For the basics to get your business up on the web, you will need three things:
- a domain name
- a web server
- a website
Domain
A domain name, also known as a Universal Resource Locator (URL) or web address, is your unique address on the web. They are also used for your e-mail addresses (and hopefully not your Gmail or Yahoo email address). Our website address is https://www.pennink.com and our email address is info@pennink.com.
We recommend that you register the domain name and keep the login details safe and secure. This way, no matter who creates your website, you own the domain name. Essentially, you 'rent' the domain name for a set amount of time and then renew.
We also recommend that you purchase the .com if you own the .co.uk to stop someone else developing a site in competition to yours.
.com domain names are international, while .co.uk domain names clearly indicate that you are a UK-based company. We can easily redirect one of the addresses to the main address so that people visiting http://www.mydomain.co.uk will be instantly sent to http://www.mydomain.com.
Hosting
In order to have your website visible on the world wide web, your site will need to be hosted with a web hosting company. A web host rents you space on a web server for your website files. Each account has its own control panel and the web host provides support for your site. Be aware that hosting data overseas could cause problems for UK businesses, so you should aim to host with a UK-based company regulated by UK law.
PENNInk Productions offers hosting as part of our website care plans.
Website
Your website is your 24/7/365 showcase to the world. Taste is a very personal thing, but when considering your website, it is vital that your business considers several factors:
- your target market
- what you want to do
- what you do and who you are
