Registering your domain (website) name

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) manages the name and number systems of the internet. Additionally, each top-level domain is maintained and serviced by a registrar responsible for maintaining the database of domain names and associated information. This information is published using a special service called “whois”, a protocol used for querying databases of registered domain names, IP addresses and other internet resources. This is the main reason that no two parties can ever hold the same domain name simultaneously. It's quick and easy to check www.whois.com to see if your domain is available. Just enter your domain name and press "Search". You'll receive an instant answer as to whether the name is available.

Your domain name is your own unique identity - your brand that gives you a professional image on the World Wide Web. The only way to obtain a domain name is through a domain name registrar service such as whois.com. There are hundreds of other registrars on the internet, which means you can purchase domain names for a competitive low yearly fee. Most web hosting companies offer domain registration services and will register your domain name for you (for a small fee), but it's super easy to do yourself.

You can register a domain name for a year or more, depending on the registrar. You need to make sure that you renew it before the expiry date otherwise you will no longer own that domain name. Your registrar can then sell it to someone else. If you lose your domain name you can lose your whole online identity. So it’s a good idea to register your domain for multiple years.

NOTE: Domain registration and domain hosting are two different things. Your domain name is the name of your website or your URL (www.mywebsite.com) and can be purchased by going to a domain name registrar (as mentioned above). But in order for your website to appear on the internet, the files (code) need to be uploaded to a server and hosted at a hosting company such as GoDaddy, Bluehost, Inmotion Hosting and dozens of others.

Related blogs:

• Choosing a Web Hosting company
• CRUCIAL: Website Quality Assurance

Google is flagging websites that don't have a SSL Certificate

It's true. Google is flagging all websites that don't have a SSL Certificate (Security Sockets Layer) which previously was only required for websites that capture personal information, such as with e-commerce sites. But at the end of 2017, Google started placing a little informational icon displaying "Not Secure" next to the URL of all flagged sites. Once a SSL Certificate is applied to a website, the informational icon is replaced with a padlock icon, and your website switches from a "http (unsecured) to an "https" (secured) site protected from cybercriminals, which in turn protects visitors to your website from being infected with dangerous malware like Trojans and Cryptoware.

A SSL Certificate is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser to ensure that all data passed between the web server and browser remains private. If you don’t have a SSL Certificate, a secure connection cannot be established, which means your information will not be digitally connected to a cryptographic key.

How much does a SSL Certificate cost? It depends on the hosting company. Some hosting companies charge $260+ per year, whereas other hosting companies like Inmotion Hosting offer a free basic SSL Certificate for informational-type websites, however websites that deal with sensitive information such as e-commerce sites are required to purchase a more powerful SSL Certificate.

I write clean code that passes security inspections performed by hosting companies, qualifying your website for a SSL Certificate.

Related blogs:

• CRUCIAL: Website Quality Assurance
• Hacking Hazards of DIY Templates

CRUCIAL: Website Quality Assurance

Quality assurance is an important part of website development. It should be “fit for purpose”, meaning the site should be suitable for the intended purpose. It should be “right the first time” meaning mistakes should be eliminated, because even small errors like a broken link or misspelled word can make a visitor question the credibility of your website and they might not return – first impressions are lasting, so your site should be error-free before putting it online.

I code websites that are in compliance with the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) standards to ensure you have a quality website. Following a standards checklist will make certain:

• Purpose is clearly defined.
• Content is error-free and easy to read/understand.
• Navigation is user-friendly, and the website displays on multiple browsers.
• Content is accessible to a wide variety of people who visit your site, to include people who have audio or visual challenges, for example, content is accessible to color blind or other visually impaired users (i.e., sufficient color brightness/contrasts, images include “alt” attributes for image descriptions, etc.), and the website content makes sense when read by a screen reader.

Related blogs:

• Registering your domain name
• Choosing a web hosting company