After the creation of your website, the next step is to upload it to your web server. The best way to do this is with the use of FTP.

What is FTP?
FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It is a way to transfer files between two or more computers, rapidly and easily. The main motive behind this is to allow the computers with different operating systems to exchange files without the need to worry about their individual file systems.

Transfer of files through FTP is much more reliable as compared to HTTP. This means that not only the upload will be a success but also all uploads can be resumed and paused.

In order to connect yourself to an FTP server, three things are required:

* FTP server's address.
* User name
* Password

These things are provided by the web host when your account is opened. Alternatively, you can also create it yourself with the use of the Web panel. Before the use of FTP, an FTP program is required.

Some of these programs are:

Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer comprises of a built-in FTP program. All you need to do is to reach your host's FTP server through a URL with ftp:// in place of http://. When prompted for a username and password, enter it and you will be free to browse the files and folders freely on the FTP server. For uploading files, you simply need to drag them into this window.

The problem is that Internet Explorer is not completely reliable as an FTP program. It is quite slow and needs individual attention in case of any errors. There is also no clear definition of what amount of the file has been uploaded and how to control them. It is good for uploading a few files, but not for uploading an entire website.

CuteFTP
CuteFTP is one of the earliest graphical FTP programs designed for Windows. But is still popularly used even today. It has the support for resuming the transfers, scheduling them beforehand, and also allows multiple transfers simultaneously. There is also another useful feature that allows quick editing of files on the server using a built-in text editor.

WS FTP
WS FTP is another established FTP program. Recently it became a lot easier to use. It includes some very useful features such as a number of tutorials and wizards, the facility to edit files using any preferred software, and a quick feature to sort. It has another distinct feature that helps in digital photography and Blogging.

BulletproofFTP
It is one FTP client that does a lot of work itself and handles common situations automatically and is also available for quite a low cost, comparatively.

SmartFTP
SmartFTP has a ready-to-use interface. It is regularly updated and comprises of all features of similar programs. It also has good support for backups, proxies, and queuing.

FileZilla
FileZilla is a completely free FTP program with a simple interface and fast and stable working condition. It is also available for free.