Website Design - Hosting options

Domain name + commercial website hosting

This option is suitable for all websites and is used for most business websites.

Domain name: Purchase your own domain name, e.g. www.mywebsite.co.uk. Names must be purchased through a recognised registration company - I use and recommend uk.reg.
Hosting: Use one of the many commercial web hosting providers. I use and recommend Fasthosts.
Cost: This will vary depending on the chosen domain name and the web hosting facilities required. A perfectly adequate service can be provided for around £50 per annum.

This option is suitable for simple websites for small businesses and clubs, personal websites, and anyone who wants a distinctive e-mail address.

Domain name: Purchase your own domain name, e.g. www.mywebsite.co.uk. Names must be purchased through a recognised registration company - I use and recommend uk.reg.
Hosting: This option is only possible if your ISP provides free web hosting space - check your agreement. In Spring 2005, for example, free web hosting space was provided by Homecall, NTL, Virgin Net, and Wanadoo, but not by AOL, BT, and Tiscali.
Cost: The purchase, and ongoing annual registration fee, for the domain name. This will vary in the range £5 to £30 per annum dependant on the name and how long you wish to register it for. In general, .uk names cost less than .com and .info names, and .tv names are the most expensive.

This option is suitable for simple websites for personal websites, online cvs, and short-term online advertisements.

Domain name: Use the URL provided by your ISP. This will be something like:
http://freespace.virgin.net/richard.branson/index.htm
Hosting: This option is only possible if your ISP provides free web hosting space - check your agreement. In Spring 2005, for example, free web hosting space was provided by Homecall, NTL, Virgin Net, and Wanadoo, but not by AOL, BT, and Tiscali.
Cost: Nothing - other than what you already pay to your ISP for your internet connection.

Want to know more?
... or just want to discuss your ideas, please contact me.