How To Register A Domain Name In Five Simple Steps

A well chosen domain name is the mark of a professional website. Anyone can register a domain name and it only takes a few minutes. This article aims to inform the reader of just how to register a domain name. The major steps in registering a domain name consist of choosing one, finding a domain registrar, registering the domain and finally pointing it to the appropriate name servers of a website.

The first step to registering a domain name is actually choosing one. A domain should fall into one of two major categories. It should either be keyword-centric of brand-centric. As far as the specifics of domain names go, they must start with a letter and they can be composed of numbers, letters or a combination of the two. Domain names may also have dashes.

Keyword-centric domains will be focused more on a certain keyword for search engine optimization purposes. Typically smaller websites use these types of domains. When choosing this type of domain to register, often times the exact match domain will be taken. If this happens, feel free to use dashes between words or a permutation of the previously taken keyword.

Brand-centric domain names will focus on making and selling a brand. Sometimes the keyword that the website owner wishes to focus on will be located in the domain name.

It is important to remember to avoid choosing trademarked or copyrighted phrases. The proper holders of each term can later file legal action and force the domain name to be given to them by a court if they are found to contain such a term.

The second step is to find a domain name registrar. There are several hundred companies that can offer the service of registering a domain name. Some companies are also cheaper than others.

The third step is to pick a domain extension and check to see if your chosen domain is available. If it isn't, then another domain name will have to be chosen. The only exception to this is if the current owner of an already-owned domain feels like selling the rights to another person. Generally this involves a fair amount of cash compared to what it would cost to simply register a new domain name.

If one domain name is taken, try looking for the same name with a different domain extension. The recommended choices are ".com", ".org", ".biz" and ".net" for most business websites. Just about any top -level domain is available so long as the owner will let it be used. The only major top-level domains reserved for certain websites are ".gov" and ".edu" domains. The former is reserved for government websites and the latter for places of education like universities and schools.

The one word of advice towards top-level domains for a new domain is to stay away from ".info" domains. These top-level domains may be much less costly than other domains, but that also makes them a target to be used by spammers. The last thing that a website owner would want is for their website to be grouped with spammers solely based on the top-level domain.

The fourth step is to actually register the available domain in question with the registrar. The registrar will generally have to be paid money to complete this action and should be paid for the number of years the registering party intends to keep the domain name. This also requires that the purchaser either put in valid personal information or arrange a private registration using the registrar. Either way, valid information is required in case a domain name dispute arises.

The last step in how to register a domain name is pointing the domain to a web host's nameservers. This is done in order to resolve a name to an IP address and further an actual website. If the registering party of a domain does not have a website host, most registrars offer that service for a nominal monthly fee.

Copyright (c) 2012 2MakeaWebsite.com

In the Social Media Age, You Still Need Your Domain Name   Why Domain Age Matters   

How To Register A Website Under 20 Minutes

Anyone can own, run and maintain a website. There is no special equipment nor training needed. Any person with the small amount of funds required to register a website and to obtain website hosting can become a website owner.

The following is a simple, step-by-step guide on how to get a website up and running so that content be published to it.

1. Brainstorm a domain name that will accurately describe the content of the website in question.

Websites need a domain name that accurately reflects the intent and information of the website that they represent. Think of them as a brand name that readers can recognize at a glance. A proper domain name will accurately describe the content on a website. When a domain name does so, it should also help out with search engine optimization that most webmasters seek out in the later stages of their website's life.

There are two categories of domain names, and each is self-explanatory.

Brand domains specify purpose that is either company-specific or product-specific. They are also good choices for building an authority website.

Keyword-centric domains are the other type of website domains. These are mostly for informative websites that need the extra boost in search engines brought about by having their main keyword in the domain name.

2. Check if the domain name is available.

The next step is to see whether or not the domain name is available. Most domain registrars will allow this to be done free of charge. Some will even allow it to be done whilst checking all top-level domains and report a list of which domains are available for purchase.

If it turns out the first domain is taken, then go return to the previous step. Sometimes it can take multiple attempts to finally find an unregistered domain name that will work.

The only other alternative that is present when it comes to taken domain names is to try and purchase the usage of the domain from its current owner. Typically this is an expensive process and very few website owners will be willing to part with their domain name unless a very hefty fee is paid.

3. Register the domain name.

Once an available domain has been found, the next step is to register it. Registering a domain is a simple process and requires only that a top-level domain be chosen. The industry recommendation for website names says that they should typically be either ".com", ".net", ".org", or ".biz". With that being said, there are other options such as catchy domains that end with country-specific top-level domains such as ".me" and ".is".

The only recommended top-level domain to stay clear of is ".info". These domain names are usually cheap, which makes it understandable why first time domain buyers who are figuring out how to register a website purchase it. The problem with these domains is that they are cheap and the requirements for registration are relatively lax. This makes them a prime candidate for spammers. This means that a newly registered website may suffer from being recognized as spam purely from its chosen top-level domain.

Once a top-level domain has been settled on, a modest fee must be paid to the registrar for them to register it. This fee is dependent upon what type of top-level domain has been chosen, how long the registration is set for, and the amount of extra services chosen like a private registration.

4. Pointing the newly registered domain to a host.

Before a domain name will properly pull up a website's pages, the domain name records must be pointed to the host's name servers. This allows the domain to resolve to the correct website and serve the correct content.

This step does require that there already be a website host in question. If there is no such thing, most domain registrars will offer website hosting for an additional nominal fee.

Copyright (c) 2012 2MakeaWebsite.com

In the Social Media Age, You Still Need Your Domain Name   Why Domain Age Matters