The Magic of Web Hosting

There are two core elements in a website, your domain name and your hosting. In order to have a website “live” on the internet, you need both.

Domain Registration

A domain name (eclipsewebmedia.com) is how your website can be located, its an address, much like the physical address to your home or business (3700 Crestwood Parkway #320 Duluth GA, 30096). In order to have your website “live” on the web, you will need to buy a domain name. You can purchase a domain name from a domain registrar. A domain registrar is a company or organization that has been authorized by the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers, ICANN for short (http://www.icann.org/) to sell and register domain names.

Domain names are registered and renewed on an annual bases costing between $7.00 – $15.00. Its important to note that you have to renew the domain name each year. Some registrars will allow you to register a domain up to 10 years in advance. Its important to understand that having a domain does not mean you have hosting.

Website Hosting

Hosting pertains to the server where your website resides. Your website consists of numerous files; image, audio, video, text and code files. When you have a hosting account, you are given space on a server (a computer designed to connect server information to requesting clients). There are different types of hosting services and thousands of companies that offer them. The price for hosting can vary based on many factors. Some of those factors are based on server operating system (Windows, Linux, etc.), storage space, email accounts, bandwidth, request rates, supported languages, and many more.

Once you have your domain name, and your hosting account, you can connect them together and like magic! you have a live website.