Greg in Hollywood has made a splash.
That's what they do in Hollywood.
"Greg in Hollywood" gets more than 12,000 Google hits, many of which are to or about Greg Hernandez's new blog.
Hernandez and a friend have written about how the blog got off the ground a week after he was laid off from the Los Angeles Daily News.
We don't all have his resources, or the resources of a number of other new sites. But, that's OK. You can start a Web site anyway. You can do it quickly, easily, cheaply. Here's how.
1. Think about your site's topic and name.
If you draw a blank, consider using your own name to start with. Stake your claim.
If you have some ideas but aren't sure how to narrow down the options, try Google Adword's keyword tool.
It will give you an idea of how often people search using any given expression. You can compare the search volume to how many hits you get when you Google the same topic.
The Site Wizard has more tips about choosing a name.
2. Buy a domain name.
A name should only cost about $10. I get mine through Namecheap.
3. Buy hosting.
I use A Small Orange. The Tiny Plan costs $15 for six months or $25 for a year. (Disclosure: I can get a referral discount under certain conditions.)
If you want to use a blog platform, it helps to choose a host with Fantastico. Many hosts include Fantastico with their plans and say so in the lists of features.
And if you have Fantastico, you will also have a control panel, which is useful, especially for beginners. Two common control panels are Cpanel and Plesk.
4. Link your domain name to your host.
Now we're going to get a little technical.
The welcoming material you receive from your host should include information about "nameservers." You need that information to link, or "point," your domain name to your host.
Go back to your "registrar," where you bought your domain name. It should have a link that says something like "Manage your domains." Click on it, and you should see something about changing the nameservers. Follow the instructions.
It might take a day or so for your URL to get pointed to your host. Relax. Think about your new adventure.
5. Install WordPress.
Go back to the welcoming material from your host. It should tell you how to log on to your control panel.
From your control panel, find "Fantastico" and click on it. That should take you to a site with a menu of things you can install on your site. Click on "WordPress" and follow the instructions.
Do all that, and you will have your own site, in an easy blog format.
6. There, you can write.You can link. You can add pictures and video. You can learn some HTML. You can customize the design. You can get comments and links. You can get traffic numbers.
There are other ways to get started. But this way will get you off the ground quickly.
