What is a Domain Name?
A domain name is the name of your website that you type in to your browser. For example, the domain name of this website is MyNewVenture.co.uk. You purchase a domain name for a period of time, usually one or two years. After that, if you still want the domain name, you must renew it for a fee.
Selecting a Domain Name
Many good names have already been snapped up. When you select your name, try to keep it as memorable as possible. Many people mistakenly think that the domain name should contain keywords for better search engine ranking. This is not true. Select your domain with human beings in mind. That means easy to remember and easy to type.
Think carefully when choosing your name and stick with it. You lose all your search engine listings when you change domain names and it takes a long time to get listed again. Search engines 'like' to see age in a website. Generally, the longer you have been around with same type of content, the more credibility you gain.
Domain Ownership
When we purchase your domain for you, we register it in your name and at your address so that you are the owner of the domain. Many low-cost web development services register their client's domain in their own name which keeps you locked into their service. We never do this.
Kinds of Domains
Domain names have what is called a suffix. This is the .com, .org, .co.uk, .eu and so on at the end of the name. The suffix often reflects the country the business is located in and, also, sometimes what type of business it is. For instance, .com tends to be American-based and of a commercial nature, while .org is meant for charities and non-profit organisations. .co.uk is commericial United Kingdom and .eu is European. There are many more suffixes.
Sometimes if someone cannot buy their preferred domain name with the preferred suffix (such as .com), they will opt for that name with a different suffix such as .net or .info. Personally, I think it is best to find a name in the top level domain of your country (.com in the US; co.uk in the UK and so on). Customers forget about whether you are .info, .net, etc, and simply go for the .com or .co.uk address first. In this case, you are simply handing your customers over to your potential competitor.
Why Do I have to Renew my Domain Name?
There are only a limited number of Domain Names, especially the good names. Some people buy up domain names for many reasons other than for their website. Some speculate that good names will increase in value, some start a business and then lose interest and others simply bought names on a whim. It would be a shame if good names were not accessible to people who would genuinely use them. Therefore, people who hold on to domain names must pay a fee every year or two years. That way, if people don't really want them, they are released back into the pool for purchase. You have first chance at renewal of your existing domain name, so that you can protect your business name.
What is Website Hosting and Why Do I Need It?
First of all, think of a billboard. A printer will create the paper posters. But, for people to see the poster, they have to be pasted onto billboards in public areas. The person doing the advertising has to pay to use the billboard 'space'.
Websites are similar. Instead of a paper poster, a website is a collection of programming code and pictures sitting on the computer of the person who developed it. Just like the poster needs to buy space on a public billboard to be seen, your website needs to buy 'space' on a special type of computer that displays websites on the internet. This is called a web hosting server. And, just like with the billboard, you need to pay recurring fees to the web host for publishing your website so it can be found and seen on the internet.
My New Venture offers competitively-priced web hosting services so you can be assured of a reliable presence on the web.
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