## Owning your website
Many business owners pay someone every time they want to change a price or a phone number on their website. This course gives you the skills to build a real site yourself and keep it up to date, and to understand what you are paying for when you do hire help.
## What happens when someone visits your site
1. A visitor types your **domain name**, such as mybakery.com.ng, or clicks a link.
2. The **Domain Name System (DNS)** works like a phone book: it turns the name into the address of the computer that holds your site.
3. The browser asks that computer, the **web server** or **host**, for the page.
4. The server sends back files: **HTML** for the content and structure, **CSS** for the look, **JavaScript** for behaviour, plus images.
5. The browser puts them together and shows the page.
## The three languages of the web
- **HTML** says what things are: this is a heading, this is a paragraph, this is a menu, this is a form.
- **CSS** says how they look: colours, fonts, spacing, layout on a phone and on a laptop.
- **JavaScript** says what they do: open a menu, check a form, load information.
## What you need
- A **code editor**. We use Visual Studio Code, which is free.
- A **browser** such as Chrome or Firefox, with its developer tools (press F12).
- Later, a **domain** and **hosting** to put your site on the internet.
## Your first page
Create a folder called my-site, open it in VS Code, and create a file named index.html. Type:
Adaeze Catering, Enugu
Adaeze Catering
Home cooked food for events in Enugu.
Save it and double click the file to open it in your browser. You have made a web page.
## How this course builds up
1. **HTML and CSS:** a home page that looks good on any screen.
2. **JavaScript:** menus, galleries and a form that checks itself.
3. **Publishing:** a domain, hosting, HTTPS and a contact form that really sends email.
4. **Being found and maintained:** search basics, analytics and a routine to keep it all working.
## What this means for you
By the end you will have a live business website that you understand and can change yourself, confidently and safely.
