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Home » Free Small Business Tools: Your Business Kit » Launch Your Business Online, Step by Step

Launch Your Business Online, Step by Step

Getting your business online can feel like a tangle of new words: domains, hosting, DNS, listings. This free guide takes you through it one step at a time, in plain English. You’ll choose a website address, build a website, decide where it lives, and finish with a checklist that gets you found by customers.

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Your answers and progress are saved on this device only. Nothing is sent to Advanton.

What you’ll do

  1. Tell us about your business. Your name, area and what you do.
  2. Choose your domain. We’ll suggest website addresses based on your business name, or you can use one you already own.
  3. Make your website. Build one free with our website builder, or skip ahead if you already have one.
  4. Get your domain and hosting. Register your domain and choose where your website lives, from our store, free hosting, or a host you already use.
  5. Go live and get found. A simple checklist: put your site online, connect your domain, set up business email, and claim your listings on Google, Apple Maps and Yelp.

You can stop at any time; your progress is saved on this device, so you can pick up where you left off.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between a domain and hosting?
A domain is your address on the internet, like yourbusiness.com. Hosting is the computer that keeps your website online. You need both for a website on your own address, and buying them together makes setup easiest.

Do I have to buy anything?
No. Every step works with things you already have, and the website builder explains free publishing options. If you’d like your own domain, hosting or business email, our store offers them.

How much does a domain cost?
Prices depend on the ending (.com, .net and others) and are shown in the store before you buy. Domains renew every year.

What if the name I want is taken?
The store suggests close alternatives. Try a different ending, adding your city, or a short word like "get" before your name.

Is my information sent anywhere?
No. Your answers stay on this device. Only the domain name you choose to check is sent to the store when you click "Check availability and buy".

Last reviewed October 27, 2026.

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