This guide walks you through the entire process of launching your first website — from creating your HOSTDOG account and choosing a hosting plan, to registering a domain, uploading your content, and going live. No prior experience required.
What you need to launch a website
Every website needs three things to go live:
- A domain name — this is your web address (e.g.
yourdomain.com). It is how visitors find your site. - A hosting plan — this is the server space where your website files, images, and databases are stored. HOSTDOG offers Personal and Business shared hosting plans.
- Website content — the actual pages, text, and images. You can build these with a CMS like WordPress, a website builder like Sitejet, or upload your own HTML files.
Navigate to the HOSTDOG homepage and click Log in in the top right corner, then select Register to create a new account. You need a valid email address and a password.
For detailed instructions, see How to create your HOSTDOG account.
HOSTDOG offers several hosting options. For your first website, a Personal Shared Hosting plan is the ideal starting point — it includes NVMe SSD storage, unlimited bandwidth, a free SSL certificate, and daily automated backups.
If you expect higher traffic or need multiple websites on one account, consider a Business Shared Hosting plan with more resources and a 99.95% uptime SLA.
Follow the guide at How to order a hosting plan to complete your purchase.
If you do not have a domain yet, you can register one directly through your HOSTDOG account. HOSTDOG supports 750+ TLDs including .com, .eu, .gr, and many more.
Already own a domain with another provider? You can transfer it to HOSTDOG or simply point your existing domain to HOSTDOG by updating your nameservers.
If you registered your domain through HOSTDOG, nameservers are set automatically. If your domain is registered elsewhere, update the nameservers to:
| Nameserver | Value |
|---|---|
| Primary | ns1.hostdog.gr |
| Secondary | ns2.hostdog.gr |
DNS propagation typically takes up to 24 hours. For step-by-step instructions, see How to point your domain to HOSTDOG.
You have several options for creating your website content:
- WordPress — install it in one click through Softaculous in your control panel. WordPress powers over 40% of all websites and offers thousands of themes and plugins.
- Sitejet website builder — a drag-and-drop builder included with HOSTDOG hosting plans. No coding required.
- Upload your own files — use the File Manager in your control panel or connect via FTP/SFTP to upload custom HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files to the
public_htmldirectory.
For file uploads, see How to upload your website files.
Every HOSTDOG hosting plan includes email hosting with your domain. Create addresses like info@yourdomain.com or contact@yourdomain.com to build credibility with your visitors and customers.
See How to create an email account for instructions.
Once DNS propagation is complete, open your browser and type your domain name (e.g. yourdomain.com). You should see your website. HOSTDOG automatically provides a free SSL certificate, so your site will be accessible via https://.
After going live
Your website is online — here are a few recommended next steps:
- Enable daily backups — HOSTDOG includes automated daily backups on all shared hosting plans, so your data is protected from day one.
- Check your SSL certificate — make sure your site loads with
https://. HOSTDOG activates free SSL automatically. - Set up email — create professional email accounts with your domain name.
- Explore your control panel — familiarize yourself with the tools available including the control panel dashboard, file manager, and database manager.