The Complete Guide to Deploying Your Website (2025 Edition)

You've built your website. Now what? Getting it live on the internet can feel intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. This guide will walk you through everything you need to deploy your website and make it accessible to the world.

What is Website Deployment?

Deployment is the process of taking your website files and making them accessible on the internet. This involves:

1. Hosting - Where your files live
2. Domain - Your website address (yoursite.com)
3. DNS - Connecting domain to hosting
4. SSL - Securing your site (HTTPS)
5. Deployment - Uploading and updating files

Hosting Options Explained

Shared Hosting

What it is: Multiple websites on one server

Popular providers:

• Bluehost ($3-13/month)
• SiteGround ($3-15/month)
• HostGator ($3-6/month)

Pros:

• Cheapest option
• Easy control panel
• Good for beginners

Cons:

• Slower performance
• Limited resources
• Neighbor sites affect you

Best for: Small business sites, blogs, portfolios

VPS (Virtual Private Server)

What it is: Dedicated slice of a server

Popular providers:

• DigitalOcean ($6-48/month)
• Linode ($5-40/month)
• Vultr ($6-48/month)

Pros:

• More control
• Better performance
• Scalable

Cons:

• Requires technical knowledge
• You manage updates
• More expensive

Best for: Growing sites, custom apps, developers

Cloud Hosting

What it is: Distributed across multiple servers

Popular providers:

• AWS (Pay as you go)
• Google Cloud (Pay as you go)
• Azure (Pay as you go)

Pros:

• Highly scalable
• Global distribution
• Pay for what you use

Cons:

• Complex pricing
• Steep learning curve
• Can get expensive

Best for: Enterprise, high-traffic sites, complex applications

Serverless/Edge Hosting

What it is: No servers to manage, runs on edge network

Popular providers:

• Vercel ($0-20/month)
• Netlify ($0-19/month)
• Cloudflare Pages ($0-20/month)

Pros:

• Extremely fast
• Auto-scaling
• Zero server management
• Free tier generous
• Git integration

Cons:

• Best for static/JAMstack
• Some limitations
• Newer technology

Best for: Modern web apps, static sites, React/Next.js/Remix apps

Step-by-Step Deployment

Step 1: Choose Your Hosting

Questions to ask:

• What type of website do you have? (Static, WordPress, custom app)
• How much traffic do you expect?
• What's your budget?
• How technical are you?

Quick recommendations:

Static site (HTML/CSS/JS only): → Netlify or Cloudflare Pages (Free)

React/Next.js/Remix app: → Vercel or Cloudflare Pages ($0-20/month)

WordPress: → SiteGround or Bluehost ($3-15/month)

Custom app (Node.js, Python, etc): → Railway, Render, or DigitalOcean ($5-20/month)

E-commerce: → Shopify (easiest) or VPS ($6+/month)

Step 2: Get a Domain Name

Your domain is your address (yourwebsite.com)

Where to buy:

• Namecheap - Cheap, good UI
• Google Domains - Simple, Google account integration
• Cloudflare - Best pricing, advanced features
• GoDaddy - Well-known, more expensive

Cost: $10-20/year for .com

Choosing a domain: ✅ Short and memorable ✅ Easy to spell ✅ .com if possible ✅ Matches brand name

❌ Avoid numbers ❌ Avoid hyphens ❌ Don't use trademarked names

Step 3: Connect Domain to Hosting

This is done through DNS (Domain Name System)

Two methods:

Method 1: Point nameservers

1. Get nameservers from hosting provider
2. Update nameservers in domain registrar
3. Wait 1-48 hours for propagation

Method 2: Add A record

1. Get IP address from hosting
2. Add A record in domain DNS
3. Wait 1-24 hours for propagation

Most common: Method 1 (nameservers)

How to do it:

1. Log into domain registrar
2. Find "Nameservers" or "DNS" settings
3. Change to "Custom nameservers"
4. Enter nameservers from hosting provider
5. Save changes
6. Wait (propagation takes time!)

Step 4: Set Up SSL Certificate

SSL makes your site secure (HTTPS instead of HTTP)

Why you need it:

• Google ranks HTTPS higher
• Browsers warn users about HTTP
• Required for modern features
• Builds trust

Getting SSL:

Free option: Let's Encrypt

• Most hosts provide this free
• Auto-renews
• Just enable in control panel

Paid options:

• Not usually necessary
• $50-200/year
• Only needed for advanced features

With modern hosts (Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages): SSL is automatic. Just deploy and it works.

Step 5: Deploy Your Files

Method depends on hosting type:

FTP (Traditional hosting):

1. Get FTP credentials from host
2. Use FileZilla or similar
3. Upload files to public_html or www folder
4. Wait for upload to complete

Git-based (Modern hosting):

1. Push code to GitHub
2. Connect repository to hosting
3. Automatic deployment on every push
4. No manual uploads needed

CLI deployment:

# Cloudflare Pages example
npx wrangler pages deploy

# Vercel example
vercel deploy

# Netlify example
netlify deploy

Step 6: Configure Environment Variables

Sensitive data should never be in code:

# .env file (never commit to git!)
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://...
API_KEY=your-secret-key
STRIPE_SECRET_KEY=sk_live_...

Add to hosting:

1. Go to project settings
2. Find "Environment Variables"
3. Add each variable
4. Redeploy

Step 7: Test Everything

Before announcing your site:

• Visit your domain (https://yourdomain.com)
• Check all pages load
• Test forms
• Verify links work
• Test on mobile
• Check different browsers
• Verify SSL (look for padlock)
• Test contact/email forms
• Check images load

Platform-Specific Guides

Deploying to Cloudflare Pages

1. Connect repository:

npx wrangler pages deploy

2. Configure build:

• Build command: npm run build
• Output directory: build/client

3. Add custom domain:

• Go to Custom Domains
• Add your domain
• Update DNS as instructed

4. Environment variables:

• Settings → Environment Variables
• Add production variables

Done! Auto-deploys on git push.

Deploying to Vercel

1. Install Vercel CLI:

npm install -g vercel

2. Deploy:

vercel deploy --prod

3. Or connect GitHub:

• Import project
• Auto-deploy on push

4. Custom domain:

• Settings → Domains
• Add domain
• Update DNS

Deploying to Netlify

1. Drag and drop:

• Build your site locally
• Drag build folder to Netlify
• Instant deployment

2. Or Git-based:

• Connect repository
• Configure build settings
• Auto-deploy on push

3. Custom domain:

• Domain settings
• Add custom domain
• Update nameservers

Deploying Traditional Hosting

1. Build your site:

npm run build

2. FTP upload:

• Use FileZilla
• Connect with FTP credentials
• Upload to public_html
• Wait for completion

3. Configure:

• Set up email
• Install SSL
• Configure backups

DNS Configuration

Understanding DNS records:

A Record

• Points domain to IP address
• Example: yourdomain.com → 192.168.1.1

CNAME Record

• Points subdomain to another domain
• Example: www → yourdomain.com

MX Record

• Email server configuration
• Needed for [email protected]

TXT Record

• Verification and SPF records
• Used by various services

Typical setup:

A     @              192.168.1.1
A     www            192.168.1.1
CNAME mail           mail.google.com
MX    @              mail.google.com

Deployment Best Practices

Use Version Control

Always use Git:

git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"
git push origin main

Benefits:

• Track changes
• Rollback if needed
• Collaborate easier
• Required for modern hosting

Automate Deployments

CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Deployment):

GitHub Actions example:

name: Deploy
on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - run: npm install
      - run: npm run build
      - run: npm run deploy

Benefits:

• No manual deployments
• Consistent process
• Automatic testing
• Faster iteration

Environment Management

Three environments:

Development

• Local machine
• Test new features
• Make mistakes safely

Staging

• Replica of production
• Test before live
• Show clients

Production

• Live site
• Real users
• Be careful!

Monitor Your Site

Set up monitoring:

Uptime monitoring:

• UptimeRobot (free)
• Pingdom ($10+/month)
• Get alerts if site goes down

Performance monitoring:

• Google PageSpeed Insights
• GTmetrix
• WebPageTest

Error tracking:

• Sentry (errors in real-time)
• LogRocket (user sessions)
• Helps fix bugs fast

Regular Backups

Automated backups:

• Most hosts offer this
• Daily backups recommended
• Keep 7-30 days of backups

What to backup:

• Website files
• Database
• User uploads
• Configuration

Security Headers

Add to your site:

Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000
X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff
X-Frame-Options: SAMEORIGIN
X-XSS-Protection: 1; mode=block
Referrer-Policy: strict-origin-when-cross-origin

Cloudflare Pages example: Create public/_headers:

/*
  X-Frame-Options: SAMEORIGIN
  X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff
  Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Site Not Loading

Possible causes:

• DNS not propagated yet (wait 24-48 hours)
• Wrong DNS settings
• Server down
• Files in wrong folder

Check:

• Use DNS checker tool
• Verify nameservers
• Check hosting control panel
• Confirm files uploaded

SSL Certificate Error

Causes:

• SSL not activated
• Mixed content (HTTP resources on HTTPS page)
• Certificate expired

Solutions:

• Enable SSL in control panel
• Update all URLs to HTTPS
• Renew certificate

404 Errors

Causes:

• Files in wrong directory
• Wrong file names
• Server config issue

Solutions:

• Check file structure
• Verify case sensitivity
• Configure server rules

Slow Loading

Causes:

• Large images
• No caching
• Slow server
• Too many requests

Solutions:

• Optimize images
• Enable caching
• Use CDN
• Minimize HTTP requests

Cost Breakdown

Minimal cost (Static site):

• Hosting: $0 (Netlify/Cloudflare Pages)
• Domain: $12/year
• SSL: $0 (included) Total: $12/year

Standard cost (Business site):

• Hosting: $10-30/month
• Domain: $12/year
• SSL: $0 (Let's Encrypt)
• Email: $6/month Total: $200-450/year

Professional cost (Web app):

• Hosting: $20-100/month
• Domain: $12/year
• SSL: $0
• Database: $10-50/month
• Monitoring: $10-30/month Total: $500-2,000/year

Deployment Checklist

Before going live:

• All content proofread
• Images optimized
• Forms tested
• Links verified
• Mobile responsive
• Cross-browser tested
• SSL certificate active
• Google Analytics added
• SEO basics done
• Backups configured
• Error monitoring set up
• Domain connected
• DNS propagated
• Email working
• Site speed acceptable

Conclusion

Deploying a website is no longer complicated. Modern hosting platforms have made it as simple as connecting a GitHub repository and clicking deploy.

Key takeaways:

• Choose hosting that matches your needs
• Use modern platforms for easier deployment
• Always use HTTPS
• Automate what you can
• Monitor and backup regularly
• Test before announcing

Your website won't be perfect on day one. Deploy it, get feedback, and improve. The most important step is getting it live.

---

Need help deploying your website? OtterAI can generate deployment-ready applications that work on Cloudflare Pages, Vercel, or Netlify - describe your site and we'll build it ready to deploy.