Plan Your First Website

A small written plan prevents domain, DNS, and server choices from becoming disconnected.

Define the Audience and Goal

Complete this sentence:

This website helps [audience] accomplish [specific result].

Examples:

• This website helps community members find event dates and contact information.
• This website helps users read project documentation and release notes.
• This website gives a small organization a stable public identity.

Avoid beginning with technology. A framework, server, or DNS record is not the user goal.

Choose the First Version

For a first project, use a static website with:

• A home page
• An About page
• A contact method that does not expose unnecessary personal data
• Accessible navigation
• No database or user login

You can add application features after the domain, deployment, and HTTPS workflow is reliable.

Choose Hostnames

Plan a canonical name and aliases:

Canonical: example.dpdns.org
Alias:     www.example.dpdns.org
Test:      lab.example.dpdns.org

Decide whether visitors should see the root name or www. The web server will later redirect the other name.

Assign Ownership

Responsibility	Owner
Registration account	Named person or organization role
Renewal	Named operator and backup
DNS	Named operator
Server updates	Named operator
Website content	Named editor
Security reports	Monitored contact
Backups	Named operator

Writing “the team” is not enough when no individual is accountable for the next action.

Define Availability Needs

Ask:

• Is the site informational or operationally critical?
• How much downtime is acceptable?
• How quickly must content be restored?
• Is email tied to the same domain?
• Does the site collect personal data?
• Are there legal or contractual requirements?

The answers influence server redundancy, monitoring, backup frequency, and incident response.

Draw the Initial Architecture

Visitor
  |
  v
Recursive DNS
  |
  v
Authoritative DNS
  |
  v
Web server on ports 80 and 443
  |
  v
Static website files

Keep the first architecture understandable. Every added component creates another configuration, credential, failure mode, and renewal lifecycle.

Write the Definition of Done

The first version is complete when:

• The domain is registered and active.
• Nameserver delegation is correct.
• Root and www DNS records resolve intentionally.
• HTTP redirects to one canonical HTTPS URL.
• The certificate is valid for every public hostname.
• The home and About pages work on desktop and mobile.
• A backup can restore the site.
• Expiration and certificate renewal are monitored.
• No secrets or private registration data are published.

Risk Register

Create a small table:

Risk	Likelihood	Impact	Mitigation
Account email lost	Medium	High	Protected recovery account and documented owner
DNS typo	Medium	High	Export, one change at a time, direct verification
Server update failure	Low	High	Backup and tested rollback
Certificate renewal failure	Medium	High	Renewal dry run and expiration alert

Planning Exercise

Write one page containing:

1. Audience and goal
2. First-version pages
3. Canonical hostname
4. Responsible owners
5. Definition of done
6. Three major risks

Continue to Domain and DNS Fundamentals.