How to Register a Domain Name
Now to register a domain name! You have read the previous article on how to choose the best domain name, and you’re ready to register. What now?
Top Domain Registrars
A Domain Name for your website is registered through a registrar or reseller. It’s always better to buy through one of the longest serving, top registrars. Some of the most popular domain registrars I have mentioned in the previous story, these include GoDaddy, Bluehost, Namecheap, and Crazy Domains.
There are more than just these four registrars but I’ve chosen these as they are some of the biggest and are ICANN accredited registrars. If you are considering using a smaller or lesser-known domain reseller please remember they will be managing your domain name which is your website address.
They will literally hold your website in their hands. If you have any problems you need to know they have good customer service and are reputable.
Crazy Domains
Namecheap
Bluehost
The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow.
Bill Gates
Domain Registration Process
Once you have determined the name and extension are available you will choose to proceed to purchase, ADD TO CART!
Then you will be shown all other derivations of the name.
If you are registering a business in Australia it may be beneficial to also register the .au version of the name. Leaving it available for someone else to register would be a marketing nightmare. Likewise, if you were in the UK. Whilst securing a .com site is great if you want local traffic also having your home country extension is worthwhile.
Select any additional names you wish to license. Don’t forget, if you don’t buy a name that’s similar to yours, your competition might.
Optional Extra’s
Domain Privacy
Domain Privacy will protect your private information from being listed publically on the website Whois. Whois provides details such as contact information, the name, and organization that registered, the address, phone, email address, etc. related to your domain name. Activating this service may avoid identity theft and reduce spam.
Email Hosting
This is a good option to choose. It’s far more professional to have an email sent from your blog URL compared with a Hotmail or Gmail account.
Hosting
As I have previously mentioned the two sites I would recommend for hosting are Big Scoots and BlueHost. If you have chosen to register your domain name with BlueHost and you would like them to also host, you can add hosting here.
If you chose a different registrar you will need to decide if you would like them to host your site.
I have had a lot of experience with various hosts. They all begin well when your website has very little data, but as it grows the cracks can begin to show. Please chose carefully if you don’t go with the one I have recommended.
SSL Certificate
Do you require an SSL certificate? Absolutely YES!
The SSL certification provides peace of mind to you, google, and your users. It really has 3 main functions:
- It keeps your site safer from cyber-attacks.
- The “s” in https: show the world, including users and customers that your site is safe to use, helping you to increase traffic.
- Websites that fail to use SSL certificates are quite often flagged as unsafe by Google, leading to a drop in traffic. They are also ranked lower by Google and other search engines’ algorithms.
So YES do add an SSL certificate to your BUY bundle. If you have noticed that your BlueHost Domain registration doesn’t ask this question, the reason is that BlueHost provides a free SSL upon registration of all sites.
Contact Details
You will need to complete your contact details. Remember, if this is to be a trading ie: income-producing blog, or website make sure the correct entity is the registrant. For example, my company owns my blog and earns the income produced. Therefore it was the company that registered the name.
Provide Payment
Provide payment for your new domain and the wheels will be in motion. If you have selected any extensions that require verification you will be asked to provide those documents. For example, to register an .au extension you must have registered the business name.
Confirmation
Confirmation of your new domain will come via email. That’s when we truly get started bringing your website or blog to life.
Next Step…
The next step in the process is choosing a host. If you have already registered with a host at the time of registering your name you can skip over this step and go straight to operating platforms.
Affiliate Disclosure
The content on this site is reader-supported. This means if you click on some of our links, we may earn a small commission. You will never be charged more, and in some cases, it may cost less due to arrangements I have with suppliers. Please see my complete disclosure policy for more information.
