website first steps

The first step to success with your site is to choose possible domain names and then see if they are available here. Choose a site name that’s easy to remember and spell, and check to see what registered sites have names very close to yours, so visitors searching for you don’t end up somewhere else. No one has much patience anymore so do whatever you can to avoid potential confusion. For instance, don’t choose “mycompany.net” just because “mycompany.com” is taken. More often than not, people will end up on “mycompany.com” and you will only be driving traffic to someone else’s domain.
Do NOT register your chosen names on your own unless you're really savvy. They're harder to move than to register and the company that hosts your site will register it for you. Registering a domain requires hosting information, so sites that register domain names will insert their server info, meaning they are now your web host. Low cost deals sound intriguing, but unless you know you want to use that site for hosting, the name will have to be moved, which can in some cases can be a hassle. You rarely get something for nothing, and low cost doesn’t always mean the best service; you may end up paying extra for features that are included elsewhere. (“Oh, you want tires with that car? That’s extra.”)

These fall under the category of "in case you want to know" but isn't anything you need to know:

what is domain hosting?
The files that make up your website, your “mycompany.com,” have to be stored somewhere, ready to be served up when a user types in your domain name or clicks on a link. These computers, located all over the world, must be up and running 24/7 and have multiple back-ups in case a server fails. Companies that specialize in this charge per month to cover their set-up and maintenance costs. You’ll pay a registration fee to register your chosen domain name; domains are registered for a period of two years and then renewed. You also pay a per month or per year fee for hosting.

what’s a DNS?
DNS stands for Domain Name System, kind of like an internet phone book. Domain names are aliases for IP (Internet Protocol) addresses— series of assigned numbers for each site that tell computers where to go looking for the information you’ve requested. Just as you have a street address and phone number, your website has an address, too, but it’s much easier to remember “google.com” than it is to remember 64.233.169.147!