Domain Name

Great you have made it this far and now you are ready to register a domain name, here is what you need to do, so please read it all before acting.

It is very easy to register a domain name, it involves registering the domain name you want with an organization called ICANN through an accredited domain name registrar. For example, if you choose a name like "example.com", you will have to go to a registrar, pay a registration fee that costs between US$8.00 to US$35.00 for that name. That will give you the right to the name for a year, and you will have to renew it annually for (usually) the same amount per annum.

Think of a few good domain names that you'd like to use, most Web hosting companies and domain registrars let you check the availability of a domain name and it associated extensions (like .com or .org). Some even offer an alternate version if the name you searched on isn’t available. I recommend you register a domain that that included your major key word, keeping it short, memorable and sweet.

You'll need to use an accredited domain name registrar or one of their agents (GoDaddy.com, Aplus.net, or Dotster.com are a few examples). Often, your Web hosting company (Aplus.net, Godaddy.com, or Hostgator.com) has a relationship with a particular registrar that allows you to purchase your Web hosting account and domain name with one transaction. That's easy, but it isn't always the cheapest option. You can buy a domain name from any authorized dealer; you aren't required to go through your Web hosting company. Prices for domain name registration vary widely - from as little as $8.00 to $35.00 for the same name!

My personal preference is to register the domain name directly with a domain name registrar (Godaddy.com) rather than through my web host. (Registering with a domain name registrar allows me to make sure that I am registered as the owner, the administrative and technical contacts.) Being the owner is vital — if someone else places himself as the owner (such as your web host), he can always decide to charge you some exorbitant fee for the use of the name later and there is little you can do. The various other contacts are less vital, but still play important roles. For example, the administrative contact's approval is required before a domain name is transferred out of a web host. If he/she cannot be contacted, the technical contact is used. Although some web hosts suggest that you put them as the technical contact, you may prefer to keep yourself as one, so that when you want to transfer your name to a new web host, you don't have to wait for your old host to approve the transfer. Apparently a few have been known totake their own sweet time to do this, while unscrupulous ones have actually refused to do it.

Your second option would be to purchase your web hosting plan and do your domain registration all at once at the Web hosting company that will be hosting your domain name. My personal recommendation will be Aplus.net (We have hosted several domain names at Aplus.net since 2003)

Domain names disappear extremely fast. Many people claim that all the good domain names are gone. I doubt that — but it is probably true that most good domain names that are descriptive of products and services have been taken. If you want a domain name for your site, I suggest you act now, or face the anguish of having lost that name later. After all, US$10 (more or less) for a year's ownership of the name is pretty cheap when you realize that you're cornering a good name for your website.

Next >