How to set up a domain name and hosting
In this blog post I’m going to show you how to set up a domain name and hosting on one.com. And give you a £5 discount with my one.com referral link.
What is a domain name?
- Business name: One.com is a domain and web hosting company. Its domain name is also its business name.
- Personal brand: My domain name is my own name rachel-murray.co.uk. I chose to go with a personal brand for this business as my unique selling point is my experience and skills.
- Product or service: B&Q is a well-known brand, but its domain name is www.diy.com. It looks like people can find it easily if they are searching for DIY products on a search engine like Google.
It’s better to keep your domain related to your brand and business. And short and concise to make it simple for your customers to find you.
What is web hosting?
- A domain or url is your like your online postal address
- Hosting is your online plot of land where your shop or business is
- Your website is your online shop window or store.
Some hosting providers offer dedicated hosting but most offer shared hosting. If you’re a small business owner offering wellbeing or holistic services, shared hosting will be fine.
Why I choose one.com
Set up a domain and hosting in 9 simple steps
You can choose any domain or hosting provider you prefer. But for this example I’m going to show you how to set up a domain and hosting with one.com.
Step 1
Go to http://one.me/enauazzc (use this link to get a £5 discount).
Step 2
Search for the domain name you want in the ‘Find your domain name’ bar.
Step 3
The next screen will show the options available for your domain name. If co.uk or .com is not available then it may mean that the domain name you’d like is already taken.
If your business is in the UK a co.uk domain will show where it’s based. A .com domain tends to be in America, .i.e in Ireland and .au in Australia. Other domains, such as .org is usually a non-profit, .ac.uk is education and .gov is local government.
It may be worth searching for the domain you’d like first and see if it’s taken. If it is then check Companies House to make sure the business name you want to use isn’t already registered.
If you already own the domain you can transfer it to one.com instead.
Step 4
If you provide a service in a local area you may want to include the name of the area in the domain. In this example I’ve searched for ‘newforest-yoga’. Yoga is a popular service and it may be difficult to stand out on search engines such as Google or Bing (known as search engine optimisation (SEO)).
By localising it not only is it clear what it is, it is clear where it is. So your customers will be able to find you.
There are also more options available, including .co.uk.
If you want to choose this domain, just select ‘Add’. The button text will then change to ‘Added’ and the domain name will be added to your cart.
Step 5
You’ll next see upgrade options. The ‘Beginner’ hosting plan will automatically be added to your cart. You can choose to go with that plan or compare options. I would compare options to make sure WordPress hosting is included.
Step 6
Once you’ve compared plans choose the one that fits your business needs best. If you only need one website, the ‘Explorer’ may be a good option.
Step 7
Once you’ve added your hosting plan to your cart follow the ‘Continue’ button.
Step 8
On the next screen you’ll get some upgrade options. These include an e-commerce site, perfect if you want to set up an online shop. And Managed WordPress, choose this if you want one.com to manage your website updates. If you don’t want any upgrades follow the ‘Continue’ button.
Step 9
The final step is to fill in your details, pay and confirm.
Once you’ve paid one.com will send you a series of emails letting you know what you need to do next.
Grab the discount link
Get £5 off your first order with this one.com discount link.
If you decide to buy from one.com using this link I may earn a referral fee. Once you’ve signed up with one.com you’ll also get the opportunity to refer people.
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