If your site is on your computer only, then no-one else can see it! The files have to be transferred from your PC to the Web server. This short and easy-to-follow guide will show you how to upload your site using a very easy method, called FTP or File Transfer Protocol.

  1. First decide where you need to place your files. Usually the public_html or www directory is used, as they are the folders which are visible to everyone.
  2. Next, find out the details of your Website’s FTP server. You will need a username, password, hostname, and port number. Your username and password are usually the same as what you use to log into your account with. Your hostname is usually, for example, ftp.example.com. The port number is nearly always 21.
  3. Connect to the Internet if you’re not already connected.
  4. Open up or download (and install) an FTP Client like FileZilla or Encrypted FTP.
  5. Fill out the details you got in point 2 – your username, password, hostname and port number.
  6. Click the Connect button.
  7. In the right-hand window pane, browse to the directory you want to transfer the files to (point 1).
  8. In the left-hand window pane, select the files you want to transfer.
  9. Click the Transfer button to start the transfer of the files you selected.

FTP is a much easier and quicker method of transferring files and when you get the hang of, there’ll be no stopping you!