If you’re thinking about, or in the process of setting up a new website, you may be feeling overwhelmed about all the different elements needed to get it up and running. Web hosting, domain name, SSL certificates – there are many options for each of them.
To make it a little simpler, let’s take a look at how to do two of those things at once – how to buy web hosting with a free domain name.
What is Web Hosting
In simple terms, web hosting is basically purchasing space on a server for your website to store its files in order to make them visible and accessible on the World Wide Web. These files include everything that makes up your website like content, coding and your CMS.
Certain features like the amount of space available to you, management and technology will depend on the type of hosting and server you choose. Many businesses start out with shared hosting, as it’s the cheap option, but as they grow and begin to gain more traffic, it’s likely that a VPS or dedicated hosting will better suit their needs.
Easy Web Hosting Management with cPanel
Once you’ve figured out what type of web hosting is right for you, it’s also important to determine how you’re going to manage it.
cPanel is the easiest way to manage all of the elements of a website in one place. cPanel provides users with an intuitive dashboard that simplifies website and server management – without having any advanced technical knowledge.
There is a long list of things that you can do with cPanel, like easily install WordPress and other software, manage domains, create email accounts, and much more. Generally speaking, cPanel makes a range of management tasks a whole lot easier.
NetShop ISP offers the powerful and intuitive cPanel™ Control Panel with our Web Hosting Plans!
Domain names
When it comes to choosing your domain name, you may think it’s just a matter of finding one that’s available and cheap. But a domain name is one of the key components of any website, so it’s important to make the right choice. Of course, it’s important for your domain name to be short and catchy, but there are some other things you need to consider too.
Popular domain TLDs
First things first, you need to choose your top-level domain (TLD), or domain name extension. The TLD is the last part of the URL and there are actually over 1,500 to choose from! Let’s take NetShop ISP for example, www.netshop-isp.com.cy, the TLD is .com.cy. The .cy is the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Cyprus.
With the majority of domains using the .com extension, it’s certainly the most common and valuable. It’s the most familiar extension, and therefore is also beneficial when it comes to SEO. Other common TLDs are .org, typically used by charities and non-profit organisations or .net which is mainly used by network services.
How do TLDs affect SEO
With so many factors affecting your search engine ranking, it will come as no surprise that your choice of TLD does too. The .com extension has become the default domain, hence it being the most popular. This is the main reason why it’s the best in terms of SEO.
Users are much more likely to trust a .com domain and other popular TLDs. Although a lot cheaper, it’s recommended to avoid TLDs like .zip as they may be deemed as illegitimate, associated with spam and ultimately tarnish your business’ credibility.
In terms of country code top-level domains, companies tend to use these for the benefits of SEO via geo targeting. Giving your users the indication that your business is local may also instill a sense of confidence.
Get a free .com domain with NetShop ISP
We offer a FREE .COM Domain with every annual cPanel Web Hosting order.
To search for a domain and claim our offer, simply follow these steps:
1. Click this link to be redirected to our website.
2. Select your plan.
3. Search and register a domain name using our search tool. Once you’ve chosen your domain, continue to the next step.
4. You will be directed through the next step, and once you reach the Product Configuration, make sure to select the Annual Billing Cycle from the dropdown. The domain will then show in your Cart Summary as free.
At this point you can also add on any additional services you may need like an SSL Certificate or Cloud Backup.
5. Continue to the next step, check your order summary and proceed to payment.
For any queries, please contact our customer support team.