Domain and Hosting Guide: Launch Your Website
You've built your website — great! But to share it with the world, you need two fundamentals: a domain (address) and hosting (storage). This guide helps you understand both and make the right choice.
What Is a Domain?
A domain is your website's address — the name users type into their browser.
Example: cagribilgehan.com
Domain Structure:
- cagribilgehan → Second-level domain (SLD)
- .com → Top-level domain (TLD)
- www → Subdomain (optional)
Popular TLDs:
| TLD | Use | Avg Price | |-----|-----|-----------| | .com | General (most common) | $10-15/year | | .net | Network/technology | $10-15/year | | .org | Organizations | $10-15/year | | .io | Tech/startup | $30-50/year | | .dev | Developers | $15-20/year | | .app | Applications | $15-25/year |
Domain Selection Tips:
- Short and memorable — Long domains are harder
- Brand-aligned — Reflect your business name
- Easy to spell — No letter confusion
- Avoid hyphens — Reduces professionalism
- Avoid numbers — Creates confusion
- Prioritize .com — The first extension everyone tries
What Is Hosting?
Hosting is the server where your website's files are stored. When users visit your site, files are served from this server.
Hosting Types:
1. Shared Hosting
Multiple sites share the same server.
- Pro: Cheapest, easy setup
- Con: Slow, limited resources
- Price: $5-15/month
- Best for: Small websites, blogs
2. VPS (Virtual Private Server)
Virtual partition of a physical server.
- Pro: More control, guaranteed resources
- Con: Technical knowledge required
- Price: $15-50/month
- Best for: Growing sites, medium traffic
3. Dedicated Server
Server entirely yours.
- Pro: Full control, maximum performance
- Con: Expensive, management responsibility
- Price: $100+/month
- Best for: High traffic, e-commerce
4. Cloud Hosting
Resources distributed across multiple servers.
- Pro: Scalable, high uptime
- Con: Variable cost
- Price: Usage-based
- Best for: Variable traffic sites
5. Static Hosting (JAMstack)
CDN serving HTML, CSS, JS files.
- Pro: Ultra fast, can be free
- Con: Limited dynamic content
- Price: Free-$10/month
- Best for: Next.js, blog, portfolio
Hosting Provider Comparison
| Provider | Type | Price | Highlight | |----------|------|-------|-----------| | Vercel | Static/Serverless | Free tier | Best for Next.js | | Netlify | Static | Free tier | JAMstack | | Google Cloud Run | Cloud | Usage-based | Container support | | DigitalOcean | VPS/Cloud | From $6/mo | Simple interface | | Hetzner | VPS | From €4/mo | Cheap, powerful | | AWS | Everything | Variable | Most services |
What Is DNS?
DNS (Domain Name System) translates domain names into IP addresses.
cagribilgehan.com → 35.220.X.X
Important DNS Records:
- A — Points domain to an IP address
- CNAME — Points domain to another domain
- MX — Specifies email server
- TXT — Verification and security
Cost Summary
| Component | Minimum | Average | |-----------|---------|---------| | Domain (.com) | $10/year | $15/year | | Hosting (static) | Free | $0-10/mo | | Hosting (VPS) | $15/mo | $30/mo | | SSL | Free | Free | | Email | $6/mo | $10/mo | | Total (minimum) | ~$10/year | ~$50/mo |
Conclusion
Domain and hosting are your website's fundamental infrastructure. The right choice directly affects your site's speed, security, and cost. For small projects, you can start with free solutions like Vercel or Netlify.
If you need help with domain, hosting, and DNS setup for your website, get in touch: info@cagribilgehan.com. Check out my projects: cagribilgehan.com