Domain Name and Web Hosting
Acquiring your domain name and getting set up for web hosting are two vital requisites in getting your site online. You must have a domain name and a server where your domain can be accessed from the Internet.
Selecting a web host may be the most crucial decision you make when launching your site. You will be depending on the host to keep your site online. Long-term reliability is important. There are many companies available to provide hosting for your domain. If you choose to select a web host, get references and do some research. Support is essential from your web host. There will sometimes be issues you'll need help with.
Getting a Domain Name
How do you select a domain name for the world wide web? Find a domain name that best describes your web site's main topic or one that best describes the products or services you are selling. If you're site is about Female Tadpoles, then femaletadpoles.com would be an excellent domain name. It's easy to remember, it describes your main topic, and it's a perfect keyword for search engines. Company names, the site topic, or even your own name are other options.
When choosing your domain name, be creative and original while avoiding any words or phrases that may infringe on someone else's trademarks or copyrights.
The domain name should be confirmed at the beginning as it is integral to the site design process.
How to Get a Domain Name
After deciding on your domain name search the Internet and find out if it's available. If the domain name is unavailable, you'll have to choose another. If it's available, you can register it for two years for approximately $40 or less. The price varies depending on which domain registrar you select. You may wish to register your domain with an independent registrar or register it as part of your web hosting package.
Web Hosting
After confirming the domain name, it's time to sign up for web hosting. A web host is a company that provides the server where your domain will reside. Expect to pay from $5 to $30 per month for web hosting with a basic starter site. The monthly charge increases depending on service options you may select with your hosting account. These options include bandwidth, server space, shopping carts, email boxes, and a host of other options offered by the various hosting companies.
Bandwidth and server space are two primary considerations. If you intend to have a small site, the space required won't be a major concern. Most all web hosts provide more than enough space with their starter packages to host your site. If your site will be high-traffic, then you should start out with a high bandwidth package. Bandwidth, simply defined, means the amount of data transfer allowed for your domain per month.
Hosting is usually offered on a monthly basis and does not require a long-term commitment. In other words, you can cancel your subscription at any given month without any further obligation. Other plans may be based on a yearly subscription that requires payment for one year's hosting in advance.
When you apply for hosting, you will be asked to read a "terms of service agreement". You should read the agreement and be aware of the terms before making the commitment.
After getting signed up for your domain name and hosting, you'll be ready to upload your site to the server. When your site is on the server, it will be live on the Internet and available to anyone who types in your web address or clicks on a link to your site.
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