What’s All the Fuss About Domains, Hosting, and FTP?

If you are looking to develop a new website for your dental practice, we're going to ask for these 3 important things to help you build that website:

  • Domain name
  • Hosting
  • FTP

Your focus is dental care, not websites. What do these terms even mean? What is their purpose?

Domains, Hosting, and FTP

You’ll find the answers you’re looking for regarding domains, hosting, and FTP below, in addition to answers to other questions you might not have considered. Our goal is for you to enter the process of building a successful new website with confidence and understanding, so you can make the best decisions for your digital marketing that will elevate the success of your practice.

What’s a Domain Name?

If you know what a URL is, then you also know what a domain name is, as they are one and the same. The domain name is the unique signifier/address you purchase for your website so that it can be easily searched for and found through Google and other search engines. Domain names can be purchased through a variety of registrars, such as GoDaddy, Bluehost, Domain.com, and DreamHost.

Other Important Questions About Domains

Here are some other answers about domains that can help you better understand how they work and why they’re important for your website.

Do I Need to Own My Domain Name?

It is essential that you own your domain name. If it is owned by another firm, you might be able to have the domain transferred to you, but the transfer process can be long and tedious. Or, you could risk losing the domain entirely if someone at the firm decides not to transfer it over to you. Owning your domain name from the very beginning ensures a smoother transition should you ever decide to switch website providers.

Should I Have More Than One Domain Name?

Many dental practices and other businesses typically have just one domain name, but it isn’t unusual for businesses to purchase additional domains that vary slightly (such as .com or .net). Why would they do this?

There are a few reasons: First, having multiple domain names can help to reduce diversion of internet traffic from your website. It can also protect your website from online threats and protect your reputation. Additionally, it can serve as a hedge against spelling errors when someone is searching for your dental practice, which could otherwise lead the individual to the wrong webpage.

Having multiple domains for your dental practice isn’t exactly a must, but it could prove beneficial if you want your website to perform well.

How Do I Buy a Domain?

To purchase a domain name, you will need to look through a list of domains that are currently available to choose from through the domain registrar. Sometimes, businesses will have a domain in mind but not be able to use it because someone else purchased the domain.

When you register, you’ll need to pay an annual fee to hold onto your domain. Some registrars may offer different long-term payment plans if you don’t want to be charged once a year. It’s entirely up to you, but it’s important that you don’t miss a payment, as your website will go down until the payment is submitted to the registrar. If your website is down, no one’s going to find it when they’re searching for a dental practice!

website domain url

What About Hosting?

Website hosting allows your dental practice to carve out a place for itself online to build a presence and reach more people. Your website is hosted on a server, which also holds all your website’s images, content, and other assets. Without hosting, your website is inaccessible.

What Kind of Hosting does InTouch Offer?

At InTouch, we offer our dental practice clients premium website hosting, which means minimal downtime if the hosting server goes down, protection for your website against cyber-attacks and daily backups of all your data to keep your website secure.

Do I Need Multiple Hosting Accounts, or Just One?

You can have multiple domain names for your business, but you only need one hosting account per website.

How Should I Pay for It?

In most cases, you’ll pay monthly to renew your website hosting service. Some hosting providers may let you purchase hosting for a full year, which might be more affordable in the long run than making monthly renewal payments. Auto-renewal can be an option to prevent a lapse in payment, which would result in your domain name disconnecting from the server and your website going down.

developer reading code

What Does FTP Stand For?

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. We use this tool to upload all of your website’s files to your new website hosting account so your website will be fully visible and accessible online.

Do I Own This?

You do not own the FTP, which is a tool our team uses. They access the FTP through a username and password reserved strictly for InTouch developers.

Should I Have Multiple FTP Accounts?

It is possible to have multiple FTP logins, and one primary FTP account. However, your website hosting firm and domain name registrar could also have their own individual FTP accounts for storing and protecting all your website’s files.

Want to know more about website hosting for your dental practice? Get InTouch for details by calling (877) 493-9003!

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