Ok we’ve been looking at elements of a site, your audience, even why you need a site. But I know that many of you have a lot of questions about the mechanics of the web- how domain names work, what is a web server, host server, mail servers etc.

• Domain Name Registrars:GoDaddy, Network Solutions are a couple of examples of domain registrars and each will charge a different yearly fee as well offer a variety of other services.  Once you resister your domain name the registration is kept on-file with ICANN -Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.  This non-profit group oversees the coordination of domain names and extensions across the world.

• Host Servers:Computers that do nothing but store websites are web servers. Each server is assigned many ip addresses. Each domain or a group of domains is assigned an ip address and that is how your site is found on the Internet.

Domain names:A domain name is your name on the web, which is also your address.  As a business it should be your business name www.mirrorlakeinteractive.com no matter how long that is. I should also strive to have a .com extension.  The .com extension is one of the oldest, the one that people don’t have to remember.  Your domain name should be the name of your company, but common nick names, common misspellings, etc. can also be purchased. Make sure your domain name is registered in your name or your company name not in your developer’s name. Domain names can be registered for 10 years or longer so buy as many as you like. Do not however buy hundreds and then do nothing with them. That will cost you. Once you register a domain name you need to either move it to a permanent address or point it to an address. In general your company domain name will move to a host  while alternative names will point to the company address or specific landing pages..

Hosting Servers:Once you have a domain name you will need to lease a hosting service. A hosting service is a company that owns a collection of computers called servers that store the pages that make up your site and many other sites. They also run a variety of applications that support web sites. These servers are all available to people searching the web.  Once on this server you will be associated as an IP address. This is a series of numbers that are assigned to your domain name and enable a person in Australia or India to find your domain name in America.

Host servers are either designed to use Microsoft Server Technology or Unix based systems. Work with your developer to choose one, because the two systems support different software languages and therefore offer different applications to support your web site.  Your developer may prefer to use one rather than another.

The host that you choose will also support servers that support an email system for your mail and servers that host databases call sql servers. All of this is necessary for you to run a business web site, a blog, or any other site that is in part driven by information stored in a data base.

Hosts give you access to email, databases, and a variety of applications through a control panel that you can access using a logon and password.  Depending on how involved you get with your site you may or may not access this.

These are the basics of domain names and hosts. It sounds confusing but it is a simple process to set them up.  Whether you or your developer do the work for you make sure the accounts are in your name and not the developers.