FAQ and Common website terms
If you’re new to websites/internet, you’re not alone! Here are some common FAQ and terms used in the industry.
Domain name – A domain name is the website name. For example yourwebsite.com.
Domain registration/renewal – Much like a vehicle that requires registration from an authority, there are also authorities to register domains. There are authorities for global domain extensions such as .com, .net etc, which are separate from the Australian domain authority that deals just with .com.au. .com’s and .net’s can be registered and renewed on a yearly basis. The Australian domain name authority dictates that Australian domain names, must be registered for a period of 2 years, with renewals also being for a period of 2 years.
.com or .com.au ? – Which is the better choice? It depends on a variety of factors. Here are some Pros and Cons of each:
.com Pros – registration is paid yearly; internet users are used to ‘typing-in’ .com without thinking and may find your website easier.
.com Cons – there can be limited options for your choice of domain name as .com’s are available to nearly everyone world wide.
.com.au Pros – there’s a higher likelihood of your business showing up in a Google search for keywords pertaining to your business and location compared with using a .com.
.com.au Cons – .com.au’s can only be registered and renewed for a period of 2 years at a time, hence double the overall registration cost. It is Australian law that in order to register a .com.au, you must have an Australian Business Number (ABN).
If you’re not worried about people searching for your business and you simply want something to show on your business card or shop front, then a .com will be fine in almost all cases. If you want visibility in Google, specifically for your business in your area, then a .com.au is recommended.
Click here to register your domain name!
Browser – This is located at the top of your computer screen and is where you type in website names.
URL – This stands for Uniform Resource Locator, though everyone calls it a URL. This is what your visitors will be typing into the browser when searching for your website.
Web Hosting – Web hosting is something which every website needs to operate. If you don’t have website hosting, you won’t be able to run a website. Just owning a domain name is not enough. It is the place where all the files/folders behind the scenes are stored. The web host allows the website to be shown up on your screen.
Website source files – A website is actually a technical series of files/folders that is read by the web hosting service to show up what you and your visitors see on the computer screen.