In a nutshell, the web is a whole bunch on interconnected computers talking to one another. The computers (on the web) are typically connected by phone lines, digital satellite signals, cables, and other types of data-transfer mechanisms. A 'data-transfer mechanism' is a nerd's way of saying: a way to move information from point A to point B to point C and so on.

The computers that make up the web can be connected all the time (24/7), or they can be connected only periodically. The computers that are connected all the time are typically called a 'server'. Servers are computers just like the one you're using now to read this article, with one major difference, they have a special software installed called 'server' software.

Server software is created to 'serve' web pages and web sites. Basically, the server computer has a bunch of web sites loaded on it and it just waits for people (via web browsers) to request or ask for a particular page. When the browser requests a page the server sends it out.

Registering a domain name gets you an official URL address for your web site on the World Wide Web. With this 'official' address, the rest of the web can find you.

Like your home address is unique in the real world, there also can't be any duplicate addresses on the Internet, otherwise no one would know where to go! In other words, domain names are unique addresses on the web.

There are many companies out there that allow you to register the domain name for your web site. If you don't know where to start looking, contact us and we will recomed you the company we normally work with. The cost of registering a domain name ranges from £5 to about £10 per year. You can register a domain from 1 to 10 years.

These days, you will find that many of the names you may be interested in registering are already taken. As I mentioned above, domain names have to be unique and many have been slurped up.

What is the difference between .com, .net, .org, .co.uk, etc.?
Practically speaking, there is really no difference these days. Search engines don't discriminate between a .COM address and a .NET address. The only thing you might consider is that people tend to type in .COM automatically since it was the first publicly known domain extension. So when registering a domain name, I would go for the .COM first and if it was taken, I would then try for any of the others. (.co.uk, .net, .org, etc. )

You probably guessed; a .COM address is not the same domain name of the same name with a different extension. So for example:

www.artsitesdesign.com is not the same place as www.artsitesdesign.co.uk

As such, each of the addresses can be registered separately.

Why does registering a domain name cost money?
You are paying that money so the domain companies will handle the details of getting your domain name listed in the central 'address book' of all the world's domain names which will need to be updated - somebody's got to pay for that!

That leads us to our last bit of nerd information: when you type in a website's domain name or click on a link that takes you to that domain name, your browser starts asking servers where that particular domain name is sitting (on the web) and the servers are then able to tell the browser where to go by referring to the giant address book I mentioned above.

You need to rent space on a server so that it can serve your web site to the World Wide Web; this is often called 'hosting'. Companies that provide this service are often called 'host' or hosting companies.

After you've registered your domain, all you need to do is contact a hosting company and tell them your domain name. However, most of the times, the company you register the domain name with might also be able to provide of  the ‘hosting’ space. Whichever case, they will be able to guide you through the process and you should be live on the web in no time - typically within a week or less.

To help you choose, here are a few things to look for amongst the bewildering lists of features that hosting companies offer:

home/business standard/professional entry/starter
Whatever they choose to call it the lowest tariff a company offers is probably adequate. You can usually upgrade in the future if you need to.
Windows/linux servers
There are differences between the operating systems that hosts offer but they are probably not crucial (except that linux can be cheaper). It does not matter whether you use a PC or a Mac yourself.
webspace/bandwidth
Free providers place restrictions on the amount of space or traffic you can have but allocations are usually generous.
cgi
cgi is only necessary for features like order forms and shopping carts.
web statistics
Most hosts will offer visitor statistics. They are only useful if you take the time to analyse them.
FTP, PHP, ASP, perl, SSH, SSL, SQL, MySQL, FrontPage, telnet etc
You can safely ignore these exotic items, but we strongly recomend you choose a package that supports FTP (File Transfer Service will be very useful to upload your site to the server) and PHP (You will need this if you have a "fill in" contact form in your site).
support
It is always good to have 24/7 phone and email support, though it may not be totally satisfactory.
site submission
There is no harm in using free search engine submission if it is offered, but do not expect too much. It is not worth paying extra for it.
webmail See the email page.

Contact us for more details.