Before building a website, two technical matters must be settled: the domain name (the address, such as your-business.com) and the web hosting (the server that runs the site). Choosing your domain name and hosting well avoids costly migrations later. And one rule comes before all others: both must be registered in your name.
Choosing a good domain name
- Short and easy to spell out over the phone: avoid multiple hyphens, ambiguous numbers and invented spellings.
- Close to your business name: a trade or city keyword can make it more memorable, but it is not required for search rankings.
- Free of conflicts: check it does not use an existing trademark, or you risk a dispute.
- Protected by its variants: if budget allows, also register another extension or a close spelling so that nobody else can use them.
.fr, .dz or .com: which extension should you choose?
The extension tells your visitors, and Google, which country you are targeting.
- .fr: the natural choice for customers in France. Managed by Afnic, it is open to individuals and businesses established in the European Union and a few neighbouring European countries; check the conditions on the Afnic website.
- .dz (and variants such as .com.dz): the clearest choice for an Algerian audience. It is managed by the Algerian registry (nic.dz, at CERIST) and registration is subject to conditions, including a presence in Algeria: check with the registry or an accredited reseller before starting your project.
- .com: international, with no country requirement, suited to targeting several countries or customers abroad.
If you work on both sides of the Mediterranean, you can hold a .fr and a .dz, or a .com with country sections. The key is to choose one main address and redirect the others to it, so as not to spread your SEO thin.
Choosing the right web hosting
For a WordPress showcase website, good shared hosting is usually enough; an online store or a high-traffic site may justify a dedicated server or managed WordPress hosting. The criteria that really matter:
- a recent PHP version, and the ability to switch versions easily;
- automatic backups kept for several days and easy to restore;
- a free SSL certificate (HTTPS) that renews automatically;
- servers close to your visitors: in Europe for France, in Europe or Algeria for an Algerian audience;
- responsive support in a language you are comfortable with, and a suitable payment method: in Algeria, paying a foreign host requires an international payment card, which often points towards a local provider.
As a rough guide, a domain name and decent hosting cost around €50 a year in France and 6,000 to 12,000 DZD a year in Algeria. Very cheap offers often hide limits (resources, backups, renewal prices): read the second-year terms carefully.
A professional email address
An address like contact@your-business.com inspires more trust than a Gmail or Yahoo address. There are two options: the mailboxes included with your hosting, fine for a few accounts, or a dedicated service (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 or similar) for greater reliability and shared tools. Either way, have the SPF, DKIM and DMARC records configured: without them, your messages may end up in your customers’ spam folders.
Why your domain and hosting must stay in your name
This is something I check every time. Too many businesses discover, when they change providers, that their domain name was registered in the name of the agency or a former employee. Getting the address back then becomes slow, or even impossible. Good practice:
- The domain registrant is your business (or you personally), with an email address you control.
- The registrar and hosting accounts are opened in your name; your provider accesses them through delegated access or credentials you can change at any time.
- Auto-renewal is switched on with a valid payment method: an expired domain can be bought by someone else.
- You keep a copy of your logins and know where to get the domain transfer code.
That is why my prices exclude domain names and hosting: you subscribe to them in your own name, I advise you on the choice and I take care of the whole configuration. For a new website, see the showcase website offer; for a question about your situation, get in touch through the contact page.