Ecommerce: Guide to Domain Names and Hosting

Introduction

This article is to guide you on what domain names are and hosting for your Ecommerce site (Online Store). 

What is a domain name and why do I need a host?

A domain name is almost like your house address and a host is your house. In this instance, you are housing all your computer files (HTML, documents, images, videos, etc.) in a web host.
 

How do I choose the best domain name for my site?

Here are some tips:

• Make sure it's easy to type
• Keep it short
• Use keywords (to improve Search Engine Optimisation (SEO))
• Avoid numbers and hyphens
• Research it first - make sure the name you want hasn't already been trademarked
   

When should I use the different extensions? 

.com (most popular extension)
.co (an abbreviation for company, commerce, and community)
.info (informational sites)
.net (technical, Internet infrastructure sites)
.org (non-commercial organisations and non-profits)
.biz (business or commercial use, like e-Commerce sites)
.me (blogs, resumes or personal sites)

How to purchase?

Here are some options on where to get hosted and register your domain name.