When choosing a domain name there are a few things that you have to keep in mind and if you are unfamiliar with the process, there may be many questions. Omega BWS is here to help! We can walk you through each step of the domain registration or just answer any questions you have about the process. Either way, we don't charge you for this service because we want you to be able to take charge of your own site. If you don't want to take charge of your site, that's fine too! We can register your name for you, manage it and be your web development team. Here are a few questions we have had that might help you on your way to owning your own domain name!

What is a domain name?

A domain name is an identification label that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control in the Internet, based on the Domain Name System (DNS). More commonly referred to as your ".com". The options for a domain name are virtually endless, however a name you would prefer might already be taken. With that in mind, you should always be ready with a second, third, and even a fourth possible domain name preference. This will save you some time and frustration as you go through the domain name process.

Where do you get a domain name?

There are many different registrars out there that can register your domain name (if available). We like to use GoDaddy. Of course you can go with whomever you prefer. Make sure that they make it easy to transfer your domain somewhere else should you eventually choose a different registrar, web hosting service, or anything that might require your domain settings to change.

What are all the other choices?

You may notice that there are more options other than just .com when you are registering your domain name. It doesn't matter which you choose but the more popular the suffix (.com, .org, etc) the better chances of your future web clients will remember it when they see it on an add or a commercial. There are also some domains that require certain specifications to register for; .uk is reserved for domains in the UK and .ca is reserved for our friends up north in Canada. Keep that in mind when you are choosing your domain name.

After you have selected your domain name you will need a place for your site to reside. There are free hosting companies out there (Google, Yahoo, etc) but with free hosting services comes banners and other advertising that you probably don't want to have on your site. Our recommendation for your web hosting company is Web Hosting Pad. They have specials all the time and best of all almost everything is unlimited (email addresses, databases, storage space...)! This is good in many different ways, particularly in that you will have more options down the road when your site starts to develop or if you are already at a point where your site needs are great (eCommerce, etc).

Registering a Domain with the Hosting Company

It is ok to register (buy) your domain with your hosting company. In fact, most of them give you that option by default. To make life easier if you wish to transfer from one hosting company to another (if you are unhappy with your current hosting company) it makes the process easier if your domain is registered with a company like GoDaddy who makes changing your DNS settings simple. It doesn't matter where your site is hosted, you can always direct and/or redirect your domain to any hosting company you choose. If your domain registrar DOES NOT give you an easy DNS solution, choose another company to register your domain with that has the right solutions.

Now, what kind of site? The question is best answered by answering this one, "What is the purpose of your site?" There are many ways to make a site and many ways to make the site suite your needs. Lets look at a few types of site structures...

Brochure Site

This type of site is simple and, like the title says, is just like what you think of when you see a brochure. You have a 'home page', an 'about us' page, and a 'contact us' page as the sites initial structure. Of course you can always add on to that with other pages and make it as robust as your site needs demand. However, there is a point where the site is no longer a brochure site and it would make more sense to use a different site structure.

Content Management System (CMS Site)

This type of site is ideal for user and content management. This type of site is very complex in structure and easy to customize and use after the site has been created. We like to use Joomla!, a very powerful and completely customizable CMS tool. There are many benefits to using Joomla! for your site structure:

User Management

This allows for the site to have a user database where your visitors can join the site and become members.You can also set permissions for specific users to be able to add content to the site.

Content Management

One of the greatest parts of Joomla! or any CMS site is that it will automatically arrange your content as it is added. Because of this feature, you don't have to pay a web developer to do minor updates to your site or site articles/stories. It is simple to create, edit and delete your sites content on your own. Both saving you money and giving you complete control of your site.

Extensions

Within a CMS site there are building blocks called components and modules. These extensions to your site can help add features in no time. There are a lot of different kinds of extensions and most of which are free and free to customize. Language packs can be installed to change the language of your site to almost every language that is spoken today giving your site the flexibility to change for a global audience. The installation of these components are easy and can be done on your own or we will be happy to help you get it installed and give you a run through on how to use it.

eCommerce Ready

Joomla! has components to set up a virtual store that will sync with your site and allow your visitors and members to have the same site experience in your store as they do on your site.

eCommerce Site

More and more companies are moving to an online store. Having an online store takes your goods from local to global instantly! These sites are complex and are easily managed through built in parameters.