Domains Names & Hosting

Domain Names

Domain names are your URL, a.k.a. “what you type into the address bar of your web browser to view your site”. This is done through a “Registrar”.

If you do not have a domain name, contact us to assist you in registering it.  We will set it up IN YOUR NAME with Social Media Works as the admin contact. This is very important. We have taken over as web developers for clients that found out they did not own their own domain name!

Register a New Domain Name: Domain Sale! $7.49 .com at GoDaddy

• GoDaddy-Domain-Purchase – Detailed Instructions PDF

Domain Transfers: Switch to GoDaddy

• GoDaddy-Domain-Transfer – Detailed Instructions PDF

“Am I required to change Registrars?”

No.  But you should use this opportunity to find out:

• Your domain names are registered to YOU and not your last web designer
  • Check this by doing a “WHO IS” Search at this link.
• How much you are paying yearly.  GoDaddy is reliable & inexpensive.
• When your names are up for renewal, and to make sure you renew.
• If you have the username, password, and contact info for your registrar.
  • We need this info if we are changing web hosts.
    
• If you have an electronic copy & printed copy of all of this information in your business records.

GATHER TOGETHER THIS IMPORTANT INFORMATION NOW & KEEP IT SAFE.

Website Hosting

What is hosting?

A web host is a company that has computers that are hooked up to the internet 24/7. These computers are called servers and they are assigned IP numbers in order that they may be found by other computers hooked up to the internet. It is on these servers that all your web files are stored. Consider the domain name the “street address” and the web host the “house”.

“Am I required to change Hosting?”

No.  But before work begins you should find out:

• If your hosting account is in your name and not your last web designer
• That it is a reliable host, at a good price
• You have the username, password, and contact info for your host.
• Your contact info on file is correct.
• Dates your hosting account is up for renewal (if paid yearly), and to make sure you renew.
• If you have an electronic copy & printed copy of all of this information in your business records.

GATHER TOGETHER THIS IMPORTANT INFORMATION NOW & KEEP IT SAFE.

Hosting Information Social Media Works Needs

We need to verify WordPress can be installed easily on your servers. If not, we will need to bill extra time to get your setup completed.

We need to know the following information that you received when you signed up for the account. Look for “welcome to our hosting” emails.

1. Your web host name & contact
2. Your FTP connection information
3. Your connection information to the web hosting panel (different username and password from your hosting).

If you need hosting

We recommend hosting from Bluehost.  We will need access to your hosting account.  To setup:

1. Follow this link and sign up for a hosting package.
2. You will receive 2 signup emails.  FORWARD BOTH OF THESE TO US! The first one has all the important info: domain, user, password, temp http, temp ftp etc. The second one includes  tutorials and help wizards.
3. Print out a copy of this email for your records.