Ricky Says

Question: I have an idea for a new website, but how do I get the web site name, and how much will it cost?

Answer: The website name is called a domain name and it can end with .com, .net, .org, .info, .us, .biz, .tv and a few others.

You'll first need to check with a web hosting provider to see if the domain name is available. Once you find one that's available, then you'll need to reserve it.

Reserving a domain name gives you the rights to create web pages that people can view on the internet when they enter your domain name, but you'll also need to purchase web hosting service to actually make those pages visible on the internet.

Checking if your domain name is available is completely free, and doesn't obligate you to actually buy it.

I use HostMonster for this site, and you can check if your domain name is available by visiting their site and clicking "Domain Check":

You can enter any domain name and it will check if it's not already being used by someone else.

If your domain name is available, then you can purchase it from HostMonster, which reserves it for a year or however long you choose.

HostMonster also gives you the domain name for free when you sign up for a year of web hosting, which you'll want to do anyway because you'll get the lowest monthly rates that way.

Web hosting is very affordable, and you shouldn't have to pay more than $6 or $7 a month. This will give you plenty of data storage, bandwidth, email addresses, and even databases for installing things like Wordpress for your own blog.

Question: How do I choose a web hosting provider, and which one(s) do you recommend?"

Answer: There are literally hundreds of web hosting providers to choose from, and it's hard to know which ones are good or bad.
I've listed several reputable web hosting providers below, with a comparison of their features. These are providers that I've either used before or would recommend using for getting your website pages on the Internet.

A web hosting provider is a company that stores your web pages and makes them viewable on the Internet. They also provide domain registration services so you can reserve a domain name (e.g. www.yourcompany.com) and create personalized email accounts like you@yourcompany.com.

Recommended Web Hosting Providers

Web Host	Domain Name	Email Addresses	Monthly Bandwidth	Storage	Databases	Add-on Domains	Monthly Price
1&1	Free	600	300 GB	10 GB	10	None	$3.99
Dotster	Free	10	250 GB	5 GB	1 MySQL	None	$5.25
HostMonster	Free	Unlimited	3000 GB	300 GB	100 MySQL 100 PostgreSQL	Unlimited	$5.95
StartLogic	Free	Unlimited	3000 GB	300 GB	25 MySQL	10	$5.95
techhosting	Free	Unlimited	1000 GB	100 GB	Unlimited MySQL	7	$5.95
Lunarpages	Free	Unlimited	3500 GB	350 GB	Unlimited MySQL	10	$6.95
Blue Host	Free	2500	3000 GB	300 GB	50 MySQL 50 PostgreSQL	Unlimited	$6.95
Hostgator	Free	20	200 GB	50 GB	Unlimited MySQL	Unlimited	$6.95
IX Web Hosting	Free	5000	3500 GB	500 GB	100 MySQL 100 PostgreSQL	8	$6.95
iPowerWeb	Free	2500	3000 GB	300 GB	1 MySQL	6	$6.95

* Last updated on Jan 10, 2008 - visit each provider to view additional hosting plan options

Which web hosts do I recommend?

I've used both Lunarpages and HostMonster to host my own sites, so I can attest to their reputability and dependability. They both have a rich set of features with very affordable price tags. Lunarpages comes with $700 worth of Coffee Cup web site development software, which makes it a very attractive option for someone who needs to create a new web site template. Both Lunarpages and Hostmonster are very responsive with technical support and continually upgrade their features with faster hardware, increased bandwidth, storage, email accounts, etc.

Web Hosting Providers You Might Want to Stay Away From:

You might be surprised to see big names like GoDaddy and Yahoo on this list, but I really feel they're lacking in features compared to the web hosting providers listed above (and Yahoo is just plain too expensive).

If you're one of the web hosting providers on this list, you may use the Contact Form to plead your case or let me know about improvements you've made. :)

Web Host	Monthly Bandwidth	Storage	Databases	Add-on Domains	Monthly Price	Reason
GoDaddy	5 GB	250 GB	10 MySQL	No	$3.99	Low bandwidth Small storage No add-on domains
Dot5	3000 GB	300 GB	Unlimited MySQL	6	$4.95	Extremely Slow No Fantastico Scripts
HostRocket	Unlimited	100 GB	10 MySQL	10	$4.95	$29.95 Setup Fee (should be free)
FatCow	3000 GB	300 GB	5 MySQL	Unspecified	$6.95	Too few databases Too many unknowns
Yahoo	200 GB	5 GB	Unlimited MySQL	None	$7.71	Low bandwidth Small storage Too expensive No add-on domains

* Last updated on Jan 10, 2008