When you are considering building a website, whether a personal blog or the beginnings of an online business, the decisions you make now can make the process easier. Choosing the right combination of feature for your domain and web hosting can impact the success of your website.

Think Carefully About Your Domain

You likely anticipate your website will be popular for many years to come, so you should be careful about selecting a domain name. The name you choose will be part of your branding and it can be difficult to change to a new name if your website becomes popular. There are numerous top-level domains (TLD) beyond the traditional .com, .net, and .org. The advantage to using a newer TLD is you can create a domain name that aligns with the goals of your website. Unfortunately, newer TLDs can be perceived as unprofessional or less trustworthy than traditional options. There are many features that can be purchased with your domain name, but the most important is domain privacy. You will want to invest in this feature if you register a domain name with your personal information. Even if you use a business name and address, keeping your domain private will reduce spam.

Purchase An Unlimited Plan

It is rarely worth the money to purchase a lower-tier hosting plan that does not allow you room to grow without upgrading. Start with an unlimited plan, which may be marketed as one for businesses. Generally, these plans allow you to have an unlimited number of domain names, storage space, and bandwidth. Even when you are just starting your website, you may choose to try out different types of websites before you decide which one is the most successful. For example, some people have several blogs or affiliate marketing websites, and they are all hosted on the same plan. Storage space is critical especially if you have several websites. Videos and other graphics can quickly consume space and cause problems with speed. Unlimited bandwidth allows many people to be on your website simultaneously without a major impact on speed. Without unlimited bandwidth, you would likely see your website slow to a crawl if it becomes popular.

Test The C-Panel

Ideally, if you are purchasing hosting, you should utilize a service where you can have a trial period or a money-back guarantee if you decide to cancel shortly after registering. This will give you the opportunity to test the control panel (c-panel). The c-panel for your shared web hosting plan has numerous functions, like a dashboard for your website. You can install a new content management system (CMS), configure business emails, and connect domains. All c-panels are not created equal, with some being more beginner-friendly than others. It also helps if your web hosting company provides one-click installs for your CMS. You may want to try out different ones and trying to upload the files directly to your web host can be discouraging for beginners.

Starting your website on the right foot typically begins with selecting your domain name and web hosting. Finding the right combination of features will make the process less intimidating and you can focus more on building your website.