Now that the site is built, it's time to make it publicly accessible.

The kind of Web host that a designer will pick for a site will depend on the type of organization for whom the site's been built. Large companies with significant IT resources may choose to host the site on their own in-house servers. Smaller organizations without access to self-supported Web servers may investigate options with their internet service provider (ISP) or a third-party Web hosting company.

Smaller businesses without in-house server support require Web hosts: businesses that host other organizations' Web sites on their servers. Often ISPs provide free Web space to their clients. There are hundreds of third-party Web hosts with thousands of configurations out there too.

Registering a Domain Name

Getting a Web site a domain name is like giving a site an identity. Domain names should be recognizable and clearly identifiable with the organization or topic area of the site. Obviously, because users will be typing the name into their browser, it should be a concise as possible.

A domain registration is more like a lease than a purchase. For a fee, an Internet name registrar will lease the use of an available name. Usually the minimum registration is one year. Currently, average prices for .com and .ca names are about CA$25 per year. CIRA provides a listing of .ca name registrars. Besides registering .ca names, many will also register other TLD names. It can be convenient and cheaper to register a domain name with your Web host. We will cover the cost of a single domain registration with a pre-paid annual hosting plan.

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