Creating & Hosting a Website: The Complete Guide
Whether you’re running a small business or setting up your first website – this guide explains everything you need, step by step. No prior knowledge required, but useful for advanced users too.
1. Domain: Your Address on the Internet
A domain is your web address – e.g., mybusiness.com. Without a domain, nobody can find you.
What to look for:
- Prefer .de for German businesses – looks more professional and is better for SEO in Germany
- Short, memorable, avoid hyphens if possible
- Check if the domain is also available as a social media handle
Where to buy: Domains are available from providers like Hetzner, Strato, IONOS, or Namecheap – usually for 10–15 EUR per year.
Tip: If you’re a beginner, buy your domain and hosting from the same provider. It saves configuration effort.
2. Hosting: Where Your Website Lives
A host provides you with a server where your website files are stored and accessible from anywhere.
The main hosting types:
Shared Hosting – affordable, simple, suitable for small websites. You share a server with other customers. Providers like Strato or IONOS offer this from about 4 EUR/month.
VPS (Virtual Private Server) – more control and performance, ideal when your website grows or you run multiple projects. Hetzner offers excellent value here.
Managed Hosting – someone else takes care of everything. You pay more but save time and stress. Makes sense when IT is not your core business.
3. SSL Certificate: HTTPS Is Mandatory
SSL encrypts the connection between your website and the visitor. Recognizable by the https:// and the lock icon in the browser.
Why it matters:
- Without SSL, browsers show a security warning
- Google prefers HTTPS pages in rankings
- Since GDPR, effectively mandatory for websites with forms
How to set up: Most hosts offer free SSL certificates via Let’s Encrypt. On a VPS, you set it up with Certbot.
4. DNS: The Phone Book of the Internet
DNS translates your domain into an IP address. The most important records:
- A Record: Points your domain to your server’s IP
- MX Record: Determines which server receives your emails
- CNAME: Alias for subdomains (e.g., www)
- TXT: For SPF, DKIM, DMARC
Tip: DNS changes can take up to 24 hours to take effect worldwide – this is called DNS propagation.
5. Email Security: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
For a custom email address with your domain, you need these three records – otherwise your emails end up in spam.
SPF defines which servers are allowed to send emails on your behalf.
DKIM adds a digital signature to your emails.
DMARC combines both and provides instructions for suspicious emails.
All three together ensure your emails arrive – and nobody misuses your domain.
6. Backups: Because Things Can Always Go Wrong
Minimum you should have:
- Daily automatic backups of website files
- Database backups (if you use WordPress, etc.)
- Backups on a different server – never only locally
7. Security Checklist
- SSL active (HTTPS)
- SPF, DKIM, DMARC configured
- Automatic backups set up
- Software & plugins up to date
- Strong passwords for hosting, FTP, CMS
- Imprint & privacy policy in place
- No unnecessary open ports on the server
8. GDPR Basics
Required information:
- Imprint – Name, address, contact
- Privacy Policy – what data is collected and why
- Cookie Banner – if you use tracking or external services
Tip: Generators like Datenschutz-Generator.de help create legally compliant texts.
Conclusion
A professional website means more than just a design. Domain, hosting, SSL, DNS, email security, and backups are all part of it.
Don’t feel like dealing with all of that? That’s exactly our job at Sanlytech. We handle setup, management, and security – so you can focus on your business.