Anyone who wants to have an international business usually needs a website to promote his product or service and get worldwide exposure. Apart from the concept and web design, you need a domain name registration to give a unique address to your website. You need space on the server and a web address through which Internet users can reach your website. This address is called domain name. You can select from a variety of domain names for your website. Think of a name that is easy to remember and also searched more by the users. Tools are available to collect all this data.
There are many companies that offer web hosting, which means they have huge space available on the server where your website will be stored. You need to buy that space on yearly basis. There are a few things you need to understand before you buy a domain name and server space. It is a good idea to consult with the concerned person from a hosting company. They will guide you and help you understand your requirements better. They know the right questions to ask so that they can offer you the packages that suit you best.
Most companies that offer hosting also provide domain name registration and web designing services. So you do not need to go anywhere else once you reach them. Some of them also offer free registration of domain names if you take the entire package. If the company is good enough, they will not need you to have any technical knowledge. They will take care of the technical aspect and ask you few questions to understand your requirement better.
Some web hosting companies also register your domain name in their own name rather than yours. If the domain is registered in their name, you will depend on them forever and if you ever wish to switch to another hosting provider, you will have to let go of your domain name too. Make sure the domain name you register is in your own name to avoid problems in future. This situation also gives these companies an opportunity to charge you for releasing your domain name. So be careful when you register a domain name especially when it is made available to you for free.
Apart from domain name registration, the company can offer you many other services and features. Look carefully at their packages for email storage, content management features, blog and photo management etc. These are basic features and you should not be made to pay extra for them later on after you have settled with a low initial cost hosting package. If you are paying reasonable amount, see that you are getting enough value for your money.
If there is good competition in the market, these web hosting companies always have lucrative offers for you to choose them. If you are planning to create multiple websites, you can negotiate the price and see if they offer any discounts. Companies often customize packages for you, so try to be clear about your requirements and share them with the consultant to get the best money.
