Why have your own domain name?
What is a domain name? Domain names are human recognizable names assigned to websites. On the Internet the machines talk to each other using what is called an Internet Protecol Address or IP Address. This address is a set of numbers you have probably seen that looks something like 123.45.123.45. For machines this makes it easy to locate the host or destination machine they want to communicate with. But for us humans remembering hundreds of IP addresses would be very difficult. So a naming convention was devised to make it easier. The domain name and it’s associated IP address are linked together in what is essentially a big database (think phonebook) called a Domain Name Service (DNS). When you enter a domain name in your web browser, your computer sends a request to the DNS to find the IP Address it needs to talk to.
Why is it important to have your own domain? If you are not in business, it probably is not that important. However, if you want to put up a website whether it is for personal use or business you will need a domain name of some sort. Many people will use a free or common ‘host’ (place to store the website) and others will rent space on a web hosting provider like rd-webhosting.com. Besides cost the main difference is in the name. On a free host, your ‘domain name’ is often a combination of the host name and a unique name (your name perhaps) combined in some fashion. For example: If the host was rd-webhosting.com and your name was Jane Smith you could have a domain name of janesmith.rd-webhosting.com or rd-webhosting.com/janesmith. For email you would have janesmith@rd-webhosting.com if it was offered by the hosting company. Many free host do not offer email support. If you use a paid hosting service, you will need your own personal domain name, IE janesmith.com. In this case you would almost always get email accounts at well that you can set up, so your email address could be me@janesmith.com or anything that you wanted it to be, If you are starting a business, domain names make you look more professional. They also establish more trust. Think about this, who would you rather buy from, Company A with a website address of CompanyA.com or Company B with an address of rd-webhosting.com/companyb? In the second case, who are you really dealing with rd-webhosting.com for company b? Also the cost of a domain and web hosting is almost nothing.
What will it cost to have your own domain name? Well the prices you will find on the Internet will range from $1.99 if you purchase other services to as high as $24.99 a year to register your domain name and post it in the DNS. Remember all domain names are posted in the DNS. So a service that charges $7 is doing the same thing as a service that charges $25. Sometimes you may find extra services or features available but if you are just registering a name, go with the cheaper service. Also, you want to make sure that YOU are the owner of the domain name. I have seen some registrars that claim ownership of the name and require you to host your website with them. This is usually the case when hosting is free. They charge a steep fee if you want to ‘buy’ your own domain name back from them and move to a different host. So ask questions first. Once you get your own domain you will need a place to host or store your website. There are thousands of web hosting companies. With prices ranging from $1 a month to hundreds of dollars a month. Some have contracts however, most do not. If you are putting up a business website, I would recommend not using a free web hosting service. Support, availability, features, disk space, data transfer and email accounts of free hosting usually will not meet your requirements.
How do you get a domain name? First you need to find a domain registrar. These are companies, like rd-webhosting.com, that are allowed to register domain names and place them in the DNS. Once you find a registrar, you need to enter the domain name you want to register. You will also need to enter some personal information, such as your name, address, and phone number. One very important piece of information is the IP Address of the server where your website will be stored. This is important as it will be entered into the DNS so people can access your website or send you email. When you purchase (whether it is for free or a fee) web hosting space you should be provided this information.
Once you have registered your domain name it will take a little while, up to 72 hours before your new domain name will be able to be used. This is because the registrar has to enter the domain name into the DNS and then it has to be copied to all the other DNS servers on the Internet. In most cases your domain name will be registered and you will be able to access your email/website usually within 24 hours sometimes less. But to be on the safe side 72 hours is usually stated.
That’s it. You registered a name, found a place to host the website and email. Total cost, from a couple of bucks on up.
Raymond Laubert is owner of http://rd-webhosting.com a web hosting provider specializing in home based business web hosting. He has written many articles related to web hosting and home based businesses which can be found at http://rd-webhosting.com.