How To Register A Domain Name With Hostinger
Known for its fast and user-friendly web hosting, Hostinger also provides affordable domain registration services. This European company has .com domains starting from $8.99/year, which is one of the lowest prices offered on the market.
Hostinger offers alternative TLDs such as .online, .xyz, .tech, and .store, so there are more options to experiment with if the .com domain names are unavailable.
To buy a domain name with Hostinger, navigate to their domain checker page. Then enter your desired name on the field and press Search.
Below, the page will show whether the domain name is available, along with some alternative suggestions.
You can also use the Filter button on the search bar to customize the domain search results. Select which extensions to use and specify the maximum budget youre willing to spend.
After finding the right domain name, click Add to cart.
Hostinger offers to bundle the item with a shared web hosting plan, ranging from $1.39/month to $3.99/month. Purchasing the higher-tier subscriptions will make the first year of domain name registration free of charge.
Click Continue to cart or the shopping cart icon on the top right corner to proceed with payment. Here, its also possible to change the domain registration period to up to three years.
Press the Checkout Now button to finalize the payment and create a Hostinger account. Once thats done, the system will redirect you to the domain control panel to complete the domain registration process.
How To Register A Domain Name: 4 Options
To get a domain name, youll need to call dibs with ICANN. ICANN is a global non-profit authority that maintains records on which domain and IP address belongs to whom and manages access to them.
But ICANN doesnt provide registration services, it only maintains records. Thats where domain name registrars come into play.
The primary role of a register is to:
- Coordinate claims on different domain names.
- Match specific domain names with Domain Name System nameservers.
- Ensure that there are no duplicate domain names.
Technically speaking, you are not buying a domain name from a registrar company, but reserve its usage for a specified time. You can pay to reserve a domain for 1-10 years at a time, depending on the registrar. After your initial subscription expires, youll need to renew it and pay a fee again. You can re-purchase your domain name over and over again.
When registering a domain name, you sign a long-term lease of your domain . You can read more about the domain costs here.
In practice, all of the above is much simpler than you think as we will show below.
If The Domain Is Taken Input The Url In Your Browser And Access The Website
What do you do if the domain isnt available? We have good news. You still have a chance at buying it.
First up, access the URL on your browser. Its possible its a parked domain, which means that someone bought it for the purpose of reselling it. Usually, in these cases, you can easily submit a request for purchase. Heres one example of a parked domain at greatstore.com:
When you click on the top banner, youll be taken to a form where you can reach out to a sales team to buy the domain.
Once there, it may or may not be easy to tell who the domain parking authority is. In this case, its GoDaddy. If you head to the GoDaddy website and search for the domain, you can easily find pricing information and then immediately add it to your cart if its within your budget.
Complete the domain buying process just as you would for any other domain.
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If Its Not A Parked Domain Find The Owners Contact Information
If you find that the domain has a fully built-out site, then its not a parked domain. The domain is being used by a real business. Luckily, you still have recourse if you want to buy the domain.
First, determine how likely it is for the owner to sell the domain to you. Does the website look like its been recently updated? Is it under construction? How many snapshots does it have on the Wayback Machine? If the website looks outdated or has just a few Wayback Machien snapshots, its more likely youll successfully start a conversation with the owner.
For example, the domain mellowbee.com looks like a good candidate because its had only a few Wayback Machine snapshots over the years and the current website is made up of one page.
The owners email is at the bottom, so its easy to reach out.
If you cant find the owners contact information on the site, try searching for the owner through ICANN. Keep in mind that a good portion of domain name owners hide their contact information for privacy reasons.
Importance Of A Domain Name
There are a number of good reasons for having a domain name:
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If you ever change your web host , your domain name goes with you.Your regular visitors or customers who knew your site name as www.thesitewizard.com will not needto be informed about a change of web address , since as far as they are concerned,the site is still at the same place. They can simply type your domain name, as before, andbe transparently brought to your new location.
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If you are a business, a domain name gives you credibility. It indicates that you are serious, and are planningto be around for the forseeable future.
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If you get a domain name that describes your company’s business or name, people can rememberthe name easily and can return to your site without having to consult their documents. In fact,if you get a good name that describes your product or service, you might even get people who weretrying their luck by typing “www.yourproductname.com” in their browser.
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If you want good sponsors for your website, a domain name is usually helpful.It tends to give your website an aura of respectibility.
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How To Buy Your Domain With Jimdo
How To Register A Domain Name With Namecheap
As the name suggests, this Namecheap offers great value for money. Its .com domains start from $8.88/year, which is a low price compared to the rest of the market.
To buy a domain name on Namecheap, head over to the homepage and insert a name on the search field. Alternatively, head to the Bulk Domain Name Search tool and enter up to 5,000 keywords and find multiple domains at once.
The site will redirect you to the search results page. Feel free to sort the available domains by cost, extension, or alphabetical order. Click Add to Cart on the name you want to register and the Checkout button on the bottom-right corner to continue with the payment process.
The page will preview the order and suggest several add-ons to add to the cart, including PremiumDNS for a performance and security boost. This domain registrar also provides a free privacy and protection feature.
Confirm the order to move on to the next step creating a Namecheap account. Insert your contact information, including your name, phone number, email, and physical address. Enter a company name and tick the Im registering on behalf of a company box if applicable.
Press Continue to go to the Setup page. Here, specify the contact information for the domains registrant, administrator, technical support, and billings. If youre responsible for all these things, select User default account contact. Otherwise, choose to Add new contact where appropriate.
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Why Do I Need A Domain
Your domain name is your unique identity. Domain names are used by businesses and individuals who plan on having an online presence. If you want to have a website or even a business email address, you need to have a domain name. This offers you the perfect stepping stone to start promoting yourself online and also protects you if you have a registered business and want to avoid anyone buying your matching domain.
Make Sure The Name Is Not Trademarked And Used
None of us want to end up in a legal suit at the very beginning of the business. While selecting the domain name make sure that it is not trademarked. You also need to check social media sites to see if the name you choose is already in use.
Using the same name on your domain and social networks is an ideal thing. It will help the audience to become familiar with the name and find you across the web.
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How To Register A Domain Name With Wix
Wix is one of the most widely-used website builders, having powered over 200 million users worldwide. While it allows creating a website for free, you will need a premium plan to connect a custom domain name.
The price for a .com domain name is $12.95/year. Note that Wixs list of extensions is not as vast as other registrars, as it doesnt support such TLDs as .io, .tech, or .live. However, more generic options are available.
Navigate to Wixs domains page to begin the domain name search. Then, enter a term using a domain extension and press Search. If someone else has taken the name, it will suggest other options with different TLDs.
After finding a domain name you like, click Get It Now. The next step is to choose between getting a premium website builder plan or simply buying a domain name. The first option will make the domain registration fee free of charge.
For illustration purposes, we will go with the latter route by clicking Get It Now. At this stage, you will have to sign up for a Wix account.
Now, pick whether to register the domain name for one, two, or three years. Wix offers a discount for longer registration periods.
Then fill in the contact information, including your name, phone number, email, address, and postal code.
If youre going to manage the domain and handle any tech-related issues it encounters, check the Tech Contact Info and Admin Contact Info boxes below. Otherwise, fill in the fields with the relevant contact details.
What Is A Domain Name
Every website on the internet has an IP address. These addresses point to a websites location think of them like GPS coordinates. The IP address, which is generally a set of numbers, usually resembles something like this:
216.27.61.137
Unfortunately, trying to remember all of those numbers in order to navigate to a website can be challenging. Thats where domain names step in and lend a hand.
A structure called the Domain Name System translates those IP addresses into names that are simple to remember. Those names are called domain names.
Your website’s domain is what people enter into the address bar on their browsers to point it toward your website. In the simplest terms, if an IP address is your websites GPS coordinates, the domain is its street address. Some examples are mailchimp.com and google.com.
When someone types a domain into a browser, it gets routed through a DNS server. That server translates the name to figure out which IP address it points to. Then it grabs the data for that website and delivers it to the browser. This process happens in a matter of seconds, letting you find and view a website fast.
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Trusted The World Over
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Namecheap has been a trusted partner for our critical domain names. As we continue to grow, we know we can always count on them.
Dylan Field, Co-founder and CEO, Figma
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We’ve been using Namecheap for all our domains for years, and have always been able to count on them. Their technology just works, and their support is phenomenal. Highly recommended!
Alan Schaaf, founder and CEO, Imgur
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With a high value domain name like Privacy.com, it’s important to use a registrar that you trust. We can sleep at night knowing that Namecheap is keeping our asset secure.
Bo Jiang, CEO, Privacy.com
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Namecheap has quickly become our default registrar for the various domain names we use as part of our Buffer offering. A clear and intuitive dashboard combined with wide support across a number of top-level domains and a responsive team add up to an unbeatable experience.
Colin Ross, Engineering Manager, Buffer
Frequently asked questions
Above all else, we strive to deliver outstanding customer experiences. When you buy a domain name from Namecheap, we guarantee it will be handed over to you with superior standards of service and support. Our primary goal is to build a customer-focused atmosphere filled with the happiest customers in the galaxy. The Namecheap guarantee is our mark of excellence.
Products might be the same, but every customer is different. Thats why we tailor our deals to suit as many people as possible. So you get exactly what you need, for less.
Still have questions?
Tips When Making Your Ca Purchase
Always register the domain name yourself
Never let third parties, such as a marketing agency, complete a registration on your behalf. This can become a problem if you part ways and no longer have access to the account managing your domain name.
Register common variations of your name
If your company or product is commonly misspelled, register the alternate domain names and forward them to your primary website. This helps protect your brand identity and ensures no one else can register these domain names.
Provide accurate contact information
CIRA and your registrar will use the contact information provided during the registration process to communicate important information about your domain name.
Register a .CA with French-accented characters
The .CA domain registry supports French accented characters within domain names: é, ë, ê, è, â, à, æ, ô, , ù, û, ü, ç, î, ï, ÿ. When a .CA domain name is registered, all variations with accented characters are reserved for the original registrant exclusively.
Choose a registration term length that works for you
You can register a domain name from one to 10 years at a time. A longer registration period, combined with setting up auto-renewal with your registrar, can help you ensure your .CA domain name remains registered and active.
Protect your domain
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What Are New Gtlds Or New Domain Extensions
gTLDs are generic Top-Level Domains, also known as new gTLDs or nTLDs. These extensions are practical and memorable and offer an alternative to the more traditional suffixes such as .com, .net and .org.
New gTLDs are commonly used to describe the function of a website e.g. an actor could choose .actor for his website or a fitness instructor could use .fitness. There are hundreds of new gTLDs to choose from including .london, .cymru, .wales, .diet, .farm, .website, .love, .education and many more. Find out more and choose your ideal domain name today.
Hover: Great Search Tools And Suggestions
Hover is a simple registrar, offering average prices and good service. Where Hover shines are their suggestions, showing similar domains with different styles and synonyms to help you narrow down the domain you want. Their search page has a useful sidebar with different categories and filters for different extensions.
Here, we searched for the domain cookiesbygrandma.com, which was taken. Hover automatically suggested a list of domains similar enough to our search term that we might be alright with those instead. If youre not sure exactly what domain you want, you should try searching around on Hover.
Their .com domains start at $12.99 per year, and they offer email forwarding at $5 per year, plus free WhoIs privacy on top of it.
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What Happens If I Dont Renew My Domain Name
If you didnt set auto-renewal or forgot to manually do so despite the reminders from your domain registrar, your domain name will expire. This means several things:
- Your website will no longer be accessible by anyone who types your URL.
- The domain name will be available for sale again, typically in 30-days or so after expiration.
- It can also be auctioned on a website domain auction.
In essence, failure to pay a renewal fee means lost access to your domain.
Why Should I Own One
As I learned first-hand, having a custom domain gives you an instant credibility boost. It doesnt matter whether youre using a personal site to help you land a job, increase your visibility in your field or industry, find freelance gigs, showcase your work, or promote your brand: The more credibility you have, the better.
Plus, custom domains are usually far easier to remember than generic ones. Imagine you told someone you met at a networking event to check out your site, janedoeportfolio.squarespace.com. Hell probably forget the link by the time he gets in front of his laptop. However, janedoe.bio will be a cinch to remember. These names also look much more sleek when you put them on business cards, in the header of your resume, or anywhere else you might be directing people to learn more about you.
A domain that incorporates your name also helps others find you in search results. When someone enters your first and last name into Google, theyre much more likely to see your website if its domain matches their search. When you search Aja Frost, for example, my site is the first thing that comes up:
This gives you the chance to really own the conversation around your personal brand, making sure people see what you want them to see first.
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