If you’ve been planning or assembling your own website, then chances are good that you’ve come across the term “domain name registration.”
Your domain name is the URL or web address that identifies your specific website so that people can locate you online.
If you’re looking for a website for your business or just for a personal site, then your domain name must be registered so that you can stake claim to your particular space online.
Let’s examine just what goes into a domain name and the easiest way to register yours today.
Why Your Domain Name is Important
When you’re completing a domain name registration, it’s important to look for something that will stand out to your audience.
Some web hosting services will only give you a domain name that includes their company name in the URL. This is fine for a personal website, but if you want something professional, then you will want to have a unique website that reflects the name of your business.
Just like a business name should be short, sweet, and memorable, your domain name must be something that will remind your audience of your business and what you have to offer them. It should be something that they can remember so that they can easily type the name of your domain name into their search bar.
A memorable domain name also gives you credibility with both your readers and with potential advertisers.
But registering your unique domain name also comes in handy because you can then take your domain with you if you change web hosting services.
Domain Name Registration (How To Do It)
If you want to register a domain name, you will have to pay a nominal fee (usually $10 to $35) and sign up with a registrar such as Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
This will give you the rights to the domain name for one year until you have to re-register and pay the fee again. Many web hosting services will assist you in this process and some will even pay the fee for you as part of their fee arrangement. You also will need to do the following:
- Come up with several possible website names in case the first couple you have chosen are already taken. It’s also possible to buy a domain name that has already been registered, but these may be treated like “prime property” and you will probably have to pay more for these.
- You will then need to choose a “top level domain.” This is the suffix extension that comes at the end of your web address, such as .com or .net. There are dozens of possible extensions, so choose carefully.
- Decide how long you want to register the site for. Although one year is usually the standard, you can actually register a site for as long as ten years. This is a good idea if you know you have long-term plans for the site’s development.
- If you are using a registrar that includes web hosting, then you can choose to host your site with that registrar. Many times, this will save you some time in the setup procedure and help streamline the process.
One of the easiest platforms to use when putting together a new website is WordPress.
WordPress makes it very easy to complete the domain name registration. More websites are put together worldwide using this platform than with any other on the market. By taking advantage of this, you can get the domain name that you want and make sure that it stays in your possession for years to come.