Registering A Domain Name

Registering A Domain Name

Did you know that there are currently over 300 million domain names? Each year there are millions more added and with so many different services on offer, registering a domain name has never been easier.

But what are the steps to registering a domain name? What should you know before setting up a new website?

Well, you have come to the right place. This guide will cover all you need to know and have you up and running in no time!

What Is A Domain Name?

A domain name is the address of a website that users search for in the browser URL bar to land on your website. Simply, if you thought of your website as a house, then the domain name would be the address for it.

For example, Google’s domain name is google.com

If we go into more detail, the internet is a huge network of computers. Through a global network of cables, all computers are connected to each other. To identify each computer, they are all assigned an IP address, a series of numbers that identify a certain computer on the internet.

IP addresses are hard to number as they are a bunch of numbers. This is where domain names come in. To visit your favourite website, rather than typing in a long list of numbers, you simply type the domain name.

4 Things To Do Before You Register A Domain Name

So, you’re thinking about registering a domain name. That’s great! But before you get started, there are some things to know before you go ahead. Anyone can buy a domain name, but with these tips from Media Temple, you’ll be one step ahead.

Make it easy to type and easy to remember.You may create a website that ranks high with search engines. However, having an easy to remember domain name is important. Domains with strange spellings or use numbers may be a little harder for customers to pass on by word of mouth.
The shorter the better.A good domain is a rememberable one. Shortening yours can be one step in the right direction. Typing a long name means having to correctly type it, as well as remember the whole address. Keep it short, keep it simple.
Research the competition.Take a look at your competitors and the leaders in your sector. Check their domain names and look at the keywords they include as well as their domain extension.
Try to avoid slang and pop culture.Planning for future success could mean you want to try choosing a domain name that will stand the test of time, not a name that will fade away in the near future. Slang may also be something to stay away from, as that term may not be known worldwide.

How Do I Register A Domain Name For My Website? (step by step guide)

So, you’ve chosen a name. Fantastic. Now let’s dive straight in and find out how to register a domain name for your website.

Choose A Domain Name Website

Firstly, a good place to start is some of the popular domain registrars. Here, you can compare prices and see what policies each company offers. Some will allow you to have the domain name for a longer period of time, some may be cheaper for short term deals.

Some of the more common domain registrars are:

Check If Your Chosen Domain Name Is Available

Right, you’ve chosen the domain registrar that suits your needs the best. Now, you want to search for your chosen domain name by using the registrar’s search bar. Each day, thousands of names are added to the millions of domain names available.

Be warned, you may be disappointed that your chosen name is unavailable. However, stay positive as there may still be options and ways you can make that name work, or something similar.

Lock In Your Domain Name

After scouring the registrar for all the available options, you’ve found the perfect fit. Yes! Hopefully, you followed our tips and the name fits your brand and will be easy to remember.

Select Your Domain Name Suffix

The domain name is set, now we need to think about the suffix. The suffix is the last part of the domain, they include examples such as:

The most popular suffix is .com however, you should remember others are available and they are popular too. The suffix .com is classed as a top-level domain, but there are also country code top-level domains such as .co.uk and .de in Germany for example.

Time To Purchase Your Domain Name

After choosing your domain name and your suffix, the time has come to pay to register the domain name with the domain registrar. Remember, this isn’t a one-off purchase as usually, you will pay to own the domain name for one year, then you will need to renew.

4 Things To Do After You Register A Domain Name

The domain name has been purchased, congratulations. But now what? What are the next steps once you’ve registered a domain name? Well, below we have 4 tips that will help get you started.

Register your company name with companies house.If you’ve purchased the domain name for your business, then you’ll need to remember to register your company name. Of course, if you have already done this step, you can move on to tip 2. This step can be easily overlooked with all the excitement of starting a new company.
Create a new email address.Emails are possibly the most important form of contact for many businesses. Having a company email address can make your business look more professional and allows you to contact customers and suppliers effectively. You can promote products and offers as well as use email marketing.
Set up social media channels.Securing the name of your company of different social media accounts is important. Platforms like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram are great tools to expand your social media footprint and having the same handle on all of your accounts can make your company easier to find.
Plan and build your website.The final step, the biggest step. Start with a plan, with goals of what your website is intended to do. With a solid plan, creating is easier. You can choose to do it yourself, or use website builders online, either way there are plenty of online guides to help you.

How Much Do Domain Names Actually Cost In 2021?

With so many websites out there offering domain names, it can be overwhelming to know where to start and how much they cost. You have likely seen a wide range of prices, but on average, domain names cost from £7 to £12 for new domain registrations.

This can vary depending on the site you use, how desirable the domain is, the suffix you want and if the name already exists. You can find cheap options, such as £1 names or sometimes even free when included with hosting or other web packages.

However, as we will cover later, the scale is endless with some names costing millions of pounds.

Are There Any Hidden Costs For Domain Names?

When registering your domain name, there sometimes may be hidden costs that you need to be aware of. This allows you to pay the price you want, rather than being caught out for upsells that you don’t want.

Annual renewals.Each year, to keep your domain name you will usually have to re-register the name. However, some companies will offer discounts for the first year payment, such as free or cheap registration. Then, the price will likely be higher the years after, so be careful and weigh up what works best for your budget.
Domain privacy.Domain registrars have add ons called domain privacy that will avoid having WHOIS data available. This is optional, so you don’t need it, however it is often automatically added to your cart so be mindful before you checkout. Some companies offer free domain privacy which is a bonus if you’d like it.
Business emails.If you aren’t shopping for a business domain, then this is for you. If you don’t want a professional business email address, you won’t need this option, so remember to remove it from your shopping basket. There are other options online for professional emails to avoid being locked with a registrar.

How Much Do Premium Domain Names Cost?

How much do you think the most expensive domain name costs?

What do you think the domain name would be?

Well, for a cool $90 million, Lasvegas.com tops the list of the most expensive domains.

Premium domain names are often shorter words that are simple to brand and easy to remember. Sometimes, investors will purchase them to sell at a higher price. Premium names can cost millions of pounds, however, they can help brands with traffic.

Some of the highest costing domain names include:

  • CarInsurance.com $49.7 million
  • Insurance.com $35.6 million
  • Vacationrentals.com $35 million
  • Privatejet.com $30.1 million
  • Internet.com $18 million

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