Today, we are looking at domain registration and hosting in Kenya
These are the two things you need to create a website, and I am going to show you how to get it done in under 10 minutes.
But first, let me introduce you to terms and definitions so we are on the same page.
What is a domain name?
A domain is a special address user type into their web browser in order to access a website.
For example:
To access this site, you probably typed kazupa.com into a browser and hit search and you ended up here.
That is the domain name of this website. And there are two things I want you to learn from this name;
Kazupa.com
- Kazupa – this is the domain name itself. It is the website name
- .com – is the domain extension. And there are a ton of others like .co.ke, .org, .net, etc.
When it comes to domain extensions, there are different ones. We are not going to look at them today. But what I can say is that;
Whenever looking for a domain name in Kenya, make sure you pick the right extension.
Here are some of the most popular domain extensions in Kenya;
- .com
- .co.ke
- .net
Now, with the definition out of the way, let’s get down to understanding how to get a domain name in Kenya.
How to get a website name in Kenya
Before I showed you how to register a domain in Kenya, there is something you need to know.
A domain name is like intellectual property. Once it is yours, no one else can claim it (well, unless the court is involved).
What does this mean?
It means that once you have registered a domain as your own, nobody can re-register it elsewhere.
Secondly, once you have registered a website name, you are stuck with it for an entire billing period.
This means that if you misspelled it or you realize you don’t like the name as you thought, you have no way to edit the name.
For this reason, you have to take your time when deciding on the name to register for your website. Do not rush and regret down the line.
See, the only way to change your website name is to register a brand new domain name.
Doing so;
- Costs you money. You have to dig deep into your pockets
- If you had traffic, you risk losing it and starting from scratch
So, before you register a domain name in Kenya, first make sure you have the right one.
How to pick the best domain name to register in Kenya
Sincerely speaking, there is no formula for magically coming up with that perfect website or domain name.
But there are some guidelines you can follow now to increase your chances of getting it right.
- The name should be short. Longer names are boring and unattractive.
- Avoid using numbers if possible. See how weird a website name like domain2023.com?
- Use brandable names – this means that get something you can turn into a business. See how Kazupa.com sounds so cool? I bet it means something
- Should be memorable and easy to read and write
If you follow these tips, you can come up with a list of possible domain names for your website.
Alternatively, there is a way to get hundreds of domain name ideas instantly.
I am talking about domain name generators. These are tools that generate name ideas automatically.
One such tool is BizNameWiz.com. It is easy to use and gives you hundreds of ideas.
So, this is what you need to do;
- Think of the type of website you want to build
- What are you going to write about?
- Brainstorm name ideas based on the niche
- Use website name generators to ease the process
Once you have the list, it is time to register it.
Domain Registration and Web Hosting in Kenya
Domain name registration in Kenya
Here, you first search to see if the domain name is available.
Why?
Remember I mentioned that once someone has registered a name, it cannot be registered by anyone else.
To help you understand, I will be using an example on Truehost Kenya.
Here, I will try to register a domainking.co.ke… let’s see if it is available.
Head over to https://truehost.co.ke/domain-name-registration-in-kenya/
Type the name into the bar and hit search.
We are lucky!
The name is available, meaning no one has registered it yet.
But what happens if i try to register kazupa.com?
Oops!
See? The name is already taken.
Now you get the difference.
If you find that your chosen name is already taken, get another one. That is why it is important to first have a list of potential domain names.
Now, once you have found the website name, run away with it. All you have to do is click Buy It Now and follow the steps to make it your own.
To this point, you are half-way done in your quest to building a website in Kenya.
The remaining part is getting a hosting package. And I will now show you how to get it.
How to get web hosting in Kenya
Here is the thing:
Your website will contain files (articles, images, video, and audio). All these files need a place to stay, storage.
That is where the hosting account comes in.
It not only gives you a space to store your site files, but also all the necessary resources you need to start, run, and scale your website.
So, web hosting is a process where a provider (like Truehost) allocates you a space on a web server, where you can store your website files.
Now, depending on your needs and budget, you can get different sizes of space.
For example
If you are starting out, building your first website, you do not need more resources as compared to someone running over 5 websites.
And that explains why hosting companies in Kenya have what they call hosting packages.
What they do is come up with a structure of accommodating users on web servers and in return, they pay either monthly or annually.
To get web hosting in Kenya, you first need to understand your needs (just mentioned above).
If you are starting out, you don’t need a lot of resources.
Types of web hosting in Kenya
Secondly, consider what you can afford. Truth is, there are different types of web hosting in Kenya.
- Shared hosting – this is when users share one server and its resources. It is the cheapest because you are sharing costs with others.
- Dedicated hosting – here, instead of sharing the server, you get it whole to your self. For this reason, it is expensive because you are shouldering the server costs by yourself
- VPS hosting – this is the hybrid of shared and dedicated hosting. A server is ‘subdivided’ into single independent compartments capable of running their own OS (operating system), thanks to virtualization technology. So even though are still under the same server with other users, you aren’t sharing resources. It is better than shared hosting and cheaper than getting a dedicated server.
- WordPress hosting in Kenya – this is a type of hosting package customized to accommodate WordPress websites
- Cloud hosting – the cloud is a tech term used to refer to a cluster of servers brought together to form a network. When you host on the cloud, a copy of your site files is sent to all the servers within the network. So, whenever one server goes down, others take over automatically.
With that in mind;
Decide on what type of hosting you want.
And then head over to Truehost.
These guys are the best at what they do. In fact, their support team is online 24/7 and you can conduct them anytime you want.
Web hosting packages and prices
Again, I am going to use Truehost’s example;
There are 5 plans you can choose from;
- Free web hosting in Kenya – you heard that right! You can host a website without paying anything at all.
With this package, you have a free SSL certificate, 1 GB of storage, and 1 email account among others.
- Silver hosting – costs 1499 per year, and gives you a ton of features others charge for.
With it, you can host up to 3 websites at a go, thanks to 30 GB of storage and unlimited bandwidth.
- Gold hosting – costs Ksh 3499 per year
You can host up to 30 websites.
- Platinum hosting (Ksh 9499) and Unlimited hosting (Ksh 14,499) per year
These two last packages are perfect for an established online business. If you wish to host upwards of 30 sites and have enough resources to run everything smoothly, consider these two.
What to do next
Here is my final word;
If you are building your first website, go with Silver hosting. It is cheap and has everything you need to grow.
For the established site owners, check the Gold, Platinum, and Unlimited packages. Gives you all the resources and puts the power in your hands to scale easily.
