Domain Registering & Web Hosting
Domain registering and web hosting can be confusing for our clients. You need both and the two are tightly related: you cannot have a website unless you have a domain name registered and a hosting provider.
When you register a domain you obtain ‘the right to use and control’ this domain name. It is not related to any content or services associated with that domain.
In order for your website to be viewed online, the files and any associated databases need to be stored on a computer which can then be accessed via a web browser. That is the web hosting part.
To simplify: see registering a domain as buying a plot of land and hosting as the house on that land (your website).
Registering a domain name
A domain name is your website address, like ‘yourwebsite.com’, which when typed into a web browser, brings up your website.
Your domain name is possibly the most important part of your online brand, so choose carefully. Too ‘funky’ and it will alienate people or be difficult to remember. Too long and it will become unwieldy and again, difficult to remember.
Registering a domain name is not expensive; it usually costs between US$10 and US$15 per year (for .com addresses). Anyone charging more is cheating on you.
Web Hosting
As said above, you need space on a remote computer (called a ‘server’) to make your website accessible and visible.
When you sign up for hosting, you are paying a hosting company for a certain amount of space on that specific server, and they also set up all the behind-the-scenes stuff that makes that domain find your specific account on the server.
For most websites ‘shared’ hosting is sufficient, meaning you are sharing space on the same server.
Only for large websites or eCommerce sites with hundreds of items, you’ll need to choose another hosting plan. We’ll leave that out here.
Shared web hosting costs anywhere between US$50 (budget) and US$150 (high-end) per year.
How to do it?
Both registering a domain name and purchasing a hosting service are easy to do in a few minutes. We advise against Cambodian hosting providers. Most of these are so-called ‘resellers’, meaning they are using servers and infrastructure from bigger hosting companies (mostly in the US). It’s better to deal with such a hosting company directly.
Registering the domain name and purchasing a hosting plan can be done at Siteground. Why Siteground? Because they are a top-notch provider with excellent support. Plus, they have servers in Chicago, Amsterdam and Singapore. So, if you’re mainly targeting visitors from Cambodia (or Southeast Asia), the Singapore server is the obvious choice.
Get Started: step-by-step
Go to the Siteground Web Hosting Page.
The ‘StartUp’ package is good enough for most websites. When you have chosen the plan, you are asked to enter a new or existing domain name. When new, it will tell you whether this domain is available. If not available, choose another one. Choose your name carefully (e.g. not too long).
Next step is to fill in your details, choose the length (1, 2 or 3 years) of your first purchase of the hosting plan, and the billing information. Be aware that the ‘promotion’ price is only valid for this first term. After this, the normal price applies. There are some extra features selected by default. You can uncheck these to keep your monthly fee low. However it’s up to you whether you want these or not (there is an explanation of these features on the site).
After you’ve paid, it’s done. You will receive an email with all the technical information. That is the information we need to put your website online.
Can CamboDesign do it for me?
Of course we can, but we won’t. Why? Because the one who registers a domain name is the owner. And you obviously want to own your domain name.
