I want a website to promote my business. I have purchased the domain name and made a web page from a template- how do i go about getting hosting and uploading the web pages to the host computer? do i use an ftf client? and what about email, how do i configue my ms outlook to accept emails via the website and to reply to the emails with the correct address?

You can use free domain transfer services of http://www.hostafreedomain.com and they are really cheap too..with extremely high quality service. I have used them for my site and they are the best out there when it comes to quality web hosting service..and they even have a 30-Day Money Back Policy ... i dont think you would go too far with 88cent.com hosting....the site doesnt look too professional either. But when you see http://www.hostafreedomain.com , you know you are in for quality. They provide Live Chat Help too.

I see you have a lot of questions there. lol

Well, its most likely that you'll want your site to support a certain server side language (ASP, PHP, JSP, ColdFusion). Plus you'll most likely want a database (MySQL, Access, etc).

Search around for different hosts and pick the best one. Remember, support is very important when it comes to owning your own website and I'd suggest that your host has good support. Email, phone, whatever works for you. Plus they should be fast with responding to to you. Also check the "up" time of the server.