Domain Names, Hosting and Email - Getting Your Site Live

This is a quick guide designed to assist our clients in getting their websites up and running quickly and efficiently. By following these steps the site will be ready for code transfer and testing.

Domain Names

A domain name (www.yourcompany.com) can be purchased through many different sources. Larger domain registry services such as Register.com and Network Solutions provide robust management tools that make maintaining the domain much easier.

When purchasing the domain name you will be asked to provide the registry company with name servers. These servers are available from your hosting provider (see Hosting below). Most of the time, clients will purchase their domain name first, and then sign up for a hosting package when they are ready to build the site. Remember, once you sign up for a hosting package you'll have to go back and provide the domain registry with the name servers in order for your site to function properly.

Hosting

Hosting is one of the most critical components of your website. It's where the site lives. With the right server setup, your site can provide you with many years of great service.

Some things to look for when choosing a hosting provider include:

• storage space
• monthly transfer
• cost
• email accounts
• server environment/operating system/databases

It's best to talk over any hosting packages with the designer/developer first as they may already have things in mind in building the site.

Email Setup

The hosting package will allow for a defined number of email boxes. If additional mailboxes are required additional costs may accrue. There are normally two ways to use email at most hosting facilities, POP and IMAP. In most situations, POP is the most efficient and cost effective.

Learn more about the different types of services at:
http://www.imap.org/papers/imap.vs.pop.brief.html

Site Launch

Once the site is up remember to have something posted for your visitors to see. Even a simple page is better than no page.