FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol and you can pretty much get the gist of it by the name. FTP is a great tool when building your own web site because it enables you to transfer files from one place to another quickly and easily. When you are building your web site FTP is helpful when you need to move all of your data to the dedicated server.
If you do a basic search on the internet for FTP providers you are sure to come across plenty including well known companies like ServerSpace.co.uk. It depends on which provider you choose but some offer either a free service or a trial run. You will need to set up an account with your web host provider and give it a profile name. (Some hosts already provide FTP so you might want to double check your server package or plan). Next you will fill in a host name and address (this is available through your web host provider).
When you are ready to, sign in to your FTP account use the user ID and password that you used when you signed up for the web host provider. You may want to save your password in there just so you do not have to enter it a bunch of times. (A lot of people get worried about leaving in the password for security reasons. It really is personal preference and what you are comfortable with.)When you are done fixing all the settings and signing in to your account you can finally connect to your other source. You should be able to transfer any files you want with the click of the mouse. You can transfer files from your computer to your server or vice versa.
The best part about FTP is that not only can you move your files wherever you need them to be, but you can also view them, uninstall them, or re-name them. You also have the option to create new folders and reorganize your files.
After you have set up your FTP account, adjusted the settings to your liking, signed in, and connected to your source you can begin transferring files over to the server. Once you have completed all the steps it is time to take a look at your web site to see how it turned out. At this point you should be up and running. Try not to get too impatient if you have to tweak a few things before you are completely satisfied with the outcome. After you transfer your files over it can take a little adjusting to get things to be just right.
There, you are done. That is literally all it takes and you can have your web site built and running without much trouble at all. As you can tell FTP is a pretty valuable tool when building your own web site. As mentioned before, some FTP providers offer a completely free service and others may make you buy in, but will give you a free trial most of the time. Just search for FTP providers and shop around until you find something that best suits your needs as far as file transfers go. It is really as simple as setting up and account and start transferring files right onto your server right away.