Domain Names & Hosting

Choosing Your Website Topic

Choosing your website topic is probably the most important thing you will do all semester. Choose something that interests you! You will be working on this the whole semester and you don't want to be working on something you are not passionate about. With that said, pick something that is BYU-Idaho appropriate. Please come talk with me if you are unsure about your topic.

Picking a Domain Name

TIP: Do not buy your domain name separate from your hosting. Wait to buy until you have completed the Acquiring Hosting step. You will need to choose a domain name for your website. Choosing a domain name can be tricky. You will find that 90% of your desired domain names will already be taken. Don’t give up. It just takes some brainstorming to come up with the perfect name. Check out these Top 10 Tips for Choosing a Domain Name.

Acquiring Hosting

Now that you have found your desired domain name, it is time to buy some hosting. There are many hosting companies out there, and you are going to need to settle for one. We recommend using Web Hosting for Students (this can be purchased through the bookstore, usually listed as one of the course materials), but you can go with any hosting of your choice. Here is a quote from the syllabus:

Hosting and a domain name must be purchased and maintained until the final grades of the semester have been posted. Students will not be required to buy a specific web hosting service, though they must acquire a reliable service that is linux based, supports PHP 5, and is ad free. Students will be fully responsible if sub-par services fail during review or grading.

Purchase at least a years subscription. During this process you will be asked to register a new domain name, this is the time to buy. Be ready to spend $50 -$80 on a 1 year hosting plan, which should include the price of a domain name.

Web Hosting for Students (WH4S): WH4S is a very student-friendly hosting company. You can purchase your hosting on their website (https://webhostingforstudents.com/plans/for-students/) or via the BYU-Idaho bookstore. The video tutorials and other helpful resources will demonstrate use of WH4S, but any reliable hosting company will work. You may just need to do a little research yourself on how to accomplish the same task with your hosting company.