Go live!

You've built your website and checked it works. You've found somewhere to host it. All that's left is to put your site live on the Internet.

Using FTP programs

Once you have some web space all that remains is to copy your files from your computer to the Internet. This is called 'uploading' and uses a process called File Transfer Protocol (FTP). It sounds complicated but really all it involves is a FTP program which allows you to move the files from your computer to a server on the Internet. Once you have uploaded your files you will be able to see your website live on the Internet.

The best thing about putting information on the Internet is it's so quick. Also, if you notice any bugs or spelling errors after going live it's never to late to fix or change them. Just change the file and upload it again.

Attracting visitors

You're all ready to crack open the champagne but there's one last thing ... how do you get people to visit your site? Follow these easy steps and you should have hundreds of visitors in no time:

• Shout about it. Tell everybody you know, drop them an email.
• Word-of-mouth. Once you've told friends and family they can tell other people.
• Check your site is appearing in search engines. This is the way most people will find your site, so if its not coming up in relevant searches, you're probably doing something wrong.
• Plug your site in letters, your email signature and posters or other advertisements.
• Exchange links with other sites. Ask to put links to your website on related sites and do the same for them.
• Most of all, give people a good reason to visit your site!

Celebrate

After all your hard work you deserve to celebrate your achievement. Have a party!