How to Choose Domain Names and Hosting

Domain Names

A domain name, also called a URL, is the web address that others can type in to go directly to your website. Domain names come with a variety of endings but I suggest you stick to.com or.co.uk, if like me you are based in the UK, as these are the most common. Domain names can be purchased for 1 or 2 years at a time and if you want to keep them long term you will need to renew them. There are a lot of companies that will sell you domain names and you may choose to buy them from your hosting site but sometimes it's cheaper to buy them elsewhere and then transfer or point them to your webhost. A good webhost provider will help you with this. I currently buy my domain names from 123-reg.

I would suggest that you start with buying two domain names: one involving just your name and one involving the keywords relevant to your website content. When deciding on your domain name keep it as short as possible and make it something that is easy to remember. You can find out if a domain name is available either by just typing it in to the address bar on your web browser (if a website shows up then it's not) or via whatever domain name provider you've chosen.

Web Hosting

A web host provides you with the virtual storage space and software to put your website up on the world wide web. There are some ways to get this service for free but they usually come with limitations on what you can do and adverts placed on your website.

Choosing your web host provider is a matter of deciding what features you need and personal taste. There are a number of review sites that will help you make comparisons. Here are a few of my suggestions for what to look for in a good web host provider.

For me good customer service is important. This involves both online training and reference resources and the ability to email your particular questions and get a quick response. I would also look for a web host that has their own website builder that enables me to create all the features I want. Some website builders are very formulaic, based on template layouts that are not flexible.

Other important features are the ability to add WordPress blogs and eCommerce facilities. Preferably you want to have unlimited disk space and bandwidth although to start with your website won't be large enough and you won't have large numbers of visitors to make this an issue.

Having looked at several of the top web host providers in the past, my choice is Vodahost. This is mainly because I prefer their website builder because it allows me the most control over designing my website.

This article is part of a series on how to set up a simple website. To learn more visit my blog and look for the website creation category athttp://www.dawnmarchant.co.uk

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dawn_Marchant