Computers and resources connected to the Internet are
identified by an Internet Protocol (IP) address or "quad"
(the IP address takes the form of 4 numbers, each one between
0 and 255, separated by periods). Since the IP address was
hard to remember, an easier system was conceived: the Domain
Name System. With this system, machines are assigned an easy
to remember logical name. Since no two organizations can have
the same domain name, every company or organization that wants
to have an online presence must register a domain name for use
as their online identity. This domain name will be used by
internet users to access the organization's website or email
system. Usually, a domain name takes the form "mydomain.com",
"mydomain.net" or "mydomain.org".
How can I get my own Domain name?
First you need to check if the domain name you wish to
register is available. Most Domain Registration companies
provide a search tool. If that name is available you will be
able to register and secure your domain name.
Once you have chosen your domain, you can check its availability and secure if available at Domain-Maniac.com, or any of the other registrars, such as Verisign, Register.com, etc.
If you'd like me to do it for you, I can purchase your domain for $14.95/year and park it free so you don't have to worry about DNS servers and other details. Contact me for additional information.
Why do I need a web site?
Online retail sales are rapidly growing as more and more
individuals and business are looking to the convenience of the
Web for purchasing products and services. Retailers can now
find affordable options for setting up an online "storefront"
that is open for business 24/7 every day of the year. So
creating an online presence for your business is a smart move.
How do I set up a Web Site?
First you find a domain name for your business that will
allow users to find you when they go online. Use the tools
provide by the Domain Registrations company to determine if
the domain name is available, and if so, purchase the name to
secure it.
Find a company that will host your website. There are many
companies with a wide variety of hosting plans. You must
carefully consider your goals when choosing a hosting company.
Will you have a static HTML website (pages that do not
change), dynamic content, e-commerce? These are decisions you
must consider before contracting a hosting company.
If you're an Internet startup with a small budget a good option is Globat.com-Web Hosting Made Easy! although it offers some powerful features like 300 MB Hosting with 30 GB Transfer for $7.50/mo. including webmail, 300 POP email accounts, FrontPage, MySQL, FLASH and more.
Easy CGI provides Web Hosting - ASP, PHP, Perl, JSP, Frontpage, ColdFusion. Offering Web Hosting plans to fit any budget, server hosting, and eCommerce services, their state of the art Data Center and Colocation facilities boast Dell PowerEdge servers with backup and redundancy that can't be beat.
Build your website. There are many authoring tools that
could help you build the website on your own. Or some hosting
companies offer pre-programmed templates you could use. But if
you have a budget, and especially if you want more complicated
options like e-commerce, dynamic content, etc., hire a web
developer to build your website.
