As one of the key steps in creating a website, domain name registration may have you stressing a little bit. No need to worry though – registering a domain name is a pretty simple process. To put you more at ease, let’s discuss exactly what a domain is and why you shouldn’t worry about it.
What is a Domain?
To start to learn about domains, you need to know what exactly they are. Plain and simple, a domain is the name for your website. For example, our domain name is inmotionhosting.com. You can choose to make your domain whatever you like as long as it’s not being used by anyone else.
There are two major parts of a domain, the actual domain name, and a TLD, or Top-Level Domain. The TLD is the end part of the domain, an example is .com. When choosing a TLD, you’ll want to stick to more popular ones, such as .com or .org. Choosing a custom, unique TLD can help sometimes but can cause some confusion for people. More people know .com and .org and assume that most website domains end in this, making it easier to remember.
How Does a Domain Work?
All websites are assigned an IP address during the domain name registration process. Thankfully, instead of having to remember a set of numbers, we have domain names. What the domain does is allow us to have a name to call that IP Address.
Think of it as adding contacts into your phone. The reason you do so is so that you don’t have to remember everyone’s phone number, and just need to know their name or “domain.” In the same way as a phone number, you can transfer it to different hosts, and even change the domain, but still allow it to point to that IP Address. Without a domain name, using the internet would be far more difficult and confusing.
How Do I Get a Domain?
Ahh, the part that causes the confusion and stress. There are many ways to get a domain but the most popular method is to get one from a registrar. A registrar is sort of like a gatekeeper of IP addresses and domain names. You can buy a domain from a registrar and either host the domain with them, or choose a different company to host with.
Another way you can purchase a domain name is to buy one with the website builder you are using. It’s common that a website builder will offer you a domain name purchase, and most offer one free year of that domain. This can cause an issue, however, if you want to change platforms. Most companies want you to stay with them and will make it a bit difficult to transfer the domain to another host.
What Do I Look for When Buying a Domain?
Once you finally decide to purchase and register a domain, you want to make sure that you’re going with a well-known host, and one that is there for you. Support from your domain host is crucial, as they are your first line of defense against outside attacks. Using a host that is well known and has good support will usually mean they have better security measures as well.
InMotion Hosting is adamant about providing the best support around to ensure that your website and domain are safe and performing optimally.
Now that you know the basics about domain name registration, it’s really not that difficult, is it? Heck, choosing the actual domain name is more difficult than the purchasing/registration process.
We always want what is best for our customers and we strive to make the process as easy as possible. When you purchase a domain with InMotion Hosting, you are choosing a company that is confident in its product and offers the best support you can find anywhere. To take a look at what we offer, head over to the Domain Section of our website to see how we can help you.