Hosting and Registration?

Everybody with a website needs to host that website and everybody with a website needs to register a domain for that website. What exactly are these things though? Some clients know but if you are one of the less geeky folks out there then this blog post is for you!

Registration

You want your customers to type in a friendly domain name into their browser to reach your website. For example, I want my customers to type in qwconsulting.com and once they do, I want them to reach my website (the website you are currently reading).

When you register a domain, you are purchasing the right to use that string of words (such as qwconsulting) in the domain for a certain period of time. In short, all you do by registering the domain is saying that you own the right to use that word structure for your domain.

To use a rough example, registering a domain is similar to getting a driver's license. The driver's license isn't a car; it is a piece of paper saying you are authorized to drive some car, somewhere, until the license expires. In the same way, registering a domain name isn't the same as a website, but registering a domain is giving you the right to create a website at the domain you registered.

There are three big recommendations I would make for when you register your domain:

1) The registration needs to be in the business owner's name to avoid any future complications. A lot of web developers offer to register the domain for you but then keep the domain in their name instead of yours. This makes about as much sense as having the title on your house in your real estate agent's name instead of your name.

2) Register the domain for more than one year. For one, you are probably still going to be in business in ten years so you might as well register the domain for a longer period of time so you don't have to renew it every year. Second, a lot of registers offer discounts on domains when you register for multiple years so why not save a little money?

3) Finally, register with a known company with a solid reputation. If something seems shady or wrong, register your domain some place else. I can recommend registration companies if you'd like.

Hosting

Hosting is where your website files get stored. All of your pages, videos, photos, blog posts and etc. live on a machine at your hosting company. The machine, or server, contains the hosting environment which is your space for your files. The hosting company can be different from the registration company, though some hosts do offer registration services.

To continue the driver's license analogy, the hosting environment is the car. Like with a car, you want to make sure the hosting package is suited for your needs. If you need a certain programming language, your hosting environment needs to support it. If you need a lot of files or have lots of videos, you'll need more space than if you have a simple content website.

What hosting environment should you choose? Well, like with the car you are going to be better off the more you research and understand what you need. At QW Consulting, I can help you make that determination to find a hosting solution that fits your needs.

Contact QW Consulting today and I can help you answer your hosting and registration questions.

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