Last time we have talked about the first step(choosing the right platform) of creating a website in DIY. This time we are going to talk about the second part, choosing a domain name and hosting for your website.
In order to make a website works online, you need the following two things.
- A domain name (something like yourdomainname.com)
- Hosting (a spot that can stores all the files of your website and to connect your site to the internet)
Getting a domain and a reliable hosting account now cost you around $3 – $5 per month. It is less than getting a cup of coffee so it won’t break your bank account. 🙂
Owning a domain name make your site looks more professional than using a free domain that offered by some company like yourname.freewebsite.com and you are actually helping other company to promote their website too.
By registering your own hosting account, it will make your site running more faster and secure. It also avoid any unnecessary limitations and popups advertisements of using a free hosting account.
Where to register a domain name?
There are lots of website offer domain registration but based on my past experience, I will highly recommended to register one through GoDaddy (www.godaddy.com). Founded in 1997, it is one of the biggest domain registrar and web hosting company. It provides a simple to use control panel to manage all your domains and hosting information. With live, phone and email support for your options.
What kind of domain name should I choose?
The purpose of having a domain name is to let people recognize you or or business. If the website is for your business, then you should register a domain name that can represent your company such as yourcompanyname.com. Similarly if the website is for your personal use, then you need to register a domain name that can represent yourself such as yourname.com.
Most domain names end with .com, .net, .org, .me and these are called extension. .com and .net are the two extensions that commonly used and easier for people to memorize. They are more general and for all purposes either for company or for personal usage.
How should I choose my domain name?
Is it best describe your site?
Choose something that is best describe your website. For example, if you are selling sportswear and use a name like best-sportswear.net that probably not a good choice. sportswearmart.com or sportswearsuperstore.com is much better.
Is it easy to memorize?
Short, punchy and clear name. Try not to use any dash in between the domain name, too long or too fuzzy. Make it easy to memorize for your visitors. ebay.com, amazon.com, and apple.com are good examples.
Is it catchy?
I know, there are lots of good name that already been picked. But there are still over 150 million active domain name in the world right now for you to choose. Don’t give up and you will find one eventually.
Conclusion
Now you have a website, a domain name and a hosting account and your website is ready to go. Next is to promote or brand your website to make people know your exist. There are ways to promote a website but you have to make sure to choose the right method in a right platform. Stay tune and I will show you how to use the appropriate method to make your site get famous.