The Step-by-Step Guide to Buying Web Hosting & Domain Name
Creating a website in 2020 has never been easier. Why? Well, today everything is made to be easy to use and to maintain, so basically, anybody can create a website and learn how to run it. You don’t have to know anything about web development, design, or coding to register and create a website – you just need a good plan about a domain name and some time to search for the reliable provider and voila! Your website could be ready.
Choosing a web host without previous research might be risky, especially today with increasing concerns about cybersecurity. Just imagine that you have invested all your money in online business, and, trying to save some money, you choose a poor web host. Choosing a domain name suitable for your business and a reliable web host is a crucial part of any website, so in this guide, we’ll give you some tips that might help you.
What is a domain name?
Well, the internet is basically a giant network of computers connected to each other. Each computer has a personal series of numbers so you can easily separate and identify them, something like DNA. It is an IP address – a combination of numbers separated with some dots. As computers have no problem identifying each other by a combination of numbers and dots, humans on the other side can find it hard to remember all those combinations, and honestly, it’s more complicated than anything. So, domain names were invented instead of hard numeric combinations – it’s simple and more practical.
We can say that domain name is the address of your website, and to access it all you need to do is type it in the browser’s URL bar.
Think about perfect domain name
Just take your time. Choosing the right domain name may be a crucial part of creating your website so you need to think about it carefully and steadily. Choosing a good, unique domain name is not that simple because there are millions and millions of already registered domains and the online market is expanding rapidly. When you launch a site for your business, blog, or e-commerce service, you need to sit and think carefully about a name that will reflect your business in the best possible way.
Your domain is representing your brand, so for your domain name, use some phrase or word that can define your work, so people could connect the domain name with you and your business. Of course, you can invent a name, but be careful: invented names must have a meaning connected to your business.
The domain name you choose should not be like some other existing domain because it can confuse users and Google can lead them to some other address – that can be pretty bad. Instead of that, use keywords and combine them, because that will help Google search and give you a better ranking. Also, the name of your domain should be short, easy to read, easy to remember, and easy to spell and pronounce – sometimes less is more.
Domain name and hosting aren’t the same things
They’re tightly connected, it’s true – when someone types your domain name in a browser, it’s translated in your web hosting provider’s computer IP address. So basically, if a domain name is an address where your web host is placed, web hosting is a place where it keeps all your website’s files and it sends them back to the users’ browsers when they need them. There are many hosting companies specialized for serving websites, offering different types of hosting plans based on your needs.
Here we come to the connection between hosting and domain name: to have a functional website you need both domain name and hosting – if you don’t have a domain name, nobody can’t access any website because it can’t be published.
When you choose the right domain name, take care of the suitable hosting package
Web hosting providers usually offer many different web hosting plans, depending on the different website’s needs. Finding the perfect hosting provider can be a hard choice and one of the most difficult parts of establishing a website. If you are the website-rookie without technical experience, try to inform yourself by reading reviews and other people’s experiences so you can make the right decision. A reliable hosting provider should have the best uptime, good technical support 24/7, a professional team that will help you in case of any problem, and also a suitable package for your website. Hostinger has many positive reviews as the best hosting provider that offers everything you need for a website in one place – domain name registration, different types of web hosting, 24/7 support, and so much more. Depending on your website’s size, you need to choose some of the packages: there are a few different types, and you can choose one based on your needs. If you run a blog, without so much traffic you can use shared hosting; If you establish a big e-commerce website expecting tons of traffic, you can use a dedicated web server; if you have a WordPress website you can use a plan based especially on WordPress users, etc.
Buying and registering a domain name and hosting
If you like, you can register a domain name and hosting separately in two different companies – domain name from domain name company, and hosting from the hosting provider. But be careful, because in case of any problem, you’ll need to call two different companies and it’s pretty stressful. Today many hosting companies offer domain name registration for free when you buy a hosting package – besides it’s easier, it’s also highly recommended, especially if you’re the owner of a small or medium website. Just remember: trust is everything. Once you register a domain name and buy a hosting package, remember that you must renew a rental period, because it’s not forever. Rental periods can be different from hosting company to hosting company, but it’s usually for a year. If you forget to renew it, some other people can use your domain name.
Final words
We don’t want to sound scary, but finding a good reliable web host for your website and choosing a perfect domain name may be the hardest part of building a website because it’s the base of all your future progress. Once you do it, you can let your creativity do its job by creating content and playing.
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