How to Register a Domain Name

How Important is Domain Name?

1.   It’s your “first impression”. Your URL is the first thing your visitors will see. A good domain name can make a positive and lasting impression, while a bad domain name can send visitors running.

2.   It defines your brand. Your domain name is a branding opportunity. The right domain name can increase brand recognition.

3. It affects SEO (Search engine optimization). While exact match domains (EMDs) are no longer a necessity, keywords in your domain name can still help your SEO ranking.

Now, hopefully you’ve already taken the first step of choosing your domain name. If 

Now, hopefully you’ve already taken the first step of choosing your domain name. If you haven’t yet, then check out this post before you read any further: How to Choose a Domain Name?

Okay, do you have a domain name in mind? Great.

Follow along to the rest of this post and you’ll have everything you need to successfully register that domain name and build your online presence.

How do you register a domain name? There are 3 options:

• 1 Get a FREE domain from Bluehost or HostGator (in case you don’t have web hosting yet)
• 2 Register through GoDaddy.com (most popular domain registrar)
• 3 Register through NameCheap.com

1. Get a Free Domain using Bluehost or HostGator

One neat trick that I recommend people to use is to get a web hosting and domain together. To make your website work, you’re going to need both of them.

This will also help you save some time and money, plus web hosting providers often provide a FREE domain.

Bluehost.com: Currently offers FREE domain name, hosting is Rs 499.00/Year

  

HostGator.com: Currently domain costs $3.99/mo, hosting is $2.99/mo

So just go ahead and don’t worry about migrating your domain name with your web host.

Already have a web hosting and just need a domain name? Use GoDaddy or NameCheap (both very reputable domain registrars)

2. Register a Domain Name on GoDaddy

Step 1: Go to GoDaddy.com and type in your chosen domain name.

Step 2: When you see that your domain name is available, select the $2.99 option. Then, select “Continue to Cart” on the top right.

Step 3: On the next screen, select “No Thanks” under “Select plan”.

Step 4: Scroll down and select “Continue with these options”.

Step 5: Select the term and proceed to checkout.

Here you can select the term (i.e. the number of years) to register your domain. The longer the term, the cheaper it will be.

I recommend doing it for at least two years, as this will save you some money and you won’t have to worry about renewing after the first year.

The term length is your choice. If you’re absolutely committed to making your website work over the long term, perhaps you should even select the 5-year term.

Either way – once you’ve selected your term, hit the “Proceed to Checkout” button.

From there, just enter your payment details. Just like that, your domain name will officially be registered!

3. Register a Domain on NameCheap

Step 1: Go to NameCheap.com and type in your chosen domain name.

Step 2: If your domain name is available, click the add to cart button.

Step 3: On the right side of the page, click the “View Cart” button.

Step 4: Select the length of your term and click “Confirm Order”

 

  

Step 5: Create an account or login to your current account.

Step 6: Input account and payment details, and make the purchase.

Once you complete these steps, your domain name will be officially registered!

 Common Questions About Domain Name Registration

1. What are Domain Name Extensions?

Domain name extensions are categories of internet domain names.

When choosing your domain name, there are several extensions you can choose from, like:

• .com
• .net
• .org
• .info

But you can be sure of one thing: “.com” is still far and away the best domain name extension.

According to research from Registrar Stats, 75% of domains have the “.com” extension, second is “.net” and third is “.org”.

And so, “.com” is more familiar and easier to remember. My advice is to go with “.com” – it’s the safer bet. If you’re chosen domain name is already taken by a “.com”, you’d be better off choosing a new domain instead of a new domain name extension.

2. What are Most Popular Domain Name Registrars?

Domain name registrars are organizations that manage the reservation of internet domain names. You’ll need to use one of these registrars to register your domain name.

Here are some of the top domain name registrars on the web:

• GoDaddy.com
• Name.com
• NameCheap
• BlueHost
• HostGator
• InMotion Hosting
• DreamHost

Okay, now that I’ve covered some of these common questions, let’s talk about how to actually register your domain name…

3. How to Change Domain NameServers?

Domain nameservers (DNS) are the internet’s equivalent of a phonebook.

To change your nameserver, you must login to the domain name registrar with whom you registered your domain.

From there, the process will vary based on your registrar. But here are the basic steps:

1.   Find the DNS manager within your registrar.

2.   Locate the DNS that you’d like to change.

3.   There will typically be some sort of option like, “Use custom nameservers”. Click that option.

4.    From here, type in your desired new nameserver.

Lastly: Don’t forget renewing

Depending on the length of your domain name term, you’ll have to renew your domain name in a year, two years, or longer.

But it’s crucial you remember to do so – otherwise, your domain name will go offline. And if you don’t catch on within a few weeks, your domain name will go back up for sale and somebody else can buy it – not good for you!

So, make a note to renew your domain before it ends. Perhaps a Google calendar reminder or a reminder from your smartphone. Whatever the case, make sure you don’t forget.

For some domain name registrars (like the one’s we mentioned above), you can set it to automatically renew your domain at the end of its term. This is the safest option – just make sure that you keep your payment information up to date (this can be easy to forget).

Conclusion

If you don’t have a website yet, then 2018 is the best time to get started. And the first step to creating your website is to register your domain name.

With this simple guide, you can register your domain name quickly and easily. And before you know it, you’ll have your own little piece of the web!