Domain Registration/Web Hosting Basics

For many people, choosing a registrar for new domain names and a host for a new website  is a lot like choosing a cell phone plan. Each provider offers different service options and the quality of service varies. You can bundle registration and hosting services together, or buy them separately.

Domain Name Registration

A registrar adds your domain to the Domain Name System (DNS). Once your domain name is registered, it’s associated with an IP address.

When you buy or register a domain name, you must also choose decide which extension is best for you: .com, .net, .info, or .org, for example. While you need not register your domain name with more than one extension, doing so can prevent others from registering your domain name with a different extension and diverting some of the traffic intended for your site.
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Once your new domain name is registered, you’ll be responsible for paying the annual fee to retain ownership. You can choose to pay an additional fee to protect your account information from the public eye. Your business name, address and telephone number are required for the DNS, and anyone can look it up unless you pay to keep the information private.

Premium Domain Name Registration

Premium domains, which come with built-in domain authority, are different from primary registration domains. They have been owned previously and usually cost more than a domain that has never been registered because of the benefits they confer.

If you choose to buy a premium domain name, the reseller transfers the ownership of that domain to your name, but it is your responsibility to maintain registration of the domain name.

Finding a Reputable Website Hosting Service

Your website host’s main function is to provide connectivity to the internet. A web hosting service also provides storage space for the files you’ll need to run your web site. Site speed is critical to SEO performance and user experience, so do your research to make sure your host has the bandwidth to suit your needs.

Clearly, security is a critical issue when you select your web hosting service. Your online business would be at risk if you couldn’t guarantee the security of their credit card information and other personal data.

Reliability is also critical. If your web host uses servers that crash even just a few times a year, the losses in sales or customer communication can be devastating. Your contract with the hosting service specifies the estimated downtime. It may be stated in terms of uptime: “99.9 percent reliability,” for example.

Web Hosting Options for Business

Your internet service provider usually offers free hosting for simple web pages. However, this arrangement is unlikely to meet the needs of an online business. The following are some of the additional services provided by a hosting service to help your run a successful online business:

• server space that can be increased as your business grows
• bandwidth that increases as your file transfer requirements grow
• a fixed number of e-mail accounts
• customer support, usually by telephone and often 24/7

Of course, the costs of the services go up with the features you choose, particularly your needs for additional server space and bandwidth.

Types of Web Hosting Services

Some web page hosting services specialize in e-commerce hosting. They may have features that are particularly attractive to new online business owners, particularly the experience and support that you’ll need to make your business successful. These include shopping carts, extra security, merchant accounts (like PayPal) and marketing support.