Before getting started, it is important to understand that when you start a new Internet hosting account, there is a waiting period before it is fully active, due to the nature of how the Internet works.
The Internet is basically a network of computers that are linked around the world, and it takes some time for an "address change" to be fully implemented in the entire Internet.
This would be similar to when a person moves from one location to another. When you move, you probably change your physical mailing address, and you may change your phone number too. When you do this, it takes some time for the postal service to "catch up" and begin delivering mail to your new address. And if you get a new phone number, it takes some time for it to start working.
With the Internet, things work in a similar fashion, when new Internet address information is sent around the global Internet network. This process is what allows your domain name to be accessible by anyone in the world.
(A domain name is the official term for an Internet address. Ex: google.com is a domain name.)
So when you type in:
www.whatever.com
or email someone at
address@whatever.com
the network of computers knows how to take this Web site or email request, and send it to the right place.
To summarize, it takes some time for the worldwide Internet to be able to process your new domain name and make it accessible -- typically 48-72 hours.
In the meantime, you can begin to use your new account.
To get started, proceed to Step 1, and after you have completed the steps, you can check back regularly to see if the address is ready by typing your domain name into an Internet browser.