Setting the stage: you're building a website and come to a fork in the road of choosing a domain name and web hosting. Where do you start? What decisions do you need to make?
Here are the three most common problems at this stage of building a website:
- Confusion over choosing the right domain name
- Uncertainty about your actual needs for web hosting
- Lack of clarity due to a wide range of costs and perceived technical complexity
Don't worry. Let's simplify the process of choosing your small business web hosting and domain name!
How to Choose a Great Domain Name
Your domain name is like your business's street address on the internet. It's often the first thing potential customers see, so it needs to make a great impression.
Here's how to choose a domain name that will grow with your business:
- Keep it short and sweet. Aim for under 15 characters. Why? It's easier to remember and type.
- Make it easy to spell and pronounce. Avoid hyphens and numbers if possible. I recognize I use a number on this site (these24hours.com), but it's easy to spell and remember.
- Reflect your brand. Use your business name or a close variant. Think long-term – choose something that won't limit your future growth.
Brainstorming is key. Jot down ideas, then check their availability. I use tools like Namecheap or Hover for this. They're quick and user-friendly.
Use ChatGPT to generate domain name ideas
I've already created and tested a simple prompt that follows the principles above for you to use in your favorite AI tool. Just replace the two sections in brackets with your business information.
Domain name ideas prompt:
I'm starting a business that [briefly describe your business, products, or services]. I need help brainstorming a great domain name. It should be easy to spell, have no hyphens or numbers, and be fairly short (2-3 words max). Please include keywords related to [insert key industry or product terms]. It should also sound professional and match the personality of my business. Can you suggest 10 potential domain name ideas?Remember, your perfect domain is out there. Don't rush the process—it's worth taking the time to get it right.
“Your domain name is the foundation of your online presence. Choose it wisely to build a strong and lasting digital identity.”
Pro Tip
How to Choose the Right Web Hosting
Think of web hosting as the plot of land your website sits on. It needs to be stable, secure, and able to handle your growth. Your web hosting typically houses the code of your website and the database. It often can have some image files, PDFs, etc., but those are all usually hosted on a content delivery network (CDN).
If that was all confusing, let me simplify it all for you.
Typical small business web hosting needs
When you're starting out, you won't have high demands on a web host because your site will be small to begin with, and traffic will be low. So, does this mean you should just buy the absolute cheapest web host you can find? I don't recommend it.
I've used many hosts over the years, and I can tell you that cheaper isn't always better. I have often had to help troubleshoot a hacked site or down site on those cheaper web hosts.
I always recommend that my clients purchase higher-quality web hosting for their WordPress sites. This way, it will grow with their business (no migrating later on), they will have no major security issues, and it will load lightning fast.
I'm not trying to upsell you for no reason; I want you to have peace of mind.
Here's what to look for:
- Reliability is non-negotiable. Aim for a host with a 99.9% uptime guarantee. Your website should be available 24/7, just like a physical storefront.
- Consider your future growth. Ensure easy upgrades as your site expands. Check bandwidth and storage limits. Can the web host handle a traffic spike if you have a piece of content that goes viral?
- Look for essential features. An SSL certificate for security, daily backups, a staging site, real-time security scans, and one-click WordPress installation can save you headaches down the line. I also prefer a web host with a CDN built into their service, so I don't have to think about it.
Invest in a solid and secure managed WordPress host if you're serious about your business.
My top web hosting picks?
Kinsta and WP Engine. Their customer support is phenomenal, and they'll grow with your business. Kinsta hosts this site, and I have about 40 client sites hosted by WP Engine alone.
The proof is in the data.
I took this site hosted by Kinsta and compared it to a competitor and an article on forbes.com. They were all similar blog posts with roughly the same amount of content and imagery. It is not a perfect sample for my study, but it is fairly close for comparison.
Here are the desktop results analyzed in Google Pagespeed Insights:
This underscores the importance of reliable hosting that can deliver your site quickly and securely. The goal is to set it and forget it!
If you sign up with Kinsta, they have easy-to-follow documentation on how to get WordPress and your domain all setup. You won't be disappointed.
Invest in Your 24/7 Digital Storefront
Let's talk numbers.
A domain name typically costs $10 to $20 per year. Web hosting can range from $10 to $50 a month.
This is not much. Let's put it in perspective.
You're creating a 24/7 storefront. Imagine the monthly costs if you owned a brick and mortar store per month. We're talking thousands of dollars per month!
You're spending maybe $30 to $50 monthly for premium web hosting and a domain name. Also, this store is always open, working for you, and selling. That's a small investment for a potentially huge payoff.
Also, when you start making thousands of dollars a month, you will have no problem paying even a few hundred dollars for web hosting because that means you have a lot of traffic.
As page load time increases from 1 second to 5 seconds, the probability of bounce increases by 90%.
Study by Google
That's the power of a well-chosen domain and reliable hosting. Don't skimp on hosting. A faster, more reliable site can significantly impact your bottom line.
