Copying your web page files from your hard drive to your Web Hosting server is a simple process. When you begin the upload (publish) to your new web host, the web hosting server will prompt you for the name of the directory (folder) on your PC hard drive where your files are stored and the file names to be uploaded. To avoid confusion, make certain that all files are saved on the web host server using the same file names that you used on your hard drive. Carefully consider the titles you give to your files as you build them because that’s how they will be labeled in the web server and when viewed online in the web browser tool bars. Labeling of folders and pages should be done logically to show a future browsers of your site what is located in the page they are about to view. Don’t use terms such as folder#36/page21, instead use relative terms for labeling folders and pages such as in the case of this page you’re viewing: the web site it’s located in is “hostingcompanies.com”, the folder the page is located in is “design” and the page is “upload.website.htm”. When viewed in browser tool bar or in the results of a search engine, it will read as; http://hostingcompanies.com/design/upload.website.htm which adds to the understanding of what is located in that particular page. Believe me, when your web site search results pop up among thousands of others that extra descriptive line will help to get your link clicked on.
Now you can make use of the editor/FTP software you purchased. Following the instructions included with the FTP/editor, you can upload your new web site to your web hosting server. We can’t offer an explanation of the steps used for FTP/editor software here, because there are hundreds of different ones available. Just remember this, FTP and editor software are designed for the purpose of uploading to a web site. They all work well when used correctly. Take the time to read all of the instructions included and make some test uploads . Don’t panic if you can’t figure it out initially. I promise you, you’ll get the hang of it and will be publishing to your web server like a pro in no time at all. I still chuckle at the mess I made of my first web server eight years ago. There were times I nearly turned my desk over in frustration of my lack of understanding of the software I was using. My mistake was to attempt to design and upload after only a cursory glance at the editor instructions. Read the instructions, all of them.
Once you have uploaded all your files, you should test your page on the web server online and make certain that it functions properly and that all files have uploaded correctly. It is also a good idea to test your page online using a different computer to ensure that graphic files are in fact being read from the server and not from your hard drive. If a second computer is not available, just be certain to make note of the page URL/title in the web browser tool bar. See that it says http://mydomain.com/etc and not “my documents/folder/page.htm as you have it labeled in your web site folder in your PC. This is a common problem. We’ve had numerous people contact us asking why they can see their web pages in their own computer, but not when using any other computers. They’re unaware they’re viewing their PC files and not an online web page file
If all went well with your upload, It is now time to congratulate yourself.
You have published your very first page!