| You are ready to start your own web business. | | | | is referred as our domain name is "live". |
| How do you register a domain? What can you do | | | | |
| with your domain name once you have one? What | | | | So now you got a domain name and you want to |
| about web hosting? | | | | set up a website. You need a site that |
| | | | provides web hosting. One again you have to |
| Let's answer the easier question regarding | | | | decide how much you want to spend. Keep in |
| what to do with your domain name. Obviously, | | | | mind that many of the domain registration |
| you can use your new domain name to set up a | | | | sites offer low cost web hosting that is |
| web site. Fortunately, you can do a number of | | | | solid and reliable. |
| things with your domain once you register it. | | | | |
| Have you thought about selling it? You can | | | | What programming language are you going to |
| forward it to your main domain. You can even | | | | use for our website? Will you be using |
| leave it parked just gathering dust waiting | | | | FrontPage? If so you will need a web host |
| for you to decide what to do with it. | | | | that has FrontPage extensions. Are you using |
| | | | HTML or an open source editor? Then a Linux |
| Make sure the domain register allows you to | | | | based server will work for you. |
| use the domain management features. With | | | | |
| these features you should be able to access | | | | Here are a few suggestions to watch for. Web |
| and update all aspects of your domain from | | | | hosting is normally charged monthly with some |
| your nameservers including your MX records | | | | sites offering discounts for paid in advance |
| (mail), to your privacy settings and contact | | | | service for 6 months or 12 months. Check the |
| information. | | | | refund policy to see what happens if you |
| | | | cancel before the prepaid period is up. |
| How do I go about registering my domain name? | | | | |
| You have to decide which domain registry you | | | | Does your host provider support PHP 5? With |
| want to use and how much you want to pay for | | | | PHP 5 support, you can program using the |
| this service. Quite honestly, if you are | | | | latest version of this server-side scripting |
| paying more that $10 to register your name, | | | | language. There are free templates available |
| you are paying way too much. There are many | | | | that take advantage of existing applications |
| solid companies that can register your name | | | | and add-on's written in PHP 5. Check to see |
| for under $10. Now you have chosen the domain | | | | if you can run both PHP 4 and PHP 5 |
| registry you want to use. | | | | simultaneously on the same site. |
| | | | |
| First step, make sure your domain name has | | | | Don't forget site administration. What type |
| not been registered by someone else by doing | | | | of administration interface is available? Can |
| a "whois" search. I know, you are scratching | | | | you easily make the changes to your site you |
| your head and wondering what is a "whois"? | | | | need. Can you manage and maintain cgi apps, |
| The good domain registration sites maintain a | | | | library versions, Perl, and Ruby on Rails |
| whois database. Fortunately, they also have | | | | from within the site administration area? |
| an easy way for you to check by just typing | | | | Site administration is suppose to help you |
| in the domain name and it will search the | | | | not frustrate you in getting around and doing |
| whois database and let you know whether it is | | | | things. |
| available. | | | | |
| | | | The hardest part about getting a domain name |
| If the name is available, the search will let | | | | registered is making sure no one else has |
| you know. Many of the domain registration | | | | registered it. You may think your domain name |
| websites will offer suggestions to you if | | | | is unique until you go to register it and |
| that name is already taken. Word of caution. | | | | find that not only is the dot"com" taken but |
| Think about your domain name and how it may | | | | also the dot"net", dot"org", dot"biz" and all |
| be used in your business to drive traffic to | | | | the other extensions. You also can assume |
| your website. This is not to be taken litely. | | | | from that, you may be on to something that is |
| | | | desired on the web. |
| Your name is available so now you can proceed | | | | |
| with the checkout through the domain | | | | Buying a domain name and paying monthly for |
| registration site. At this point, more than | | | | web hosting does not have to break the bank. |
| likely you are probably done! However may | | | | You can pay a lot of money or you can |
| take up to 4 to 8 hours for dot"com" and | | | | actually pay less and still get a solid |
| dot"net" domains to become active and about | | | | product. Have fun! |
| 24-48 hours for other domain extensions. This | | | | |