Why Set Up a Domain? And How?

The advantages of having a web presence with your own domain for businesses, freelancers, or even private individuals are now well-known. However, to ensure your website is properly accessible on the internet, the domain must be set up correctly. This article explains the available options and what to consider when setting up a domain to make your website accessible under your chosen internet address to visitors from around the world.

Whether you’re a business, freelancer, or private individual, anyone wanting an online presence can achieve this through their own website. To publish and make your web presence accessible on the internet, you first need to set up a domain. There are different ways to do this. For private individuals who prefer a quick and easy setup, web hosting with a larger provider is a good option, as they usually provide everything needed to set up a domain. In such cases, the host can automatically set up the domain for the customer. Experienced users, on the other hand, can configure the domain manually and link multiple internet addresses to different websites.

Automatic Domain Setup by the Web Host

With this option, the domain setup is automatically handled by the web host. Customers do not need to configure any technical settings. This option is recommended for inexperienced users.

Here’s how it works:

First, select your preferred web hosting provider and choose a specific web hosting plan. Make sure that all performance parameters, such as storage space, databases, etc., meet the requirements of your web project.

Next, order your desired domain as the associated domain. Many web hosting plans include a certain number of free domains, meaning that there are no additional costs for the domain order.

Once the order is completed, the customer receives access credentials for the web space. In the background, the web hosting provider automatically assigns the chosen domain to the web space. Customers do not need to make any additional settings during the domain setup.

Manual Domain Setup by the Customer

With this option, the domain setup is done manually by the customer, who must configure the necessary technical settings. This option is ideal for experienced users.

Here’s how it works:

Usually, the first step is skipped as experienced users often already have existing web hosting. The process continues directly with the domain search for an additional internet address. This domain can be ordered from any provider, as web space and domain can be managed separately from different providers.

Once the new domain is registered, it must be set up on the existing web space. The customer needs to configure settings both in the domain management of the domain provider and in the web space management of the hosting provider.

At the hosting provider, the new domain name must be entered into the nameserver. This step is necessary to associate the domain with the correct web space. These settings are made in the management software of the web space package.

At the domain provider, the nameserver of the hosting provider must be added. This step is necessary to associate the domain with the correct server. These settings are made in the domain management section of the domain provider.

Conclusion: Setting Up a Domain

If you prefer the easy way, where the web host handles the domain setup, you should order both the domain and the web space from the same provider. This avoids the additional effort required for individual configuration settings.

Experienced users who own multiple web space packages and domains and want to benefit from the best deals in both areas can opt for manual domain setup. This requires knowledge of correctly configuring nameservers and DNS entries.