2 things you need to publish a website and get it live so anyone can see it.
- Domain Name - the address for your the website.
- Hosting - the server used to save the web files .
A website is a collection of folders and web files.
Components of a Domain Name.
- The Top-level domain (TLD), is a domain extension that appears at the end of the domain name such as .com, .net, and .org.
- .com – for commercial sites, but it’s now the most commonly used domain, even for non-commercial sites.
- .net – for organizations involved in networking technologies. used as an alternative option when the .com isn’t available
- .org – for any organization. but now it has become associated with organizations that serve the public interests such as foundations or nonprofits.
- restricted TLDs: .edu (institutions), and .gov (government sites).
- Secondary-level domains must be unique (website name).
- Subdomain (optional), It’s often used to create a subsection of a website. you can name it anything (shop, blog,).
- For Desktops and Laptops: blog.rightclickgo.com.au
- For Mobile and Tablets (you may see an m or mobile for some websites specifically optimized for that): m.rightclickgo.com.au
- www is also a subdomain. it had to be included in the domain name but not anymore. web hosts will automatically point the domain to the same address regardless you include www or not. ex: www.rightclickgo.com.au = rightclickgo.com.au
How you can get a Domain Name?
- Domain Registrar – an organization that manages the reservation of domain names such as Godaddy, and Hover.
- You can’t own a domain name, you are actually renting it when you pay the domain registrar, technically you purchase the right to use the domain name you want.
Each country has its own registrar authority and two-letter TLD country code. so the rules for using a specific country code may vary. so make sure to check for any restrictions.
Domains vs. URLs
- URL (Uniform Resource Locator) contains more detail than a domain name.
- Domain name is part of the URL.
Difference between Directories and Subdomains
You can either set up a subdomain or create a subdirectory folder.
- Subdomain: blog.rightclickgo.com.au
- Directory: rightclickgo.com.au/blog
Modern browsers such as Chrome, and Firefox no longer require you to include HTTP or HTTPS when you’re typing the website name into the browser address bar and since it’s the default method of communication, you’ll be redirected accordingly.