Simply Explained
Below is website terminology that will hopefully make more sense after it’s simply explained.
Most of us are familiar with how physical businesses work. Sally wants to start a clothing store. She will first need products. Then she will need to rent physical space to keep those products with a physical address (like 3594 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN.) Then people can visit her store, browse her products, and buy.
Well, websites are very similar in theory. If Sally wants to start an online store, she will first need a website. A website is nothing more than a series of files, images, and HTML code. These files take up space and need a place to live.
They need an online home (hosting) with an online address (domain name) Without an online home, Sally’s files would just sit on her computer, never to be seen by anyone. A hosting provider (e.g. GoDaddy, Bluehost, etc) will provide a place on a web server to store all of Sally’s website files and are responsible for delivering those files to the internet. Now, Sally’s website can be accessed by anyone who knows her digital address (domain name).
When Sally first thought about starting an online business, she purchased a domain name. A domain name is her company’s address on the internet.
For Sally’s physical clothing store, she gives customers her street address so they can find her. For her online store, she is renting space on the internet, and she gives customers her domain name.
Whenever someone types in her domain name, it is converted into an IP address. The hosting company then locates all the files connected to her IP address and returns all of the pictures, videos, and words that make up her website.
Just like every street address is unique, so is every domain name. Whenever you start a new website, you get the opportunity to choose a name that reflects your brand.
Key Takeaway: Website hosting is like the physical location of a brick-and-mortar store. It is the place to store all of the files that make up your website. A domain name is like the address of a brick-and-mortar store. You give people that address (domain name) so they can find your online store.
Now that you understand the basics of website hosting and domain names, you may be ready to buy. However, there are a whole bunch of options and price levels for hosting. Don’t worry. Simply contact us, and we can guide you in the right direction and help you with the purchase.
How to search for domain names.
If you are in the very beginning stages of starting a business and you are thinking of names, it’s best to search for the domain name AT THE SAME TIME to make sure it’s available.
For example, I may have thought of an awesome name for my boys’ sports club called “Boys R Us”. Then I check to see if the domain name is available by going to www.boysrus.com, and find that there is no website! So I’m thinking I’m good to go. Not so fast! Just because there is not a website, doesn’t mean that name hasn’t been bought. Its best to check for the domain name’s availability at a hosting company. (you can check for name availability at www.cad-domains.com)
So when I check for the availability the proper way, I see that the domain name is not for sale. So not I can come up with a different name that still reflects the name of the business. After going through some options, I see that www.boysrusclub.com is available to buy!
Ready to reserve your domain name? You can do it at www.cad-domains.com.
Or, simply Contact Us and we can walk you through the process.
