Register Domains

What You Should Know to Register Domains

The first, and one of the most important, steps in creating your website is choosing a website address and registering your domain. "Registering your domain"... sounds kind of like "marking your territory" in a weird way... and in reality, it is.

First, choose an appropriate name for the site that has something to do with its topic. This allows your website to show as a keyword when it's typed into a search engine website. If your website is about dolphins, you will probably get much fewer hits if you name it "danthedolfan.com" for example. Use the correct spelling and popular term for your topic and you're bound to get more interest.

Next, before you fall in love with the name you've selected, you should find out if it's available. Sometimes you can just enter the word(s) into a search engine and you'll be directed to a domain name company who can tell you it's available, and offer to sell it to you. If your desired name isn't available, use the domain name company's search function and keep trying until you find one that fits your site and is available for purchase. Try different "top level domains" (like ".net") for appropriate alternatives to ".com". If you have your heart set on a particular name and it's not available, don't give up hope yet. It's possible to purchase and register a domain name that is owned by another person or entity, and the domain name company can help you with this.

Now that you've determined that your preferred website domain name is for sale, it's time to do some research. Check with several companies and see who's got the best price to officially register domain names such as yours. Many domain name companies also offer other domain-related functions like web hosting, so see if a bundle of products is available.

Once you've settled on the domain name company you'd like to do business with, and officially registered your domain name, you've completed the first step to starting a successful website.