Basic Guide to Choosing a Domain Name and Web Hosting Package

Basic Guide to Choosing a Domain Name and Web Hosting Package by Russell Blanc

Basic Guide to Choosing a Domain Name and Web Hosting Package
By the time you finish reading this page, you'll will feel confident that you know how to choose a domain name and web hosting package.
The domain name for a web site should be relevant to your business and easy to remember. With several thousands of domain names being sold each day, it can be a challenge to find the appropriate domain name for your company or personal interests.
How can you find a great domain name?
Step 1: Brainstorm some ideas. Make a list of keywords related to your business. Include some powerful, emotional words, or at least words that might induce curiosity. Put them together in two or three word combinations. Get creative. Think outside the box!
Step 2: Go to a website that offers a search facility to find available domain names. Analyze a search for all your possible keywords. Some web sites offer alternative suggestions for a domain name too. This can further improve your search results.
Step 3: When you find a domain name you like, before you commit and purchase it, ask a few people what they think. Get an opinion from someone who could be your customer. Seek out opinions and evaluate the worth.
Step 4: Before you register a domain name, make sure that it will not violate any trademark policy that exists.
Step 5: Now that you have chosen a final domain name, it's time to register it. If it's already registered, then it's back to the drawing board and you will need to find an alternative domain name. You will probably be able to register the domain name for free if you sign up for a web hosting account as a package. Most web hosting companies allow for a free domain name as an incentive for you to choose them as a web host.
Once you have a great web address or domain name, the next step will be to find an equally great web host to serve your site to the internet world. So let's choose a web hosting company for you.
In depth web hosting reviews can be found at http://www.Top-8-Web-Hosting.com
Consider these features of choosing a web hosting package -
Disk Space - Decide how much disk space or storage you will require. Normally for a small to medium sized website, 5GB will let you host 5-25,000 web pages.
Web Hosting Bandwidth - This factor is usually overlooked until the bandwidth or Data transfer limit is reached. If you go over your allotted bandwidth, you usually will have an additional charge to increase it. If you are hosting a web site that requires lots of downloads with large file sizes, or a web site with many images, audio and/or video, your demand for bandwidth will be significantly higher than a web site with mostly text.
Uptime - An uptime guarantee of minimum 99% is pretty much becoming a standard these days. Try to read reviews about the uptime feature and see what others are saying. That's the best indicator of a web host's performance.
CGI Bin - This is now an industry standard. If you do not have access to your own CGI Bin, you cannot install scripts and programs. Sooner or later, your website will probably use scripts. If your website evolves, then you may need a database to store information. Again, this is something you really shouldn't avoid.
FTP Access - Unlimited and unrestricted FTP access to your web site is essential. You will need an FTP program to transfer files. DreamWeaver, CuteFTP and WS FTP Pro are all solid FTP programs
Control Panel - Access to you web hosting control panel should be easy to use and navigate. Some control panels require hours of learning. Most of the reliable web hosts have a demo version of their control panel.
Customer Support Service - Your web host should provide 24/7 support or at least be very attentive and responsive to your requests.
Congratulations! You have a basic understanding of how to choose a domain name and web hosting package.
About the Author
Russell Blanc is the owner of http://www.Top-8-Web-Hosting.com, a website which offers free independent reviews of web hosting providers and is a resource for choosing a web hosting company.