Hosting/Domain Names

What is the diff between hosting & domain name?

Websites have hosting which is a place on the web that you rent by the year/month to hold your site. You also need a domain name which is also rented by the year. Domain names can be .com .ca .biz .org .info .net etc.  First choice for a domain name would be .com and .ca is also  perfectly acceptable.  If you purchase a .ca name you must also register the domain name with CIRA which is a government agency governing .ca domain names. www.cira.ca

Find out information about a domain name

Hosting and domain name are separate and usually purchased from separate suppliers. Both are a must for a website. Hosting and domain names are connected by name servers that tell the domain name where to get the content for the site which is stored on the host.

Obtaining hosting

We can supply hosting for $10/mth. We use Gator Host a very reputable hosting company in the US.  Not all hosting is created equal. It is best to have a host that has a configuration that is widely used such as a Cpanel and is ftp accessible. This will save you money and us time when managing your site. Host Gator

You may also want to obtain your own hosting and that works as well. We will need the username and password in order to upload your website.

Registering a domain name

We can register a domain name for you. We use Namespro for .ca domains and for .com we use Enom. Registering the domain name for you is a service we provide. You may also register a domain name. We recommend the below registrars. Once you have registered the domain name we will need the registrars name (Enom/Namespro) and your log in info (username & password) to change the names servers to point to the host.
Domain names cost approx $13/year
www.namespro.ca
www.enom.com

How to choose a domain name?

  • To help your website and business flourish, pick a domain name that:
  • Is easy for web users to remember and find
  • Suggests the nature of your product or service
  • Serves as a strong trademark so competitors won’t be able to use a business name or domain name similar to it
  • Is free of legal conflicts with trademarks belonging to other businesses
  • Has a good extension – If a person is surfing around looking for a site, and they know its name, most people will try .com. So, for the web site owner who wants their site to be found, the rule is: if at all possible, get a .com name
  • Is short – less than 7 characters ideally. A simple name will roll off the tongue more easily in conversation, look more professional, and have less chance of being mistyped
  • Is easy to spell – Make sure it passes the phone test: if you were to say the domain name of your website to a friend over the phone, would your friend be able to spell it correctly the first time without your having to spell it for them
  • Descriptive – A good site or business name will describe exactly what the site is about. In most cases it’s important for a person to be able to get some sort of sense what the website is about just by reading the domain name
  • Phonetic land mines – Some domains contain more than one word. For example www.therapistfinder.com could be read as TherapistFinder.com or TheRapistFinder.com