Website Setup Guide: Domain Registration and Hosting

Part 1: Domain Registration

Domain registration is the first step in creating your website. The domain is the name users will type to access your website (e.g., example.com).

Domain Registration Steps:

  1. Choose a Domain Registrar – There are many companies that provide domain registration services:
    • Namecheap
    • GoDaddy
    • Google Domains
    • Name.com
    • Thai Registrar like T.H.NIC for .th and .co.th domains
  2. Search for Your Desired Domain Name – Check if the domain name you want is available
  3. Choose a Domain Extension – Such as .com, .net, .org, .co.th, .in.th, .th, etc.
  4. Pay the Registration Fee – Domain registration typically costs between $10-50 per year, depending on the extension
  5. Enter Domain Owner Information – You must provide personal or company information for the domain owner

Part 2: Hosting Rental

Hosting is the server space where your website files will be stored.

Hosting Rental Steps:

  1. Choose a Hosting Provider – Each provider offers different packages and pricing:
    • Bluehost – Good for beginners, automatic WordPress installation
    • DigitalOcean – Suitable for developers who need VPS
    • Vultr – Flexible cloud hosting service
    • Hostinger – Budget-friendly, suitable for small websites
    • SiteGround – High performance, good for high-traffic websites
  2. Select an Appropriate Package – Consider:
    • Storage space
    • Bandwidth
    • Number of databases
    • Number of email accounts
    • SSL support
    • Server speed
  3. Pay for the Service – Typically offered from monthly to yearly plans (annual payments usually come with bigger discounts)

Connecting Your Domain to Your Hosting

After you’ve registered your domain and purchased hosting, you need to connect them:

Name Server (NS) Setup:

  1. Check the Name Servers of Your Hosting Provider – Each provider has their own NS:
    • Bluehost: ns1.bluehost.com, ns2.bluehost.com
    • DigitalOcean: ns1.digitalocean.com, ns2.digitalocean.com, ns3.digitalocean.com
    • Vultr: ns1.vultr.com, ns2.vultr.com
    • Hostinger: ns1.hostinger.com, ns2.hostinger.com, ns3.hostinger.com, ns4.hostinger.com
    • SiteGround: ns1.siteground.net, ns2.siteground.net
  2. Log into Your Domain Management System – Access your domain registrar’s dashboard
  3. Find the Name Server Settings – May be labeled as “Name Servers,” “DNS,” or “DNS Management”
  4. Change the Name Servers to Your Hosting Provider’s – Enter the NS of your hosting provider
  5. Save Changes – It may take 24-48 hours for the changes to propagate globally (DNS Propagation)

Verification:

  1. Use DNS Checking Tools – Such as whatsmydns.net, dnschecker.org
  2. Verify Your Domain Points to Your Hosting’s IP – Use ping or nslookup commands on your computer

Additional Recommendations:

  1. Choose Hosting That Fits Your Website Size – Small websites can use starter packages, larger sites or those with high traffic should choose higher-tier packages
  2. Check the Speed and Stability of the Hosting – Read reviews from actual users before deciding
  3. See if Automatic Backups are Included – Very important to prevent data loss
  4. Check the Ease of Use of the Control Panel – Such as cPanel, Plesk, or provider-specific control panels
  5. Consider Support for Latest Technologies – Like the latest PHP version, HTTP/2, latest SSL/TLS
  6. Check Customer Support Services – Should have multiple contact channels and 24/7 service is preferable

Cautions:

  1. Be Careful About Domain and Hosting Renewals – Forgetting to renew can cause your website to go down or lose your domain
  2. Keep Login Information Secure – Use complex passwords and store them safely
  3. Don’t Always Keep Your Domain and Hosting with the Same Provider – Separating domain and hosting providers helps manage risk better
  4. Be Aware of Hidden Costs – Such as increased renewal rates, additional fees for SSL, backup fees