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Domain Registration
Before you begin developing your website, it is important to register a Internet domain first. If you don't know what a domain is, an example would be hostbyte.com. When you register a domain it's similar to registering your driver's license where you do not actually own the domain but have the exclusive access of it - until it is revoked for one reason or another.
So how does a domain relate to the Internet and the World Wide Web? Well the domain name actually is used to reference a set of numbers (IP address) that is used to identify web servers on the Internet, similar to a phone number. When users try to reach your web site, they simply type in the domain name in their browsers and then it looks up the DNS address in a NIC database, which stores all the information about your domain. Once it has pinpointed your web site address, it redirects the request to your web hosting company's web server and then it delivers the requested information.
Domain Suffix
In most cases, it is easier to register your own country domain suffix. This allow the readers to instantly recognise where the operator of the website is from, and most likely to be display in it's own native language. For instance, for a commercial enterprise in Australia, this would be companyname.com.au or in Norway it would be companyname.no.
The domain name can use letters, numbers or hyphen, however it may not end or begin with a hyphen, and must be less than 63 characters.
Domain Selection
When selecting a domain name, it is essential to pick one that is easy to remember and catchy. The domain name should reflect the site's contents or culture. If you have problem registering a domain name which is already taken, in the dot com arena - a lot are already taken, try shortened it or abbreviate it.
Well this pretty much covers the essential aspects of the Internet and why web hosting can be so crucial to a business or organisation. Next we will examine what features or functions you should look for in a web hosting vendor.
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