To a business, websites offer a new set of customers from around the globe. In the current age, it is difficult to compete as a business owner without a website. To establish a website for your business, a basic understanding of the elements required is necessary. Below are the essential elements of a website:

• Domain Name Server: Each website is identified by an address usually www.businessname.com; called the domain name where businessname represents the name of the business. A domain name server translates this name into a numeric address that computers can understand. This address is called the IP address or the domain address. Behind each unique domain name is a unique domain address.
• Web server: This is the computer that stores the web pages for a website. Webpages are written in HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) a computer programming languages that instructs programs on a computer how to display the content of the webpage. HTML training is provided in a variety of institutions across the world and is a widely known language among computer programmers. Web servers are usually provided by web hosting companies on a monthly fee. Different hosting options provide different services and technologies that can be integrated with the websites.
• Database: In cases where storage and retrieval of similar information on the website is desired for example the inventory of a store, a database might be necessary. Although not required, database driven websites offer more choices to its customers and have a competitive advantage.

To set up a business website, a few things need to be put into consideration. This includes but not limited to the type of content to be on the website to the technologies that the website is going to run on. For simple websites, making this decision is easy. You will need web pages, a domain name, and a web server to host the pages. Below are detailed instructions on how to go about setting up one for you:

1. Obtain a domain name: In setting up a website, this is the easiest of the stages. Knowing what your domain name will be will help direct customers to your website. Usually choosing a name similar to or the same as that of your business is the right way to go. Once you have decided on a name, you need to purchase it from a domain name registrar. A domain name registrar stores a listing of domain names and can provide the domain name services for you. As an example, using godaddy.com as a registrar will allow you to enjoy the domain name services for free. Once you’ve purchased your domain name, you will be provided with the IP Address that the name maps to. This address will be used in the next section.
2. Obtain a web server: After creating your domain name, you can proceed to purchase a hosting plan for a web server. A hosting plan gives you the means through which your website will be made available to the rest of the world. Registrars like godaddy.com provide hosting services for a nominal fee. If you obtained your name through godaddy.com, establishing your hosting agreement with godaddy makes the process of assigning the IP address to the webserver even easier. The hosting plan details besides the billing information, the location and means through which web pages can be uploaded to the server. Uploading is the process of submitting the HTML pages to the server.
3. Creating web pages: There are a variety of tools available for creating web pages. Text editors to WYSIWYG editors are ubiquitous in this space. Getting an expert programmer will help you setup web pages based on the requirements of your business. Depending on your needs, programmers can help determine the best hosting plan to purchase to allow the usage of any technologies besides HTML that your website might need. Work closely with your programmer to establish what it is that you want and how they are to deliver it. Some programmers are savvy enough to walk you through from stage 2 to three.

After the obtaining your domain name, purchased a hosting plan, created and uploaded pages, your business now has exposure to the rest of the world through www.yourdomainname.com. This will be a one stop shop for customers that you have never laid an eye on and with that comes the successes that any business would desire to harvest.