Before you start a website, you need to prepare quite a few materials. This will make the website process run much easier, more organized, and faster.
Whether you’re trying to create a website on your own or hiring someone, you will need a domain and hosting. My advice is that you own both.
DOMAIN
Domain = URL where visitors will find you.
You need a domain first for your website.
Domain (web address): URL address where readers will find you (eg www.mod.si is mine). You will need domain and extensions (eg .si, .com, .org).
However, it is smart to check if the name is also available on social media so you can use it also on social.
How to choose a domain name?
Domain should be memorable, short, and ideally contain your keyword (this has a big for SEO).
Which domain extensions to choose?
There are different domain extensions e.g. .com, .si .net .org … So which one to choose, what are the differences?
Some are country related – e.g. .si, .hr, .de, .at, .ch. The general is .com and for Slovenia .si.
For some special extensions, proof of ownership is required, e.g. domain for museum and .museum.
The extensions should be SEO friendly, which means that e.g. Google can index and adds to the search results. If not some websites achieve lower rankings.
If you don’t know what to choose, and you’re not even too interested in it, it’s usually a safe choice to have a domain with the .com. You can also choose multiple domains with different extensions and then redirect all those domains to the primary one.
Check if the domain is available
When you choose the domain name, you should also check if it is even available. It’s not enough to check a domain by typing in a URL.
You can check this one:
For Slovenian domains (.si): www.register.si
freedom of the other domains: Whois whois.net
Where to buy a domain?
You can buy a domain on any website that offers domains. But you should check if this offer is ok and the price for the first year and the price for the renewal – these can vary considerably.
You can also buy a domain and hosting from the same provider.
HOSTING
Hosting = home where your website will live (space on the webserver).
For your new website, you will also need hosting – the home where your website will live.
If you are not satisfied with the hosting, you can transfer the website to another hosting provider. So don’t worry, but it’s definitely good to choose the best provider.
For a website, you need enough space for hosting (depending on the size of your website) and at least 1 SQL database.
What is nice to check: in addition to the price and offer, it is nice to check their support (eg how quickly they respond if you need help).
Ok, that’s it. In comment belove please share your domain, your experiences with host providers, or if you need help choosing a domain or hosting.
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