How to register the domain name for a website?
-
Abdul Wadood
Choosing the correct domain name plays a significant role in the process of developing a website.
Once you choose a domain name, the next step is to register it. Many people have chosen a great domain name, but they don’t know the correct method of registering it.
In this blog, I have provided a detailed explanation of how to register the domain name. Moreover, I have given some tips on choosing a domain name for those unaware of the strategies to choose a good domain name.
Are you interested? Let’s get started!
Table of content:
What is a domain name?
A domain name is the address of your website on the internet. In other words, the domain name is the address that people type in the search bar to land on your website.
Besides acting as the address of your website, a domain name also makes your browsing experience more exciting. Here’s why.
All computers connected to the internet have a unique IP (Internet Protocol) number. An IP address is a series of numbers to identify a computer on the internet. Here’s the IP address of google.com.
As you can see, these numbers are difficult to remember. However, thanks to the domain name, we can easily connect to the IP address of computers.
Just imagine our browsing experience without a domain name! It would have been terrible!
The first domain name registered was symbolics.com, and the registration was done back on March 15, 1985. Since then, the registration of domain names has been increasing drastically.
Tips to choosing the domain name
Before moving on with the topic of registering the domain name, we’ll quickly discuss the tips to come up with a great domain name for a website.
Tip #1: Keep the domain name short and brandable
People remember shorter and more brandable domain names much better than lengthy domain names.
So, instead of stuffing keywords in the domain name and making it lengthy, try to make it brandable.
Just think of this. If Amazon’s domain name was lengthy like allinoneshopping.com, would it have been this popular? Most probably, it would not have even reached 20% of the current customer base of Amazon.
In my opinion, it’s better if you can keep the domain name count lesser than 14 characters.
Tip #2: Opt for “.com” domain extension
.Com is the most popular Top-Level Domain (TLD). Moreover, the .com button appears on the keyboard of many smartphones.
Besides being popular, people are most familiar with the .com domain extension.
If you tell someone a domain name without the domain extension, there’s a high chance for that person to mistake the domain extension for .com.
However, in some situations, you’ll be forced to opt for other domain extensions, especially when you can’t find your desired domain name. In this case, you can look for the top alternative to .com, such as:
- .net (network)
- .org (organization)
- .co (corporation)
- Country codes (.uk, .in, .us, etc.)
Tip #3: Avoid using hyphens and numbers
Using numbers and hyphens in the domain name can negatively impact its popularity. Here’s why.
Say that you chose a domain name like thetop1.com or the-top.com. In this case, a person hearing your domain name doesn’t know whether the numbers in your domain name are words or numerals. Also, they won’t know whether your domain name includes a hyphen.
Thus, to avoid typing errors and confusion, always stick with short and brandable domain names.
Tip #4: Avoid using two same letters next-to-next
Similar to numbers and hyphens, using two same letters in the domain name can cause typing errors.
Here’s an example of how your domain name shouldn’t be.
comfyysleep.com. If someone hears this domain name, they will most probably mistake it as comfysleep.com.
You should be aware of these typing errors as they can make you lose a customer. Much worse is when your customer land on your competitor’s website because of a typo in the domain name.
Oof! So, let’s make sure to stay away from these errors when choosing a domain name.
Tip #5: Perform thorough research
A domain name plays a significant role in determining the success of a website.
Though it’s possible to change a domain name after registration, it involves many complications and will definitely affect your website’s traffic.
So, when choosing a domain name, make sure to opt for the best. Also, make sure to ask other’s opinions on your domain name.
Tip #6: Think long term
I highly suggest you think long-term when choosing a domain name. The reason behind this is pretty simple.
If you don’t choose a domain name with a long-term view, you may face difficulties expanding the business.
For example, say that you have opted for the footballshoes.com domain. In this case, if you want to sell other football accessories besides football shoes, they won’t be relevant to your domain name. But, if you opt for a more broad domain name, you can expand your business without facing any troubles.
I want to share my personal story with my readers.
I first started this website as a simple blogging website. Later, I planned to expand it, and currently, I sell courses and offer various digital marketing services. Initially, if I thought short-term and chose a niche-based domain name, I would have experienced a hard time expanding the website. Correct?
Thus, always have a long-term view and be open-minded when choosing a domain name.
How to register the domain name?
Having seen the tips on choosing a domain name, let’s go through the domain registration process.
Fasten your seat belt!!!
There are two ways to register a domain name:
- Domain name registrars
- Web-hosting service providers
Domain name registrars
There are several domain name registrars out there. However, among them, I found NameCheap to be the best.
Namecheap is affordable and offers several features like free domain privacy protection, easy domain transfer (if you wish to do so), great support, and full DNS access.
Once you have chosen the domain name registrar, you should next check for the availability of a domain name. There are thousands of domains registrations happening per day. So, I urge you to act quickly and get a hold of the best domain name for your business.
If you can’t choose a good domain name even after performing lots of research, don’t worry! You can seek help from domain name generators or even business name generators.
Moreover, you can refer to my domain name choosing tips in this blog to opt for a good domain name.
Once you have chosen the domain name, here are the steps you should follow to register a domain name through the registrar.
Step #1: Enter the domain name in the bar and search for its availability.
Step #2: Click on “Add to Cart”.
Step #3: Purchase the add-ons you require. I recommend you purchase an SSL certificate, which costs about $4.98/year. An SSL certificate is essential to enable an encrypted connection. In layman terms, if you purchase the SSL certificate, a ‘padlock icon’ will display in the URL address bar, which gives trust to the visitors that the website is legit.
Step #4: Complete the order. In my case, the total price is $14.04 (including the SSL certificate add-on).
Note: The renewal fees of a domain name will usually be much higher than the registration price.
Web-hosting service providers
As the name suggests, web-hosting service providers are those who provide hosting for the website. Web hosting is essential for all websites as it makes your website accessible on the internet.
Major web-hosting service providers like HostGator offer a free domain name for a year along with their annual hosting packages that cost about $70 for the first year.
However, you should note that the renewal costs can be much higher than the first subscription fee.
If you haven’t hosted your website yet, I highly recommend registering the domain name through web-hosting service providers. By doing so, you can end up saving some money as they offer a free domain name for a year — besides hosting.
Now I’ll quickly take you through the procedure of registering the domain name through web-hosting service providers (HostGator).
Step #1: Choose your plan. If you’re a beginner, you’ll find the Hatchling plan to be sufficient.
Step #2: Enter your domain name and check for its availability.
Step #3: Choose your hosting package and the billing cycle. I recommend you to opt for annual plans. By doing so, you’re eligible for massive discounts and to get a free domain name for a year.
Step #4: Create your HostGator account and enter your billing info.
Step #5: If you want to purchase add-ons, you can do so. However, I personally don’t recommend buying any add-ons as the features that HostGator provides are more than sufficient.
Step #6: The discount code will be populated by default if you purchase through this HostGator link. Finally, click on “Checkout Now!” and complete the purchase.
Great! You have successfully bought the hosting and domain name for your website. Keep rolling and grow your website to generate lots of money!!!
Conclusion
I hope this blog gave you an in-depth idea of registering a domain name for your website.
A domain name is what identifies you on the internet. Also, it plays a significant role in determining the success of your website. Thus, if you want your website to become successful, you should choose the correct domain name.
When it comes to domain registration, it’s an easy task. However, if you want to save some money, you should choose the domain registration method wisely.
If you have already hosted your website on the internet, you can purchase the domain name through registrars. Otherwise, I highly suggest you choose web-hosting service providers like HostGator as they provide a free domain name for a year besides hosting your website.
Before ending this blog, I would like to ask you a few questions.
- Did you find this blog beneficial?
- Have you chosen a domain name?
- What domain extension did you choose?
- Do you have any doubts regarding registering or selecting a domain name?
Do let me know your opinion or questions in the comment section below.
