How to Register a Domain Name

How to Register a Domain Name

In an earlier post I explained what a domain name is (see What is a Domain Name?), and so now we’re all clear on what a domain name actually is.

In this post I’m going to explain how to actually go about registering a domain name.

You’ve probably got some idea of what you want your domain name to be. So first you need to go to a domain registrar. A domain registrar is a company that looks after the registration of domains and there are lots of them around! Domain registrars can vary quite considerably in price – both for the basic domain registration and for their other services.

A few of the more popular and reasonably priced domain registrars are:

www.GoDaddy.com – probably the biggest and most popular registrar as already discussed in my earlier article.

MyDomain.com - who have domains at $9.75 per year

Register.com – who have some great deals packages that include web site design and hosting on their home page

1&1.com – Have up to 5 free Domains for life with 1&1 Hosting Plans. Get yours!

com net org info name us biz tv ws cc mobi

Note: The search box above will search for domain names on 1&1.com.

There are many, many, many more domain registrars available. If you’re keen you may want to do a search and check out some more companies, but if so, allow yourself some time!

Now, I’m going to use Godaddy as an example to show you how to search for and register your domain name. Most companies have pretty much the same basic format and procedure to register a domain name – their websites will just be laid out a little differently. You will need either a credit card or a Paypal account to pay for your domain.

First, go to your chosen domain registration company website. You will find a search box on the page that is used to search for your domain name to see if it is available.

You will see in the screenshot above that I have added a big red arrow – this is the search box. Enter the domain name you have in mind into this box. You don’t need to type in the www or anything else – just the name you want with no spaces.

If you want a .com domain, then leave it as it is. If you would rather have a .net or.org or another TLD (domain extension) then use the drop down on the right side of the box to change it to whichever one you would rather have.

If you do your search and your domain name is not available (ie someone has already registered that domain) then it will tell you on the next page that comes up. The image below has a big red X and says “tough luck buddy” (or something similar), then makes some suggestions below that you might like instead. Again I have an arrow pointing to this part of the page for your convenience.

You will notice that there are other options on the left side (where the arrow is) which are simply the name you searched on with another TLD or extension (.com;.net;.info etc) and then on the right side, there are alternatives to what you were searching on. These are the name you searched on, but with some minor changes and these domains are available. So, for example,  if you were searching for ‘mysite.com’ and it was already taken, you may have the choice of  ‘mysiteonline.com’ on that list as being available and that you are able to register is you want.

Sometimes these suggestions are very helpful in choosing a domain name. It can be very frustrating when everything you think of is already taken!

If you decide to take one of these suggestions from either side, just click in the box beside your option and a tick will appear, then click on continue to registration.  At this point you will generally be offered a whole bunch of extra stuff and unless you particularly want any of it, just click on ‘No Thanks’ and carry on.

The rest of the process is fairly straight forward. The web site will lead you through. You will be required to enter your personal details to set up your account. Then enter your payment details after deciding how long you want to register your domain name for. The minimum is one year, and the cost gets cheaper the more years you register ahead.

One more note. Before getting to the payment screen you will be given additional options which will include paying for a Private Registration. This Private registration option costs a little extra, but can be worth it depending on your requirements and personal preferences. If you choose not to pay for a private registration, then your details will be available to the world. This means that if someone wants to know who owns your domain name they can do a simple search and your details will come up as the owner. With a private registration your details are hidden.

So, I hope that helps. You now know how to register your own domain name! So no excuses, go to it….

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Filed under: Earn Money on the Internet - The Basics

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