Registering a Domain Name

A domain name is that piece of information that makes up the address of your website. Getting, and registering, the right domain name is a crucial part of building a website because it should say something about you, the owner. Some domain name registration companies charge a lower price for registration than others but before you register there are a number of things that you should consider, and these are described below.

Domain names come with a number of different endings, .com, .net, .org, and a lot more, the decision is yours. Each ending says something about your website, whether it is local or international or informational and this can determine what sort of visitors you get to your site. If you want search engines like Google and Yahoo to find your website then you should try to incorporate some of your key words in your domain name. How you do this depends on whether you want people from all over the world visiting your site; or just people from your local area.

When you register your domain name choose something that is easy for visitors to remember. If you want a domain name that is unique to you then it is possible to register it with all of the different endings – no-one can register a domain name that has already been taken by someone else, there is always some differentiation. Try to keep your domain name short as it is easier to remember and to find.

Domain names are registered for different periods of time, so take note of how long they are register for e.g. say $1.99 .info for 12 months after which you have to re-register. Some companies will allow you to reserve your domain name before you actually register.

Once you have found a domain name registration company that you would like to register with, go to their site. Somewhere near their pricing structure there should be a small box where you can enter the domain name that you wish to register.

The website will have information on which domain names are available and if that is the case then you will be notified immediately. If it comes back as not available then you have to find another (perhaps similar) domain name that has not been registered. When this is done you will be directed to complete the registration of your domain name by providing personal details and paying the registration fee. You can register your domain name for any period that you want, which means that you can register for a number of years, or you can register for a year and then renew that registration. Some domain registration companies also offer free web hosting, which you might want to consider – alternatively you can do this with a designated hosting company.