What are a domain and hosting, and how do you choose them?

Two terms you run into when having a website built: domain and hosting. Here is what they are, what to look for when choosing them and the most common mistakes, in plain language.

Everyone who decides to have a website built meets two words on the first day: domain and hosting. The two are often confused. A simple analogy: the domain is the address of your shop, and the hosting is the shop itself. Without the address nobody can find you, and without the shop the address has nowhere to point to.

What is a domain (domain name)?

The domain is your site's name on the internet, like softio.com.tr. It is rented by the year and has to be renewed every year. If you forget to renew, your site and your email stop working; if it goes unrenewed for long, someone else can take your domain.

When choosing a domain

• Keep it short and easy to say. When you say it over the phone, the other person should not misspell it.
• Avoid hyphens and numbers. They do not stick in the mind and get muddled when passed on by word of mouth.
• Do not use Turkish characters. Letters like ş, ğ and ı are technically possible but cause problems in email and when sharing links.
• Make it match your social media name.

.com or .com.tr?

Both do the job as far as Google ranking goes. .com is the best-known extension. .com.tr, Turkey's country extension for companies, shows that you operate in Turkey and builds trust with local customers. If you can, buying both and redirecting one to the other also stops someone else taking your name.

The most important rule: the domain should be registered in your name

If the firm that builds the site registers the domain to its own account, you may lose your address too when you part ways with that firm. The domain should be registered in your name and with your email address, and you should hold the login details for its control panel.

What is hosting?

Hosting is a computer (a server), switched on twenty-four hours a day, where your site's files and your email live. How fast your site loads, how often it is unreachable and whether your data comes back when something goes wrong all depend on the quality of the hosting.

What should you look for when choosing hosting?

• Speed: SSD disks and up-to-date software versions. Slow hosting loses you visitors and Google rankings.
• Server location: If your visitors are in Turkey, having the server in Turkey or somewhere nearby helps loading speed.
• Backups: Are automatic daily backups taken, and is there a charge for restoring one when needed?
• SSL certificate: Is it included free? On a site without SSL the browser gives a "not secure" warning.
• Business email: Are addresses like info@yourcompany.com included in the package, and how many?
• Support: Is there someone you can reach when a problem comes up?
• Renewal price: Look at the gap between the discounted first-year price and the second-year price.

Is "unlimited hosting" really unlimited?

No. On very cheap packages hundreds of sites share the same server. When one of the neighbouring sites gets heavy traffic, yours slows down too. The contracts of packages labelled unlimited always contain a "fair use" limit.

Why does business email matter?

Sending your quote from companyname@gmail.com and sending it from info@companyname.com do not leave the same impression. Business email comes with your domain and is included in most hosting packages.

Can I move my existing site somewhere else?

Yes. Both the domain and the hosting can be moved to another provider. Done properly, the site keeps running without interruption and no email is lost. Taking a full backup before the move is essential.

We handle domain registration, fast hosting, business email, SSL and site migration under one roof; your domain is always registered in your name. Details are on our domain and hosting page.