Getting Started With Domain Names And Hosting
When it comes to registering your domain name and purchasing hosting youre going to have a few different options available to you. You can mix and match different providers, shop around for the best deal or feature set, or you purchase them both together and simplify the process.
Both approaches work entirely fine. It simply depends on what works best for you.
Some people prefer to keep their domains and hosting all under one roof, while others like to separate the two.
What Is A Domain Name
A domain name is an online address that offers a user-friendly way to access a websites true online locator: its Internet Protocol . The IP address is a unique string of numbers and other characters that are used across the Internet to access websites from any device or location. But the IP address is hard to remember and type correctly, so the domain name represents it with a word-based format that is much easier for users to handle. When a user types a domain name into a browser search bar, the browser uses the IP address it represents to access the site.
Domain names consist of a unique name chosen by the user and an extension, such as .com, .net, or .org, that designates the sites Top Level Domain. If you have a name in mind, you can check the domain name availability through one of the many domain name checkers available through domain registrars and web hosting providers. Because each domain name must be unique, you cant use a name thats already taken, but with many new TLDs currently available, you can choose from a number of combinations to get the right domain name for your new site. Its even possible to buy an existing domain name from its current owner, or from a marketplace or domain auction site that brokers unwanted or unused names at varying prices.
Host A Website For Free With Webnode
Webnode provides free, safe and reliable hosting for all websites created with Webnode website builder. More importantly, Webnode hosting can grow along with your website. When you find out that you want to add more content or when youll need to accomodate more traffic, you can upgrade to one of the Premium plans.
Features and benefits of Webnode premium plans
Security is non-negotiable and Webnode employs HTTPS and SSL protection to make sure that communication between browsers and servers is safe and all the data exchanged is protected according to international standards. Concerning your website performance, Webnodes reliable hosting makes sure that your site is up-and-running 24/7 on a stable network connection. With Webnode, you wont have to worry about the hosting or domain maintenance at all.
So, how to get the free hosting from Webnode? Simply register, pick a template to create your website and your hosting will be automatically set up.
Read Also: How To Upload Website On Domain
Purchasing Your Domain Name And Hosting Together
The most common approach is purchasing your domain name and hosting from the same provider. A lot of hosting providers even offer a free domain name for a year when you sign up for hosting. So, if youre looking for the cheapest option in the short-term this could be the route to take.
Registering your domain name and purchasing hosting at the same time can save you time, and it can be easier. Instead of remembering to renew across multiple platforms all you have to do is remember a single login.
Plus, the setup process will be a lot easier. Remember how we talked about having to point your domain name to your server in order to link the two together? When you get your domain and hosting together a lot of times this is taken care of for you. Its not the most technical process in the world, but it can be a little confusing for beginners.
If you run into any issues with your domain or hosting, all you have to do is reach out to a single provider. No going back and forth between multiple support teams.
However, bundling the two together isnt perfect. For example, you may end up paying more for your domain in the long-term with pricier renewals. And it might be more difficult to manage more than one domain if its tied up with your hosting account.
But, if those arent big enough objections, then this path might be perfect for you.
Heres how you purchase your domain and hosting together. For the sake of example were going to assume youre going with HostGator.
Domain Name Vs Web Hosting Whats The Difference
Domain names and web hosting are two different things however, theyre closely connected. You need both a domain name and a web hosting account to create a website. This means that you cant build a website without any one of them.
To get started, you can choose a domain name and register it with a domain registrar company. With most domain companies, you can register a domain name for a minimum period of 1 year. You need to renew your domain before expiring to continue using it.
Next, you can buy a hosting plan and link it with your domain name. After that, you can install a website software , install tools and plugins, and add content to your website.
Recommended Reading: Can I Redirect A Domain Without Hosting
How To Access Website Without Domain Name Assigned
When you transfer a working website from one server to another, it is mandatory to test whether the site is working perfectly on the new server before updating the DNS records. Otherwise, your website may be not functional for a long time which affects on site performance. In this tutorial, we will guide you to transfer site from one server to another server without any interruption.
Basically, the website can be checked using the temporary URL on cPanel before switching DNS. But for security reason, many hosting providers dont allow to access the website via server IP address or temporary URL. Due to this, mod_userdir is disabled and you dont have permission to enable it on your shared hosting. However, there has another option to test your website before pointing domain name or update DNS records with the new server.
Using the Hosts file, you can map the hostnames to the IP address on your computer. It will help you to work on the new server with your domain name, and rest of the users will be pointed to the old server.
Follow the below steps to access the website without domain name assigned using server IP address.
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The Real Consequence Of Losing Your Web Address
Perhaps you think, “No big deal. I’m a shrewd strategist and have kept a backup of all my files. All I need to do is to go to anotherfree web host and get a new web address, like ‘heng.another-web-host.xyz’. Once I publish a backup of my files to that address,I’m good to go.”
It’s not that simple.
When you lose your old web address, you lose all your regular, loyal visitors, people who have bookmarked your websiteand return frequently to find new information. When they click their “Favourites” link,they will end up at a browser error page. Do you seriously think they will assume that you’ve moved to a new web hostand search the web for your new address? Websites disappear from the Internet all the time. They’ll just say to themselves,”Oh well. Another one bites the dust.”
Not only do you lose your old visitors, you will also lose all visitors, at least for some time.When you lose your old domain name , all links pointing to your website from thesearch engines and other websites will automatically be broken.
The problem is actually worse than it sounds , for the following reasons.
So you see, once you lose your old web address, it’s like starting with a new site all over again. You’ll have topublicize your site and do all the things you used to do when your site was new, to get visitors. And it’ll take sometime before the traffic to your site even gets back to what it used to be.
Recommended Reading: How To Acquire A Domain
Can I Buy Domain And Hosting From The Same Company
Yes, you can. You can buy a domain and a hosting account from the same company or from different companies.
If you buy both a domain and hosting from the same company, the setup process becomes a bit easier as you dont need to change the domain name settings. That is why many companies have started offering both the services together.
Bluehost is one of such companies that offers both domain and hosting services at a reasonable cost. Its offering an exclusive deal for WordPress users which provides you a free domain name at the purchase of any WordPress hosting plan.
Typically, a domain name costs $14.99 / year, and a web hosting plan costs around $7.99 / month. However, Bluehost WordPress hosting deal allows you to buy hosting as low as $2.75 / month which is a 60% off on the usual price. It also gives you a free domain name and free SSL certificate.
Using Bluehost not only makes the website setup process easy, but it also saves plenty of your money.
If you want to register a domain name from a different domain company, you can register with one of these top domain registration companies.
Tips For How To Pick A Domain Name
When you register a domain, you are choosing both the SLD and TLD. Its not an easy process, so here are some handy tips for how to choose a website name:
Read Also: How To Find Where A Domain Is Registered
How To Get A Free Domain Name For Your Website
No-cost domain names come with a few caveats, but they’re useful options if you’re on a tight budget.
My career has taken me through an eclectic assortment of fields, and connected me with people from all walks of life. This experience includes construction, professional cooking, podcasting, and, of course, writing. Ive been typing up geeky takes since 2009, ultimately landing a freelancing position at PCMag. This blossomed into a full-time tech analyst position in 2021, where I lend my personal insight on the matters of web hosting, streaming music, mobile apps, and video games.
Where Do I Get A Domain Name
Technically, you create your own domain name, but not because you thought of it means you own it. To use it for your website URL, you need to register it after you have created one you like. The registration process allows you to find out if someone else already thought of and is using it, but more importantly, it shows that you now own the domain and nobody else is allowed to use it.
Since there are nearly two billion registered websites on the Web, with about 17.5% active, creativity is required when thinking about your domain name. monsterhost.com can not only help you build your website, but help with finding available domain names, and registering them for you when created.
Read Also: How Do You Sell A Domain Name
Easiest Option Buy Domain Name And Web Hosting From The Same Provider
One reason why people get confused between domain name and web hosting is that often they are both offered by the same service provider. And thats good practice because:
- Thats the easiest approach, especially when youre just getting started online
- You can conveniently manage domain and hosting from the same provider when your website is up and running
- Connecting the domain name to your host server is easier if its handled by the same company
Bluehost is one such company that offers a one-stop solution for all your web hosing requirements. For a special intro offer at $2.59/mo, youll get a free domain for one year, free SSL certificate and one-click WordPress install.
Some people prefer to keep their domain name registration and web hosting separate. This may be on account of:
- No intention to create a website, but merely to reserve a domain name
- Already in possession of domain name and just need web hosting
- Hold the view that it may be easier to shift to a new hosting company when you register your domain with a third party
Weebly Free Online Website Builder
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Weebly is a free online website builder, which does not require hosting choice as it comes as the all-in-one solution. This means that it provides domain name and hosting by default along with flexible design customization tools. The website builder has got a powerful eCommerce focus after its acquisition by Square platform. This allows starting small-to-large online stores.
Some of the most impressive Weebly features are listed below:
- Business-Specific Features. The platform grants access to multiple business and eCommerce features that help boost your website performance.
- Powerful Integrations. Weebly lets you choose and integrate applications and widgets that come up to your project specialization and can enhance its functionality.
- Weebly Promote Tool. The tool includes a set of business tools and designs to start effective email marketing campaigns .
- Video Hosting. Weebly makes it possible to upload and publish videos at your website in two ways via YouTube integration and by means of adding files directly to your Weebly platform.
Weebly charges affordable fees for its services. There is a free plan, which never expires and can be used to explore the functionality of the platform. For those users, who plan to go live with their web projects, there are several subscriptions to choose from. Their cost starts at $6/mo.
Also Check: How To Create Gmail With Different Domain
How Can I Get A Domain Without Buying One From A Domain Registrar
So I want to host a website. I want to use the address example.com, but I dont want to use a domain registrar service.
Is there any way to host on that address using a homemade DNS or other type of server that can point the domain to my IP?
I dont want to use a hosting company, and I want to know if there is a way to do it myself.
- Neil MeyerMay 21, 2020 at 11:05
- Because I do not want to pay a domain name company and it is more efficient and easy to host it myself because it offers more flexibility.May 21, 2020 at 11:08
- 2You’re asking two questions with two distinct answers. You can’t buy a domain name without using a registrar but you can host it yourself. The two are mutually exclusive. John CondeMay 21, 2020 at 11:36
- “any way to host on that address using a homemade DNS or …” – it depends on whether you want this name to be publicly available. Without formally registering the domain then it will be limited to the local network or between friends .
I think what you are really asking is:
Can I run a website at home for zero cost, both in terms of hosting and a domain name?
The answer is “kind of.”
Strategy #1 Monitor Your Site Performance Metrics
When youre first getting started, you just need to get your website built and make sure its running live on the web. But over time, you want to see exactly how visitors are interacting with your site.
Look at KPIs like uptime and speed. If your site is constantly going down or has slow loading times, it will hinder the long-term success of your site.
The best web hosting providers, like Hostinger, will have built-in resources on your dashboard to monitor these KPIs.
Keep a close eye on these. If something is wrong, you need to determine what exactly is causing the problem.
For example, lets say your pages are loading slowly. Do you have too many large multimedia files like uncompressed images and videos on that page? Are there too many redirects? Is another website on the same shared server causing your entire site to load slowly?
You cant fix a problem if you dont know whats causing it, and you cant identify the cause if youre not constantly monitoring your metrics. Make a habit of doing this on a weekly or monthly basis, at a minimum.
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