You’ve found the perfect domain name for your business, blog, or personal project. Now what? You need to register that domain and set it up so that visitors can find you online. After all, no one is going to stumble across your site unless you tell them where to find it. That’s why so many websites end in “.com”—so anyone who wants to find them can see where they are online. Fortunately, there are plenty of registrars that make setting up a new domain easy. Namecheap is one such service with a variety of benefits for new users and old
Find a web host for your domain
There are three key things to keep in mind when choosing a web host: Servers location, uptime, and support. Hosts with a data center in the same geographic region as your customers (like the United States, Europe, or Asia) are more likely to offer the speediest connection.
Uptime refers to the percentage of time the servers are online. You want a company with a track record of being reliable. The amount and quality of customer support offered by a host can make the difference between a quick resolution and a weeks-long headache.
You can also consider other aspects when looking for a host. First, think about the size of your website’s expected traffic. You don’t want to be on a shared server for a site with high traffic. Ask about server types, like virtual private servers, dedicated servers, or co-located servers. Another important consideration is the server software used. Find out whether the host uses Linux or Windows. Windows hosts are rare, but they are usually more expensive than Linux hosts.
Luckily, Namecheap also offers reliable web hosting services with integrated WordPress CMS so you don’t have to spend hours setting everything up.
Create your domain email address
Setting up a domain email address is a crucial part of owning a website. Not only does it provide a way to receive important communications from your website, it also helps build trust. After all, who wants to give away their personal email address when they can use a professional, and more trustworthy, email address instead?
If you don’t want to set up your domain email address with your domain registrar, you can always find an alternative email hosting service. Just make sure it’s a reputable service with a good track record.
Synch your social media presence with your domain
If your company uses social media, this is a great time to link it with your domain. You can link your Facebook page, Twitter account, Instagram account, and more to your domain name. You can even use your domain for your username on these platforms. It’s a great way to keep your branding consistent across all of your social media channels. There are a few ways you can do this. On Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, you can add a profile picture that links back to your website. On Instagram, you can add a website link in your profile. You can also link your Instagram account to your website using your domain name.
Develop your website
You can build a website using a service like Wix, Squarespace, or Weebly. Or you can build it yourself using a content management system like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal. Once finished, you’ll want to protect your site with a security system like Norton, McAfee Site Advisor, or Sucuri.
Finding a reliable host is another essential part of building your website. Remember, you want your host to be in the same geographic region as your customers when possible. With a host, you can choose your server type and plan—this will affect your website’s speed and security. You can also choose your operating system: Windows or Linux. You’ll probably want to start with a shared server and upgrade to a dedicated server later as your site grows. While a VM server offers the best security, a dedicated server offers the best speed.
Build your site’s protection
Make sure your site has protection against viruses and hackers. You can do this in a few different ways.
Install a firewall
This will monitor traffic coming in and out of your server and keep any unwanted people out.
Install a virus scanner
It will scan your website files for malware and viruses.
Use a service like Norton, McAfee Site Advisor, or Sucuri
These will scan your site looking for vulnerabilities. If they find any, they’ll let you know how to fix them.
Install an intrusion detection system
It’s a little like a firewall and a virus scanner combined. It will keep intruders out, and let you know if someone breaks in.
Set up authentication protocols
SPF – Stands for “Sender Policy Framework.” It’s a type of DNS record that allows you to specify which servers are allowed to send emails from your domain. This is important because spammers will often send emails from spoofed domains in an attempt to trick people into clicking a link or giving out their personal information.
DKIM – Stands for “DomainKeys Identified Mail.” It is a type of authentication standard that allows you to sign your outgoing emails. This will help to protect your domain from malicious emails. It will also give your emails a higher level of legitimacy.
DMARC – Stands for “Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance.” It is a protocol that allows you to specify how email providers should handle your emails. It is important to set up DMARC correctly on your domain so you can protect it from spam and other malicious emails.
Buying a domain name is just the tip of the iceberg. A website requires a lot of time and effort in order to keep it organized and protected. Following the best practices is the key not only to protecting your domain name, but for making its online presence and make all money and efforts spent on it worth it.
