Daniel Paveley
Graphic/Web Design and Web Development
If you read part one of our Web Guide, you’ll know there’s a lot of moving parts that go into making and running a website. Obviously, the question that comes next is: how do I get all of that set up?
Step 1: Getting a domain
Your first step should be to decide where you want people to find your website from. If you have an existing website that you’re redoing, then launching on the same URL is the best idea, both from an SEO perspective and from the angle of making sure people who know your company already are still able to find your website once it’s been relaunched. If the business name has changed, then a new URL may be necessary, but it’s important to note that this only affects the core URL; you’ll likely have new pages added when you redo your site, but these won’t affect how you handle your URL.
If you’re making a website from scratch, or changing the address of your site, then there’s a bit more to consider. If you’re an organisation that deals mostly in the UK, then a .co.uk address is the standard, it’s a good way of reassuring customers that you’re based in the same country. If you work internationally you may want to consider a .eu or .com to display your more international approach, though these may cost more or restrict your choices when it comes to the domain registrar you purchase your domain from. You might also consider .org, meaning organisation, or government-related websites (such as a local council) may be able to apply for a .gov domain; these are locked down and require a rigorous checking process in order to reassure visitors that the website is an official entity. There’s even other niche options that might apply to you, .tv (a regional domain for the country of Tuvalu) is sometimes used by television or live-streaming websites, and there’s even options like .book, .coffee, or .mint!
Once you’ve decided the top-level domain that’s right for you, you next have to find the secondary part. This one has to be unique to you when paired with your top-level domain, so you can’t purchase one that’s already taken; bbc.co.uk and bbc.com are separate domains, but there can’t be two bbc.co.uk addresses, for example. If you’re choosing one that someone else already owns on a different top-level domain, then you may want to investigate the legality of it; in some cases, if they own the trademark on that name then they might be able to have yours stricken down if a court finds your usage of it to be illegitimate. For example, a rainforest conservation organisation might be able to use the domain amazon.eco to document their work in the amazon rainforest but using that domain to set up an online store and video streaming platform will likely be on much shakier ground.
With all those decisions made, you just have to find the right registrar to purchase your domain from. Luckily, there’s less to consider when it comes to domains than hosting, but you’ll still want to investigate your options. Some niche top level domains are only offered by certain registrars, and some domains may already be owned by a specific registrar, who you’ll have to purchase it from even if you’re looking to move to another registrar later. Certain desirable URLs (like very short URLs or ones with common words) might carry a far higher price tag, so be sure to check your options before committing to anywhere in particular.
Step 2: Setting up hosting
Now that you have a domain, you’ll need to connect it to a host that will store your website files. There can be a lot of variation in hosting offerings, even when you’re just looking at the one company. Important differences include space allocations, bandwidths, and added features. Some hosts may bundle in a proprietary website builder with their service or have an easy ‘one click’ setup for Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress or Shopify. If you’re moving a website in then it’s important to make sure the new host can support your current setup, whereas, if you’re setting something up from scratch, you’ll want to double check that the features offered will match up with your goals for the website. Proprietary site builders can often be very easy to set up but will often run up to a point where a needed feature simply doesn’t exist.
The more technical aspects of hosting setups can get quite confusing if you’re not experienced, you may need to learn to use a system like PHPMyAdmin to set up and alter your databases or utilise FTP (File Transfer Protocol) software to upload and manage your files to the server. Developing the skills to utilise these systems can be a rewarding effort, though certainly a daunting one if you’re coming into this with no prior experience. You may want to consider a managed hosting service, within these you’ll be able to rely on an experienced dev to handle the more technical aspects for you, or even to create the site for you completely.
If you’re looking to set up an email account on your server then you’ll also need to consider how you’re installing it, emails can be very difficult to configure and manage so deciding on a solution can be daunting. Different hosts will handle different amounts of the installation for you or offer management programs that can make the process easier, so make sure to explore your options carefully with a view to your requirements.
Step 3: How are you putting your site together?
You’ve got your domain, you’ve got your hosting, maybe even your emails set up, you should be good to go, right? Unfortunately there’s one big decision still to go, namely, what are you going to use to put together your website? If you’re a developer looking for a challenge then you might opt for the traditional route of coding it all together from scratch. There’s no better way to get a crash course on HTML and CSS, but obviously this isn’t a realistic option for the average person, or a dev hoping to create a complex website in a reasonable timeframe. That’s where a Content Management System (CMS) comes in.
A CMS takes most, or all, of the coding out of website development, with options for all different levels of flexibility and complexity. Some are advertised as being ‘code-free’ and working all in-builder, using a simple drag and drop editor. These can be a good way to quickly put together a layout if you’re not experienced, but they often come saddled to specific hosts and can cause problems down the line when you want to add an element or a piece of code (like a Google Analytics tracking code for example) that the system doesn’t support. Generally, the best middle ground is something like WordPress or Shopify, which can utilise simple page builders to create your designs in a visual way, while also having the flexibility to add code or plugins to expand your functionality and styling options.
Whatever you choose, the best system will always be the one that fits your website’s needs best, so start thinking early about the things you need your website to do. Ecommerce functionality, contact forms, interactive maps and more will all need to be pre-planned to make sure you don’t get stuck down the line.
Hopefully, the explanations here are a good start in helping you find a hosting and domain setup that will work for you, if you’re interested in learning more, Daneswood offers our own secure and 100% renewably powered hosting solution. Click here for more information and watch our blog for more information and advice on creating and managing your website.