Almost every business has an online presence in the form of a website. A website is beneficial as it is a channel of information, sales, and support that does not close after business hours. Potential clients can still get to know your company and find your business contact information. Shoppers can still make purchases at 3 in the morning. Existing customers can still receive support regarding a product or service they have purchased. Having a website, especially during these times, is a no brainer. Starting one, on the other hand, does require some work and know-how. This article will help you understand the steps necessary to start your own website for your business or personal use.

Every website has a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). Keep in mind the difference between a URL and a domain name. A domain name is part of a URL, ie. “google.” The URL would be. Despite the difference, these two terms are now used interchangeably. A URL is composed of a domain name and a TLD (Top Level Domain) which is the .com, .net, .org, etc.

Choosing a domain name can be a piece of cake or it could take some work as a lot of names out there have already been registered. Ideally for you business, you should have your business name as your domain name. However, your desired name isn’t always available. You have to be creative in coming up with a name that identifies your business and is available. Some tips are to use dashes, adding your locality (yourbusinessnyc.com) at the end of your business name, or try a different TLD (.net, .us.com, etc.).

The second piece you need to get your website started is web hosting. A web host is a company that rents out space and bandwidth in order for your website to be visible by everyone. There are many packages and configurations available and you have to access your needs in order to choose the right plan. If you are running an online store, you probably need more space and bandwidth to accommodate your shoppers. If your business is more corporate oriented and you just need a website that talks about your company and provides contact information, a lower-end web hosting plan may be right for you. In the end, it all depends on your needs.

There are many places to purchase and register domain names, however, they are not all the same. Ideally, it’s best to go to the same place for both your domain name registration and web hosting as you only have to deal with one company for support. At the same time, it’s important to choose a company that offers great customer support. The first step would be to check if your desired domain is available. Go to http://www.cheap-url.com/ and start your search there. Cheap-Url is powered by Network Solutions, one of top players in the web hosting and domain registration industry. They are backed by a great technical and customer service staff and a great company to deal with. Once you are at http://www.cheap-url.com/, type in your desired domain name and check off as many TLD’s you want to search for your domain. .com and .net are checked by default as they are the two most popular choices. Click ‘Get it now’ and you will be redirected to Network Solution’s website and you can review your search results. It may take several searches in order to find the domain name of your choice. Once you have found your domain name, you may proceed to check out, or if you need web hosting, visit their web hosting product pages to review your options. Your domain name will be FREE if you purchase a web hosting solution from them. Network Solutions offers 3 different web hosting packages. Review your needs and pick one that’s best for you.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! You now have a domain name and web hosting! It may take several days for your domain name to resolve across the internet. The next part is to build your website and upload it onto your new web host and domain for the world to see. Please check in for PART II: How to get your business website ready and built.