Article 3: choose a domain and host

Domains

    A website's domain is the website's name and extention that points to its place on the web (the host).  For instance, the domain name of this site is Directorix.net.  Other common extensions are .com, .org, .co.uk, etc.  In fact, as time rolls on, relevant .com names are becoming more and more scarce.  
    What is a relevant domain name, you might ask?  A domain should be a reflection of your business, your site, and your content.  It should also as short as possible, and easy to remember.  As it stands, there are little to no four-letter unregistered .com domains, and other short domains are unavailable, as well.  You will find that your ideal domain is taken if you have a fairly common theme to your business or your personal website.  
    When you register your domain (I recommend using popular domain registrar, godaddy.com), you may find that your first choice is already taken.  This is where many webmasters and/or business owners make the mistake of settling for a domain that is too long for potential vistors to remember, not reflective of your ideal site, or is similar to another business that you might not want to have an association with.  Keep this in mind if you choose to register a domain with an extension such as .net, .us, .biz, .info, etc.  You have to remember that the domains that are registered with .com extensions will perform a little better on the search engines simply because they have had the chance to marinate on the web longer than your site.  If you are going to use one of the previously mentioned extensions, check out the .com version and make sure the site that you will be competing with is not going to be a major competitor for your business.  
    After you have picked your domain, you may be offered other services from your domain's registrar like private registration or discounted hosting plans.  Private registration should be something to consider as it is low in cost, and helps prevent unwanted spam and junk mail.  

Hosting

    A web host is where your website is saved on the web.  When selecting a hosting plan, it is important to pay for as little of webspace as possible.  Do not pay for more than you need.  If you are a small business or are hosting a personal webiste, odds are you will only need the lowest cost hosting package.  You can always upgrade if you run out of bandwidth.  Sites like Godaddy.com make it easy to change settings and help with hosting account setup.  There are dozens of tutorials available to their customers to make setting up a website a breeze.    
   

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