then I would recommend HostGator as an alternative.

    They are dirt cheap (a few bucks per month)...

    Hope this helps
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    • Profile picture of the author RSK3000
      If it was me I would ask Namecheap to close the reseller account and open up a shared hosting account with them and loose the Dollar.

      Thats the easiest thing.

      Their Value Hosting Plan looks like it supports Wordpress and I think thats the way to go, if you can.

      If they wont help and you can quit, I'd do it, and transfer your domain (perhaps to GoDaddy) and buy hosting elsewhere (perhaps Host Gator or Blue Host).

      Hope that helps
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      Blog Post: Why You Need Multiple Streams Of Income, NOW!
      For more internet marketing hints and tips follow me on Twitter - @TheIncomeSherpa

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    • Profile picture of the author Myles Sinclair
      Hello Andrea,

      It looks like you've been busy. Good for you. If you can make the break away from website builders provided by hosts, that would probably be a good thing.

      In the short term it may seem like an easy thing to create your website using the hosts drag and drop builder, but you may find you are unable to migrate the site if you ever wanted to switch hosts! So short term gain for long term pain!

      Dreamweaver is a great editor for designing a site. There are also a million templates available to download and play with. Free ones as well as paid.

      With you own hosting you can also opt for a CMS system like Wordpress, Joomla, Drupal etc., Lots of choices available to you.
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    • Profile picture of the author andrealouisechang
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Sarevok View Post

      First, congrats on taking action. And I like your domain name.



      Second, look to see if your Cpanel has "Fantastico Deluxe", and if it does - use WordPress instead of Dreamweaver.

      Fantastico makes WordPress install a breeze... Literally a few clicks.

      (I used to hand code everything with HTML and CSS and love Dreamweaver but WordPress has it beat).

      I wasn't sure if when you said "Drag and click website builder" you meant WordPress... But still check to see if your Cpanel has Fantastico.

      If it doesn't - then I would recommend HostGator as an alternative.

      They are dirt cheap (a few bucks per month)...

      Hope this helps
      Thank you for the response.

      I don't see Fantastico in this cPanel. Told you this sucks LOL... It has a panel that says Apps Install where there are options for Blog, CMS, etc.

      There is an option to install WordPress from Softaculous. Now it's installed and I was brought to a WordPress page. I don't have a lot of experience with WordPress but I will develop my skills further.

      Thank you for your help!
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      • Profile picture of the author vickybabe
        Originally Posted by andrealouisechang View Post

        Thank you for the response.

        I don't see Fantastico in this cPanel. Told you this sucks LOL... It has a panel that says Apps Install where there are options for Blog, CMS, etc.

        There is an option to install WordPress from Softaculous. Now it's installed and I was brought to a WordPress page. I don't have a lot of experience with WordPress but I will develop my skills further.

        Thank you for your help!
        Hey there Andrea,

        Softaculous is basically the same thing as fantastico, so you are on the right track

        Wordpress is great once you get the hang of it,

        Keep at it
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  • Profile picture of the author Mike Hill
    Andrea,

    Keep the reseller hosting package... This doesn't mean you have to sell hosting, you can keep it all for yourself and host all your domains in the future in your account that you control.

    You will have 2 logins. One will be for Cpanel to manage individual websites you have. The other is WHM which stands for Web Host Manager. In this area you can alot bandwidth, memory quotas and create new accounts.

    When you create a new account you first purchase a domain name. Then create the account in your WHM. After that, go back to your domain name you purchased and change the DNS settings to point to your reseller account.

    You have to remember, there are two entities at play here.
    1. Domain names
    2. Web hosting

    And as I stated above, to manage your domains (Create account, alot bandwidth, etc in WHM) and you upload files, install a blog, etc for a domain using Cpanel for that specific domain.

    Clear as mud?

    PS. If I where you I would install a blog on your domain and customize it from there. Forget about HTML and dreamweaver. There are lots of programs that will turn your wordpress site into what you are looking for (Optimize Press, Profits Theme and many other options for WP plugins right here in the forum)

    -Mike Hill
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  • Profile picture of the author barbling
    Originally Posted by andrealouisechang View Post

    I...I learned how to Put and make the site go live at least....
    Just had to ask - do you mean 'put' as in manual ftp to a site and upload files that way?

    If so, that so rocks!!! Always love hearing about people who proactively teach themselves - it bodens well for future success.
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    • Profile picture of the author RuggeroSB
      Andrea,

      Whatever you choose to do, that $1 you spent has been a valuable investment in your education! I started my internet career with Dreamweaver, back when Wordpress was barely even known about, and let me tell you, that experience is worth bucket-loads to me now. While it's true that Wordpress is basically the defacto platform these days and I also basically only use Wordpress now too, having worked with Dreamweaver (and therefore also got introduced to HTML and CSS and actually expanded into that as well as PHP, MySQL and so on) has given me an enormous advantage (in my humble opinion) over those who barely know how to install Wordpress by using automated scripts such as Fantastico.

      "Why", I hear you say? Well, apart from a lot of other stuff, I can read the very fabric of my website and weave it any way I like. I can change the way my site behaves under certain conditions etc. Understanding what goes on behind the scenes and how it all ties together gives you a huge edge and a lot of power.

      If I was you? Learn Wordpress. Use Wordpress. But do not under-estimate the value of that $1 which forced you into learning the very fabric of the net, even if it's through a WYSIWYG editor such as Dreamweaver. Keep experimenting with it. Keep learning and trying new things with it. You'll be glad you did.
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  • Profile picture of the author imsirigiri
    Let the reseller account stay like that and get yourself a shared hosting as this would avoid the same set of problems you are facing now, in the future.

    What if you want to put up more sites in the near future? Using Dreamweaver and creating a basic website for yourself is fun the first time, but not when you do it every time.
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  • Profile picture of the author guitarizma
    Banned
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author andrealouisechang
      Banned
      Originally Posted by guitarizma View Post

      A compliment first - you write well and that's a great quality to have..
      Thank you for the compliment.

      Originally Posted by guitarizma View Post

      My advice - get rid of dreamweaver, just install wordpress on the site, grab a theme of your choice and upload it. Info on wordpress customization is easily available so you should have any problems making your site look pretty. Wordpress is more versatile than many of us think and with so many plugins available, you can actually weave magic with WP.
      I'm on it now.

      Thank you for your advice!
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  • Profile picture of the author albert12
    Your worried about $1 and you made a site teaching people how to make money?
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    • Profile picture of the author andrealouisechang
      Banned
      Originally Posted by albert12 View Post

      Your worried about $1 and you made a site teaching people how to make money?
      I was hoping the sarcasm about my worry for the $1 would be obvious.... Apparently I was wrong!
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  • Profile picture of the author Paul Irvine
    Hi Andrea,
    First congratulations on getting started. Buying hosting and getting it up and running can be a scary task in itself, so that's one hurdle cleared so well done!

    I know I'm late to the conversation but I'm going to suggest you do some things and explain the reasons why with them.

    1. Get rid of the reseller account, it has been designed for people comfortable with hosting setups and does not contain the same kind of software and tools as a standard package does. It is a great tool to have yes, but it is not what you need so shift over to a shared account.

    2. Do NOT NOT NOT (did I say do not?) install WordPress with any kind of script, Fantastico is a BIG no no and Softaculous although a bit better is still a script.

    Scripted installations are not a wise move, you will be leaving your site open to hackers from so many directions it will make your head spin.

    Instead do it the manual way (WordPress' famous 5 minute install). That way you will setup your site with the best chance of repelling future hack attempts.

    Did I say don't use Fantastico? Good.

    3. One thing many people take for granted is the theme they choose to install on their new WordPress site...but think about that for a second. Do you know the creator of the free theme you're installing? Would you let a stranger into your house or business?

    Make sure you install only themes from reputable sources, do you checks before installing anything on your site (theme, plugin...anything) as if you are unfortunate enough to install something from an untrusted source then there is a high chance they can hijack your site and do...whatever they want to with it really.

    I hope some of this has been of some help, whatever you choose to do just be safe, use some common sense and everything will be fine

    Kindest regards,
    Paul.
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    • Profile picture of the author RobinInTexas
      Originally Posted by Paul Irvine View Post

      Hi Andrea,

      1. Get rid of the reseller account, it has been designed for people comfortable with hosting setups and does not contain the same kind of software and tools as a standard package does. It is a great tool to have yes, but it is not what you need so shift over to a shared account.
      The reseller account is just fine, most of them are simply containers for ordinary shared accounts.

      2. Do NOT NOT NOT (did I say do not?) install WordPress with any kind of script, Fantastico is a BIG no no and Softaculous although a bit better is still a script.
      There is no reason not to use Fantastico or Softalicious as long as you use good sense and follow the advice WordPress gives

      Hardening WordPress « WordPress Codex

      Which you should follow if you do a manual install.

      3. One thing many people take for granted is the theme they choose to install on their new WordPress site...but think about that for a second. Do you know the creator of the free theme you're installing? Would you let a stranger into your house or business?

      Make sure you install only themes from reputable sources, do you checks before installing anything on your site (theme, plugin...anything) as if you are unfortunate enough to install something from an untrusted source then there is a high chance they can hijack your site and do...whatever they want to with it really.
      Good Advice to follow there. The best place for themes are the free themes hosted at WordPress.org.

      Just make sure the theme chosen is current and supported. I don't like themes that haven't been updated recently, more than a year is often a bad sign. Check the support link for the theme, and see if there are valid complaints/problems and if the author responds.

      Also for plugins. make sure any plugin is current and supported. I don't like plugins that haven't been updated recently, more than a year is often a bad sign. Check the support link for the plugin, and see if there are valid complaints/problems and if the author responds.
      Signature

      Robin



      ...Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just set there.
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      • Profile picture of the author tekken2
        For any account that is going to host a money I would not use a dollar site.

        They are slow and un reliable. You really have no idea or control of the sites you are sharing the address with.

        All thus does is bring down your reputation. If you plan on using google, then it may incur a penalty.

        For Ppc the slow loading times will cost clicks.

        The better long term bet is to pay a little more for higher end hosting.
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  • Profile picture of the author RobinInTexas
    Keep using WordPress be sure to spend some time learning about it

    A good place to start is New To WordPress - Where to Start « WordPress Codex
    Signature

    Robin



    ...Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just set there.
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  • Profile picture of the author NicheCreatorPro
    WordPress with a paid theme that has all the options you need is the way to go. Also remember to add the necessary plug-ins and widgets to customize, protect and backup your site.
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    To Your Success -

    Marc V. Weiner
    http://helpkeepitlocal.com

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  • Profile picture of the author andrealouisechang
    Banned
    Thank you for all your recommendations
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  • Profile picture of the author EmpireMarket
    Hey andrea! heres a good video to help you understand more about using wordpress to solve your problem.. i hope this helps
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  • Profile picture of the author Adam Short
    Some great suggestions here and I second using Wordpress. Also, using a paid theme instead of free will be valuable to you long term. themeforest.net is a good place to find Wordpress themes and you can get support from the theme creator as you build your website. Good luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author Marked09
    Hey Andrea! God Job working and buying your own webhosting and domain however to be honest spending 7 days getting stucked to figure out how put up a website just because you don't want to lose $1 is totally a waste of time.

    This is really not a good way to spend your 7 days worrying for $1. Sometimes you have to value your time even more.

    I'm not saying this to bash you but I'm posting this because I don't want to sugarcoat that Internet Marketing is easy.

    As you progress you will struggle and you will encounter a lot of stumbling block. You will have to take a risk and lose some money.

    The way you handle this and how you learn from every situations you will encounter will determine the speed of your progress how fast you can make more money.

    I admire you for putting up your website and spending time to accomplish it! some people can't even spend a day doing that! Continue doing that and you will soon see results.
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