If you want to grow your business, you need a website. And to make sure people find your website on the internet, you need to rank your website on Google. However, the first and foremost thing that you need to do for building a website is to buy a domain name and hosting.
Registering a domain name for your website is not difficult at all. In fact, it is a simple and straightforward task that you can easily do. However, if you are a first-timer and do not know how to register a domain for your website, don’t worry, we have got you covered. In this article, we will discuss the simple and easy steps to register a domain.
How to Buy a Domain Name?
Here are the simple steps that you need to follow for buying a domain name:
- Search and choose a domain provider available on the web
- Search for a domain name that you want for your business website
- Pick the domain of your choice
- Complete the payment process
- Verify the ownership of your domain
- Set the DNS on the domain
Importance of Domain Name
One question that may come to our mind while buying a domain for the first time is, why is the domain name so important?
The answer to the aforesaid question is simply that modern businesses and brands cannot grow in the market without having a website. To build a website for your business, you need a domain name as well as web hosting.
Many businesses use the power of social media platforms to reach their customers. However, a website is what allows your business to establish its online presence better and also helps customers to know more about your products/services.
While buying web hosting for your website, you also need to choose a domain name. A domain name is important because it allows your customers to find and access your website.
How to Choose a Domain Name?
There are no set rules and regulations on how to choose a domain name. However, there are some things you need to keep in mind before registering a domain name.
Registering a domain can be easy, but finding the perfect domain for your website can be challenging and requires you to do some research. Following are some tips that will come in handy while choosing a domain name for your website:
1. Insert a keyword in your domain name
Keywords play an important role when it comes to getting ranked on the first page of Google. Adding a keyword to your domain name can help your website to rank better on Google SERPs.
Three things are quite essential for ranking on Google: a domain name, good and unique content, and a mobile-friendly website.
Finding a domain name having your brand’s keyword can be difficult because many are already taken. However, you can take some time and come up with unique yet relevant domain name ideas that stand out in the market.
2. Try to get .com domains
Even today, .com domains are considered to be the best. Although many domain extensions can sound good with your domain name, .com is still the most used and credible extension. Also, .com extension is considered to help in doing effective SEO of a website and achieve better ranking in search results.
3. Short domain names work the best
You need to choose short-tail domain names because they are easy to type and remember. You can add 6-14 character long domain names or even shorter names. However, if you don’t find your preferred short tail domain name, it is okay. You need to choose a branded domain name.
4. Brandable domain names
Your website name should be unique and different from your competitors. Before you pick a domain name, do extensive research.
Your domain names should be catchy, unique, and easy to remember. You also need to keep in mind the trademark and copyright regulations.
5. Easy to pronounce and type
The most popular websites on the internet are the ones having domains that are easy to pronounce and are easy to type. Keep in mind your visitors will be typing the domain name, so it should not be difficult for them to do the same.
The easier the website’s domain name, the easier it is for your visitor to remember and access your website.
6. Avoid using numbers and hyphens
Never choose domain names with hyphens because they relate to spammy websites and are prone to spelling errors. You need to know that if you add a hyphen to your domain name, people might misspell your website’s domain name and may get redirected to some other website.
In the same way, avoid adding numbers because it will confuse the visitors.
7. Use online domain name generator tools
There are millions of registered domains available on the internet, which means that many domain names have been already taken.
Searching for domain names one by one can be a tedious job. To make your work easier, many online domain name generators will provide you with unique domain name ideas for free.
Now that you have a clear idea of how to choose a domain name, let us get started to learn how to register a domain name:
6 Simple Steps to Register a Domain Name
1. Choose a domain provider
The domain registrar you choose should be ICANN accredited. Many domain name providers are available online, like Namecheap, Bluehost, Hostinger, and GoDaddy.
Although the prices do not vary, you need to do proper research and choose the best domain provider in terms of customer support.
2. Run a domain name search
You can use the domain provider’s search engine and check if the domain name you selected is available or not. Once you type the domain name you are looking for, you will get all the available domain names associated with the search term as suggestions. You can choose the one that you think is perfect for your website.
Are you wondering what to do if the domain name you choose is taken already? Here are three things you can do.
- Try using other domain extensions like .net, .org, .biz, and many more.
- Try a little longer domain name. You can add words like “a” and “the.”
- Try contacting the current domain owner. Most of the time, this is the most expensive option because you need to offer a lot of money.
3. Pick the domain of your choice
Once you have selected your choice’s domain name, click on the “add to cart” and click on continue. Once you have selected the domain name, you need to choose a few add-ons that come with the domain. The add-ons are SSL certificate, Whois Privacy Protection, business emails, and website hosting.
Once you have selected the add-ons, if any, you can go to the payment page.
4. Complete the payment process
To proceed to the payment gateway, you need to create an account with your Google account or log in to your existing account.
Before you click on “continue” to make the payment, cross-check your order and choose your payment method. It will take you to the third-party payment gateways depending on the payment method you choose.
5. Verify your domain ownership
Once you have successfully placed your domain order, you will receive an email to your registered email address containing all the domain owner and account details. It means that your domain is successfully registered.
Tip: You can get the domain information by going to whois.net. This website shows all the details of the owner of a domain.
6. Set the DNS on the domain
Before you start setting up your domain, you need to connect to the domain control panel. This control panel is used to set the hosting DNS and manage all the settings linked to privacy, child name servers, theft protection, and much more.
Once you have got the domain, the next step is to set the web host’s DNS in the domain via the client area.
Conclusion
In this blog, become familiar with the process of registering a domain in six simple steps. While registering a domain, you need to know that many domain providers take some time to complete the verification process. So, if it takes time for your domain to get approved, do not worry. Domain providers usually take 48 hours to approve the domain name.
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