A typical query:
I have a registered domain name but am still looking at where to host my site. Meanwhile, my site is already set up on my free webspace, I did this to test it out as it is the first website I have built. Is there a way I can redirect my domain name to my free webspace even though my domain is merely ‘parked’ right now?
Think I explained that wrong. I wish for people to type in www.domainname.com and then be redirected to my free webspace (at least for now) The domain is parked.
Answer: It is not your fault you got confused. Free hosting will most probably never be the best hosting for you. Web hosting is the heart of your business and can mean the success and failure for your business.
Before we answer your question, let us review the 7 things to look for in a good web hosting. An excellent hosting:
- has friendly Live Chat from the start,
- gives unlimited storage,
- offers unlimited bandwidth,
- gives multiple add-on domains,
- has easy Site Builder,
- has Fantastico and QuickInstall to quickly install apps like WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, OSCommerce, ZenCart and more
- can be easily upgraded to VPS or one of their cheap dedicated server plans if and when your business require.
Answering your question, many experienced web developers suggest to try Hostgator. If you are building your first website and needs a hosting plan, experts usually highly recommend going with Hostgator because they are the best cheap cpanel hosting around.
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Who Should Not Try Hostgator
To be honest, no web hosting service is perfect. Drawback of Hostgator includes:
- No free domain name – but you can easily get a domain name from the best domain registrar such as Godaddy or Namecheap for $10 or less. Would you agree that a website is not complete without a domain name?
- You need to pay full price after your first invoice – well, they need to make money too and all the support and great service do come with a cost
If you are still not sure if HG is right for you, or you have specific query about anything at all, try the Live Chat at HG. They are fast and knowledgeable. Just shoot them some questions before you decide.
Yee
What you need is to change the DNS server of the domain name you registered to the DNS server name of hosting company.
If your free webspace is a sub-domain, like, your-name.free-web.com, then you need to:
1) tell your domain name register to change the DNS server of your domain to this free webspace’s DNS server.
2) tell your free webspace to add an alias in their DNS record that http://www.domainname.com is an alias of your-name.free-web.com.
If your free webspace is just a page or a folder under somebody’s server, like http://free-web.com/your-name/ then there is no way to make http://www.domainname.com be directed to there.
You can, however, quickly setup with a free hosting company such as host1free.com, then:
1) change DNS server of your domain to host1free’s DNS server.
2) create a simple front page which re-direct to your free webspace (see code below).
3) upload this simple front page to your website (hosted in host1free).
==== index.html (front page redirect example) ===
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<meta http-equiv="Refresh" CONTENT="0; URL=http://free-web.com/your-name/">
</head>
<body>
</body>
</html>
Smelly Cat
Probably. But you need to look at the free webspace documentation and see what they need you to do.