Can someone recommend the best tutorial on creating subdomains, for beginners?

by warcher

Posted: 18 years ago 30 replies

INTERNET MARKETING

I've been learning a little from Bluehost, but so far am not too happy with them. Does anyone have a strong favorite --one for a truly extreme beginner, who has never set up any website?

Naturally I have done a Google search for "tutorial create subdomain," but there are a lot to select from. I'd appreciate your recommendations on any tutorials you think would be good for the technically-challenged!

#beginners #creating #recommend #subdomains #tutorial

entrepenerd

18 years ago

I'm not sure you'll find a good tutorial on creating a subdomain. There are many different aspects of creating a subdomain. Many of them are VERY technical, and not something you'd probably do yourself. If you're trying to create a subdomain on a specific webhost, then you can probably find good info from the hosting provider.

Are you on a webhost with CPanel?

Also, what do you want to do with your subdomain?

For example, I use Wordpress MU and subdomains to create niche VRE websites to generate Adsense revenue.

What are your plans for the subdomains you create?

Thanks
1 reply

Signature

FREE Video Reveals...
7 Secrets to Internet Marketing Failure
...or, how you can short circuit my mistakes and become an Internet Market Success!!

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[48881].message }}

warcher

18 years ago

Originally Posted by entrepenerd

==============\

Hi Entreprenerd,

Thank you very much for your coments. You're right, a lot of the things I have read on the subject of subdomains are very technical.

Your suggestion that I can probably find good info from the hosting provider, though, is a little off, in my recent experience. Here's what I mean: I signed on with the hosting provider, Bluehost.com, because they were listed as a good one at Wordpress.org. But I have found that their instructions leave a lot to be desired, for beginners. They do have cPanel, with some great-loking graphics and it appears they provide a good service for anyone who already knows everything.

I've asked them 3 or 4 technical questions by email and one of their answers was absurdly incorrect and another reply was irrelevant.

(They offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, and I'm getting close to asking for it.)

You asked what I want to do with my subdomains. I intend to use them in conjuction with the "Affiliate Hijacker" software provided by GeorgR. (sic) as a WSO (Warriors' Special Offer). It looks to me like a wonderful program, and I intend to roll with it, as soon as I learn how to set up those subdomains.

If necessary I'll engage someone off of elance or some such place to show me how to do it.

Thanks again.

Wayne Archer
("warcher")

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[49099].message }}

Dan Grossman

18 years ago

It's good to figure out what control panel your host uses. If you've had more than one web host you probably realized already that they don't make their own. 99% just license one of the top 3:

- cPanel / WHM (Fantastico is an addon to this package)
- Plesk
- DirectAdmin

You can usually find a copyright notice or some other indication of which you're using on the page when you're logged in. Then you know what keyword to use when searching for tutorials on using that control panel to configure your hosting.

Thanks
1 reply

Signature

Improvely: Built to track, test and optimize your marketing.

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[48931].message }}

warcher

18 years ago

Originally Posted by Dan Grossman

==============

Thank you, Dan. Your answer helps and I appreciate it.

Wayne
("warcher")

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[49105].message }}

warcher

18 years ago

Originally Posted by Craig Desorcy

cpanel_xskin_subdomain

That came from this page
Tutorials

I always google "whatever tutorials" when I need one and it's never failed me :-)

Craig

Hi Craig,

Thanks very much for your reply. I apreciate it.

Thanks for the hostgator tutorial. I have looked at hostgator's website, but never came across that tutorial.

I have Googled "whatever tutorials" as you suggested, and although you say it's never failed you, it has failed me. It's failed me bigtime on "subdomain tutorials." All the ones I have found so far were written in the purest computerese!

The link you gave looks like it might be helpful. So far I have only looked at a few minutes of it, but will get back to it. Thank you! That's the kind of thing I was looking for!

Sincerely,

Wayne
(warcher"

Thanks
1 reply

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[49103].message }}

George Wright

18 years ago

I'm not a techie. It never occurred to me that setting up a subdomain was technical.

You just go to the first page of cpanel and look for the icon "sub domains" click it and name your subdomain. you can then link to it as www. subdomain.yoursite.com or www. yoursite.com/subdomain

You load information into it the same way you would any directory. ftp or cpanel upload page.

Also you can redirect a subdomain by setting the redirect on the same page where you create it. Again, just look for the icon called subdomains on the main page of your cpanel.

Sorry if I'm missing something in your question.

George Wright

Thanks
2 replies

Signature

"The first chapter sells the book; the last chapter sells the next book." Mickey Spillane

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[49112].message }}

Dan Grossman

18 years ago

Well, not everyone has cpanel, not everyone's cpanel looks the same (it can be skinned), and not everyone has the same menus (the host can add/remove features from their plans and that determines what menus you get in cpanel).

Without a control panel, I'd call it very technical... DNS zone files for BIND are not pretty.

Thanks
1 reply

Signature

Improvely: Built to track, test and optimize your marketing.

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[49129].message }}

George Wright

18 years ago

Thanks Dan,

I sure didn't know that. I've had everything from the cheapest (even free) hosting to a Virtual Dedicated Server and there was always a create a subdomain icon on the main control panel page. Even my plesk panel had one. I learn something new here every day.

Thanks Again,
George Wright

Thanks
1 reply

Signature

"The first chapter sells the book; the last chapter sells the next book." Mickey Spillane

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[49157].message }}

GeorgR.

18 years ago

Hello warcher,

i gave a little "round-up" in my affiliate hijacker thread. Hope it helps. G.

Thanks
2 replies

Signature

*** Affiliate Site Quick --> The Fastest & Easiest Way to Make Affiliate Sites!<--
-> VISIT www.1UP-SEO.com *** <- Internet Marketing, SEO Tips, Reviews & More!! ***
*** HIGH QUALITY CONTENT CREATION +++ Manual Article Spinning (Thread Here) ***
Content Creation, Blogging, Articles, Converting Sales Copy, Reviews, Ebooks, Rewrites

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[49212].message }}

Sarah Harvey

18 years ago

wow o.o with my host all I have to do is go to my domains in the control panel, click on a drop down box, type the name of my sub-domain and viola! I have a sub-domain lol

Thanks
1 reply

Signature

"Find the problem and provide the solution."

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[49233].message }}

warcher

18 years ago

Originally Posted by Sarah Harvey

wow o.o with my host all I have to do is go to my domains in the control panel, click on a drop down box, type the name of my sub-domain and viola! I have a sub-domain lol

Hi Sarah,

Thanks very much for that encouraging info. I must have really gotten off on the wrong foot! Would you mind letting me know which host you use? Their setup sounds so much easier than the one I have had so much trouble with.

Thanks again.

Wayne Archer
(warcher)

Thanks
3 replies

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[50639].message }}

MizzCindy

18 years ago

Wayne, I have no guidance for you as I'm a techno-noob, myself. I just wanted to let you know that I feel your pain! The wonderful thing is all the help and guidance offered here on the WF. Also, once you master this skill, you'll feel over the moon with joy (at least that's how I feel after each technical victory).

Hang in there. These things do get easier. With each new task learned, you'll gain more self-confidence.

Cindy

Thanks
1 reply

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[50666].message }}

warcher

18 years ago

Originally Posted by MizzCindy

Hi Cindy,

Thanks very much for your comments. Glad to know someone else feels my pain! You're right, I have really been getting some great help here on WF. Maybe we're both gaining on it!

Best wishes,

Wayne Archer
('warcher')

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[54270].message }}

clint48

18 years ago

Warcher, I will send you my product in my sig for free if you are interested, it's not about subdomains, but once you are able to set up your free domain and hosting just send me an email and I will show you how to set up a sub domain.

If you like the product let me know, I will use it as a testimonial with your permission of course.

Clint
P.S. PM me if you are interested, I will be going to bed in the next hour or so, but I will send it tomorrow if you are interested.

Thanks
1 reply

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[50674].message }}

warcher

18 years ago

Originally Posted by clint48

Hi Clint. Thanks. Will PM you later.
Looking forward to seeing your product.
Wayne

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[68897].message }}

BrianMcLeod

18 years ago

Wayne,

Bluehost uses CPanel. Here's a shortcut to their demo login control panel (I've fast-forwarded to the page that the "Subdomain" link from the main control panel will take you to)

http://login.bluehost.com/frontend/b...ain/index.html

There, you'll see:

Create a Subdomain

Subdomain : ________ (name of your subdomain) (( MENU OF AVAILABLE DOMAINS))
Document Root : __________ (will automagically fill in the path of the new directory the subdomain will point to)

Here's a snapshot:

Thanks
3 replies

Signature

Brian McLeod

Direct Response Copywriting

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[50697].message }}

Sarah Harvey

18 years ago

As I replied earlier in this thread and in a pm, it's easy when you have this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7.../Subdomain.gif

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...Subdomain2.gif

1and1.co.uk I use, but then again if you live in USA or surrounds you can easily go through 1&1 Internet Inc. - Web Hosting Services and Domain Name Registration

Good luck!

Thanks
1 reply

Signature

"Find the problem and provide the solution."

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[51206].message }}

warcher

18 years ago

Originally Posted by Sarah Harvey

Hi Sarah,

Thank you very much, again! Have sent you a PM.

Best wishes,
Wayne

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[54258].message }}

warcher

18 years ago

Originally Posted by LoudMac

Hi LoudMac,

----------------------------

You may not want to read all my comments below. No problem if you don't. They may go on for longer than you are interested in.. But anyway I would like you to know, I greatly appreciate your reply to my posting.

(My comments below are largely disparaging of Bluehost.com, which you referred to.)

-----------------------------

Thank you very much for your comments, with that partial screenshot of the page from Bluehost.com, and the section headed,"Create a Subdomain." Thank you for including that screenshot, because it makes everything easier to talk about. That section, "Create a Subdomain," is just where I started having some of my worst troubles with Bluehost. Here is a bit of that story, which you may find interesting:

That "Create a Subdomain" section asks for one to enter his Document Root. So naturally, being a beginner and having no idea what a Document Root was ... not knowing because Bluehost's tutorials had neglected to give a hint as to what term might mean (the same as many others)(Bluehost uses technical terms without bothering to define them) I emailed them and asked them what my "Document Root" was.

Now a little bit higher up on that same page, they had given me an expression and said that that was my "home directory." Not a clue as to what the term might mean ... just that so-and-so was my "home directory." So, OK, I figured no problem. I'll just know that term is my "home directory," whatever "home directory" might mean.

But when I got their reply to my email about "What does the term, 'Document Root' mean?," I'll bet you can't guess what they told me. They said my Document Root was so-and-so, which I noticed was just the same as what they'd said my "home directory" was.

So I emailed them back & said I understand that you say my Document Root is exactly the same as my Home Directory. But it seemed to me a little redundant for them to ask what my Document Root was ... because if it was just the same as my Home Directory, and they had already told me what my Home Directory was, then it wouldn't seem to make a whole lot of sense for them to ask me to enter my Document Root, since it appeared that they already knew it. So, I continued, is it always true that one's Document Root is exactly the same as his Home Directory, or was it just a coincidence this time?

So, Brian, if you're familiar with Bluehost.com, then I'll be you can guess what happened: I got a reply email from Bluehost, from a different person saying he understood I was having problems, but not making the slightest attempt to answer the sharply-defined question I had specifically asked them.

In my next message to their support team I tried to simplify everything by breaking it down into small steps, an only asked them an Either/Or question, where all they had to do was select A or B.

So what happened? Well, I'll bet almost anyone can guess -anyone that uses Bluehost.com. What happened was, Bluehost.com emailed me back (promptly) with an oblique and almost-relevant, wooly, high-fog count reply in a dialect that I took to be somewhere about midway between bureaucratese and computerese ... a reply that never did get around to giving me a direct answer -that is, they never did select A or B, which I had so carefully structured, to try to make things easy for them.

One problem I'm sure all Bluehost users know is that every time you email their Support team, some new person answers your question --someone unfamiliar with what's gone on before --even if you're sitting at your computer and replying only a few minutes later. So they have poor continuity. Either poor or non-existent.

Anyway, LoudMac/Brian, thank you very much for trying to give me some useful info on how to use Bluehost. I greatly appreciate your attention and the time you've taken to be helpful on it. I know very well how it does take time and effort to compose a thoughtful reply to anyone on a technical subject.

But you can tell what I think of Bluehost. It looks to me as if they do offer a wide range of features to anyone who knows as much or more than they do. Unfortunately, that does not include me. My experience with them was unhappy. Their tutorials look to me pretty much like a cruelty joke for beginners. I spent hours & hours in their mazes & trying to figure out where I was, and their Support responses were mostly unhelpful.

Thank you again for your thoughtful reply, and best wishes.

Sincerely

Wayne Archer
('warcher')

Thanks
2 replies

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[54438].message }}

Kay King

18 years ago

Wayne -

Let's simplify it - I understand your comments because when I was new I also asked detailed questions - and made things harder than they were!

Example:

Say you have built five websites. Your goal is to have a site about "health" and one of the websites is a general info site about good health. The other four sites are about specific health problems.

It makes sense to "bundle" these sites together, doesn't it? You upload the "good health" site to your host acct for that domain.

You can host all of them on one domain in either of two ways:

1. include them as a folder which makes them appear as individual sections of the main "good health" site. If using folders, only the main good health site has an index.html page.

2. include them as subdomains attached to the main site. (In this case, each site has it's own index page (home page).

If you choose subdomains, each subdomain will act as a "standalone" site for search engine purposes. Before uploading the 4 "extra" sites, you would go to cpanel for your domain, click on "subdomains" icon and "add a subdomain". This creates a subdomain folder and you can then upload that specialty health site to that folder. You can upload it using ftp or simply using the upload function in cpanel for that folder.

If you used the subdomain method through cpanel, you would end up with

GoodHealth.com - Good Health by SETON (main site)

http://headaches.goodhealth.com
http://joint-pain.goodhealth.com
http://foot-pain.goodhealth.com

One bonus of using subdomains is that you don't have to register multiple domains and can use your keyword in the sub-domain title.

Not sure that helps - but worth a shot.

kay

Thanks
3 replies

Signature

Saving one dog will not change the world - but the world changes forever for that one dog

***

https://www.pawsofwar.org/

2024 Patriot's Award for Service to Veterans

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[54530].message }}

BrianMcLeod

18 years ago

Wayne,

I hear you, I really do. But I think your sense of overwhelm is clouding your perception of Bluehost as the bad guy unfairly. By that, I mean that you are so frustrated by your OWN lack of information, that you are blaming them for what YOU don't know.

I hope you don't perceive that as an attack - it's not. I had this same conversation many times with my father before he died. He would get SO PISSED at companies and customer service people due to his own misunderstandings or lack of knowledge about computer or ISP or hosting issues. He would blame them for everything, bitch, piss, moan while NEVER learning the very things that he needed to understand to be able to solve his own problems. Now, my dad was a BRILLIANT, brilliant man. But his blame was entirely misplaced, as is yours, in my humble opinion.

Bluehost are not in the "newbie" hosting business, even if many people who buy their service are in fact newbies. They are in the discount hosting market which makes hand-holding a profit vampire.

There are other hosting providers that cater to those with very little technical understanding and knowledge - that is in fact their entire value proposition. The fact that they make it easy or at least very easy to understand is what makes them a good fit for their customers.

Could BlueHost do a better job of educating newbies? Sure. Is it profitable for them to do so? I have no idea, I'm not part of their business but somehow I doubt it.

Getting mad at your piano because you can't play it doesn't make much sense, does it?

I apologize if this sounds condescending or dismissive of your problem.

Good luck,

Brian

Thanks
1 reply

Signature

Brian McLeod

Direct Response Copywriting

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[54630].message }}

warcher

18 years ago

Originally Posted by LoudMac

Hi Brian,

Thanks for your comments. No, they didn't sound dismissive or whatnot. Looking back on my earlier posting, I'm sorry I went on so long about Bluehost. How excessive. My comments there sound very much as if I may not have had quite enough to drink.

Your analogy of blaming the piano because one can't play it is a bit off the mark. I've found no fault with Bluehost's piano, and assume their machinery works fine. The few things I didn't think highly of were their technical support, their tutorials, and their motto, "Specializing in Customer Satisfaction." In their praise, I'll say they gave me no hassle when I asked for a refund, under their 30-day guarantee. They were efficient and pleasant about that, which I appreciated.

Your old dad sounds like a right guy.

Take care,

Wayne

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[68883].message }}

warcher

18 years ago

Originally Posted by Kay King

Hi Kay,

Yes, thanks, that does help! I appreciate your comments.

Best regards,
Wayne

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[68901].message }}

MizzCindy

18 years ago

Originally Posted by Kay King

This was a fantastic overview, Kay! Thank you.

Here's a question, though. Which of the above methods is better for SEO purposes?

www.mymaindomain.com/subtopic or www.subtopic.mymaindomain.com

Great information in this thread!

Cindy

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[68954].message }}

Greg Cooksley

18 years ago

Hey Wayne,

I hear you brother....

The problem is that when questions like this are asked, the people
responding have generally forgotten how it was when they were
in the same position. Even though everone means well and has
every intention of helping you as speedily as possible.

But, the answers, even from the experts, leave much to be desired.
They are generally too complex and technical in nature. As a
result the newb feels even more overwhelmed than when he/she
started in the first place.

Wouldn't it be great if you could get tutorials that were explained
in layman's terms with diagrams/screenshots to walk a newb through
the process step-by-step??????

No product to sell here.....just asking.....

BTW - is a subdomain the same thing as an addon domain?

Regards

Greg

Thanks
1 reply

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[54637].message }}

warcher

18 years ago

Originally Posted by Greg Cooksley

Hi Greg,

Agree with you entirely. Sorry I can't be much help on add-on domains, but think I do understand that they're similar, in some ways, to subdomains. You might find the following link, from cpanel.net, helpful:

cPanel - cPanel 11 Documentation : Domains

At that website, look on the right side, at their list of topics, and there click on Subdomains, Add-on domains, or other things you're interested in. Also, something I keep forgetting (duh) is to just do a search on the internet for whatever I want to know about. As Craig Desorcy suggested above, I could have found lots of the tutorials I was asking for, by doing a simple search using "subdomain tutorial" as a search term!

Thanks for your comments.

Best wishes,
Wayne

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[71534].message }}

warcher

18 years ago

Originally Posted by LoudMac

Hi Brian,

Thank you very much for your info, but I've decided not to use Bluehost. It looks as if they do offer a lot of useful features -for those who already know how to use them.

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[59757].message }}

warcher 18 years ago

Originally Posted by GeorgR.

Hello warcher,

i gave a little "round-up" in my affiliate hijacker thread. Hope it helps. G.

Thanks very much, GeorgR. ... I read your comments there and appreciate them.

Best regards,
W.
- Thanks
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[50634].message }}

warcher

18 years ago

Originally Posted by George Wright

Thanks, George. I suspect you would have found it technically challenging if you had started out, as I did, at Bluehost.com. Thanks for letting me know it's not necessarily as confusing as they made it.

Thanks
1 reply

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[49860].message }}

George Wright 18 years ago

Warcher,

Sometimes I forget. When I first started out I couldn't even post a message on a forum. You are doing that. You are totally right. When I first started out creating my first subdomain was a challenge.

Thanks for reminding me. I always say that IM is what's going to stop me from getting alzheimers. Learning new things keeps those new brain circuits growing.

I was ELATED the other day. I went to my cPanel clicked the "install drupal" button to let it install another instance of Drupal only to find a message waiting for me in my Admin area that my version of drupal was not secure and needed a new install.

I almost said forget it. Instead I downloaded drupal to my pc, created the mysql database (first time ever) uploaded drupal. Followed the install instructions and after about an hour of correcting mistakes I had a brand new version of drupal running.

I installed it again on another domain and it only took me a few minutes.

I felt really great. Probably as great as I felt the first time I made a subdomain.

Thanks for starting this thread, the comments in it show that we/you can learn a lot by asking and trying.

George Wright
- Thanks
Signature

"The first chapter sells the book; the last chapter sells the next book." Mickey Spillane
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[49894].message }}

Can someone recommend the best tutorial on creating subdomains, for beginners?

Trending Topics

Hello there

Kicked the diet coke addiction ...

AEO/AIO/GEO differences

Veteran bloggers, do you notice a decline in visitor comments?

The Masters....