Building a Website: Selecting a Domain Name and Host

By Chris McGinn

So you want to make a website?  Before you begin designing your site, your first steps are to select a URL name, register it, and select a site host. 

Choosing a Domain or Website Name

Selecting a domain name for your site can be as intense as selecting a name for your child!  There are the obvious options like naming it after yourself or your business (i.e. www.yourname.com) but there are pros and cons to that choice. Other ideas include naming the site after what you do or where you are to incorporate keywords that are useful in helping people find you through search engines. Another consideration is to have a back up plan because the web is a crowded place, and many names are already registered even if they aren’t full-blown sites yet.

Let's look at self-named sites. Among the most compelling reasons for this site name are that if customers or friends are already familiar with you it is a logical choice to find you on the web.  However, if your name has an unusual spelling it could lead to frustrated searcher. Similarly if it is overly common, it is likely already taken.

Another concept that is rapidly gaining popularity is to name your website using keywords that people often use to search for businesses such as yours. For example, a specialty dock builder might want to consider a name like www.lakewyliedockbuilders.com rather than www.mattsconstruction.com because the keyword based name is more likely to come up in searches when people are looking for building a dock on a particular lake. One caveat with this type of name is that you don’t want something overly cumbersome like www.sustainableearthfriendlywholefoodshoppe.com because it is hard to remember and hard to spell correctly every time.

If you're not sure what keywords might apply to your site, visit Google Adwords or a similar site that allows you to test keywords or phrases and see how many searches are done for that within a one-month period.  These help you to design site names and site content that will boost your visibility.

When you attempt to select a name you need to have some back-up options. For example, using a hyphen (www.your-name.com) or the addition of a descriptor like a state abbreviation (www.yournameca.com). Most agree that ".com" is the leading website suffix. However, there are many other options such as ".info," ".net," ".me" and ".biz" with new ones added frequently. These will continue to gain familiarity, however, if possible try to register  a ".com" address whenever possible.

Similarly, no one ever said you could only have one site name. Many companies routinely register multiple site names that are then re-directed to the primary site. For example, if you have a name that is commonly misspelled consider purchasing the incorrect names, too, so that you don't lose those potential customers. Also, consider purchasing a site that is self-named as well as one or more keyword-based names.

Finally, if you have your heart set on one name, consider watching the "expired" domain lists or backorder the name through your host. You might get lucky and someone won't renew the site name you want.

Choosing a Web Site Host

Now that you have a name for your site, it needs a place to live. Often you can and should register your domain name and host your site in the same place as you may qualify for a discount or even free hosting.

There are a variety of hosting options including discount, shared and dedicated servers. Your individual needs will determine which route is best for you.

If you are wanting a website because you want to post limited information on a personal basis (like a site about your upcoming wedding or posts on your family's vacation), a free or discount site is sufficient. Other free or discounted sites have limited storage space for pictures, etc that you may want to have on your site as well as advertising and other considerations. However, it is free!

Shared servers are the most common type of web hosting set-up at sites like Digital Landing. Similar to free sites in that your site is housed alongside other sites sharing the same server at the host's office, these options usually offer more features and services for your money. This is typically the right choice for small businesses and others that want to balance affordability, service, and support.

When comparing hosts, consider factors such as speed, storage space, supported languages, and service. You will find a range of features depending on how much you are willing to pay.

The final option is a dedicated server. These are typically more expensive, but provide services needed by businesses with specialized needs for security, large space requirements or other considerations.  A lower cost option that still provides a large measure of security and space options is a virtual dedicated server. In this option, a physical server is partitioned to permit multiple users to have individual access and control over their segment of the server including independent reboots. If your plan is an e-Commerce site, multimedia or gaming site, than a true dedicated server is the best path. With a dedicated server, you have your own independent server, providing more flexibility, space and security than all other options, but at a price, of course!

After you make your server choices you can also consider add-ons such as search engine visibility, additional email options, private registration and more.

Finally, it's time to design your site.