Domain Name
All websites need a name. This name is unique to your page or site. It is called the URL or Uniform Resource Locator. They look like..."http://www.virga.ca" or usually abbreviated to "www.virga.ca".
Do you need your own Domain Name? Again it depends on the kind of web page you want. If the page is for personal use you can use the webspace usually provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). This will have a URL that usually looks something like..."www.myhost.com/~mysite". If you plan on just giving the URL to friends or relatives this arrangement will work just fine.
If on the other hand you want web search engines to find and index your site you will likely be better off with your own domain name. Many search engines either do not index "personal home page" URLs or rate them very low in the hit list.Businesses almost always need to use their own domain name because they want customers to be able to find them.
In addition, having your own domain name allows for permanence of your URL and e-mail address. Since you own your domain name you can change your ISP or hosting company at will. You just move the site to the new host, since the domain name stays the same people can always find you. In addition your e-mail address stays the same, for example myname@www.mysite.com. If you change your ISP from dialup to cable or DSL you still have the same e-mail address since it is attached to your domain name.
The only real downside to having your own domain name is cost. Domains ending is .com .net .org cost $20 (can) per year to own. Those ending is .ca cost $36 per year. You can find out if a domain name is available by clicking here .
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