Ask David! Question:
I want my own custom domain name for my new website. If I code my website from scratch, do I still need to purchase a domain name? How do domain names work?
David’s Answer:
Yes, if you want to use your own domain name, you will need to register and pay for the domain. Coding your own website does not replace the need for a domain.
But you can code a website without purchasing a domain. You can build and test the website on your own computer, or put it online using a temporary address provided by your web host.
What Do You Need to Put a Website Online?
If you want people to visit your website at a domain such as your-website.com, you generally need three separate things:
1. Website files
You create the website by coding it yourself, using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, or whatever other technologies your website requires.
2. Web hosting
Your website files need somewhere to be stored so people can access them online. You upload your coded files to your web hosting account.
3. Domain name
Your domain is the web address people type in to reach your website. You register the domain and connect it to your web hosting.
How Do Domain Names Work?
A domain name is registered through a domain registrar and points visitors to your website. The domain itself does not store your website files. Your website is stored on your web hosting, and your domain is connected to that hosting through DNS, including nameservers, so that when someone enters your domain name, their browser can find your website.
Some website services also give you a free address that is actually a subdomain of their domain – i.e. your-website.their-website.com. That’s different from having your own domain name. The Hidden Cost of Free Website Domains (And Why a Custom Domain Wins) explains the difference.
Choosing and Registering a Domain Name
When choosing a domain name, look for something that is easy to remember, easy to spell, and relevant to your website. You can also check different domain extensions to see what is available.
Helpful Guides on Domain Names:
- How to choose a domain name for your website
- How do you check if your desired domain name for your website is available?
- Domain Name Taken? Here’s What to Do
- Hyphen or No Hyphen? The Domain Name Dilemma
- How Many Syllables and Words Make a Domain Name Easy to Remember
- Should you get .com, .org, and .net domain names – all the tld’s?
- The Hidden Domain Lock-In: Which Registrars Restrict Nameservers? – Where you buy your domain name matter!
Once you have some ideas, you can use the UltimateWB Domain Name Availability Checker to check whether your domain names are available. The bulk checker is especially useful if you want to check several domain names at once.
How Much Does a Domain Name Cost?
Domain names are generally registered for one year at a time and renewed annually. Some domain registrars let you register a domain for multiple years at once, but you are still paying for a period of registration, not buying the domain permanently.
The price can vary depending on the domain extension and the registrar. Some domains cost more than others, and renewal pricing can also be different from the initial registration price.
Coding Your Own Website
So, coding your own website is an alternative to using a website builder for creating the website. It is not an alternative to web hosting if you want to run your website online, or to a domain name if you want to use your own web address.
If you use UltimateWB, the same basic concept applies. UltimateWB gives you the tools to build your website, but your website still needs a domain name to be accessible through your own web address. When you buy UltimateWB software (one-time fee), you also need web hosting, either via UltimateWB web hosting, or a hosting of your choice that meets the server requirements. With UltimateWB Cloud, hosting is included.
Ready to design & build your own website? Learn more about UltimateWB! We also offer web design packages if you would like your website designed and built for you.
Got a techy/website question? Whether it’s about UltimateWB or another website builder, web hosting, or other aspects of websites, just send in your question in the “Ask David!” form. We will email you when the answer is posted on the UltimateWB “Ask David!” section.