Your Registrar Can Be Compromised
There are people working at registrars, and they can get hacked and scammed just like you can. Always pick an accredited registrar, and try to go over their procedures. Ideally, you should pick a registrar that would help you with registry and registrar domain locking a procedure that makes it more complicated to register.
Some experts advise against using the same company for domain names and hosting services, as getting control over your hosting account will not let them get to your domain names.
Find A Credible Domain Registrar
A domain registrar is a company that is responsible for registering and managing domain names. Its accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers , a non-profit organization that controls the rules and regulations of domain name registration.
Choosing a reliable domain registrar is crucial because it can impact a project or business for years. Pick the wrong one and you might end up paying hidden fees or even get scammed. For example, there have been cases where a domain registrar pressures users into purchasing domain names similar to the ones they hold under false pretenses.
It can be challenging to pick from hundreds of domain registrars out there as they all offer similar services. Therefore, consider the following when choosing a registrar:
As we mentioned earlier, people can also purchase a custom domain from a hosting company that offers domain registration services, like Hostinger.
Since having a web hosting plan and domain name is essential to make a website, it may be more convenient to purchase and maintain them together at the same place.
Here at Hostinger, we offer low upfront and renewal costs for the most popular domain names and a dedicated 24/7 support team ready to assist you.
If you buy a domain name at Hostinger, its also possible to activate domain privacy protection. This feature can help hide specific details from being discovered through a WHOIS lookup.
Keep Your Domain Name Locked
Whenever your domain name is locked, it prevents anyone, including you, from making any changes to the information associated with it. If you do want to make any changes â for example, change the IP address that the domain points to after switching web hosting providers â then you need to unlock your domain name.
The problem is that an unlocked domain name can potentially be transferred to another registrar or third party and picked up by someone else. That’s why it’s important to unlock your domain name only when you absolutely need to.
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Things To Do After Buying A Domain Name
Buying a domain name means youve registered your desired name so that no one can use it.
But its half of the battle. You need to do a few more things to build your site and secure the future of your business.
If you have a domain name but dont know what to do next, read on. In this post, I will be sharing 9 things to do once you have a domain name.
Now follow these simple steps to build your website.
Lessons From The Domain Name Front Running And Bad Domain Registrars Scams
As mentioned in my article on How to RegisterYour Own Domain Name, before you even go to a registrar, jot down a few domain names that you want. List the possibilitiesand make a decision to buy even before you reach the registrar’s page to check.
Only go to the registrar that you plan to buy from. Don’t check the domain with other registrars,just for fun. Don’t check for the existence of a domain by typing it in your browser window. If domain name frontrunning exists, that query for a nonexistent domain name will be noted. Don’t take that risk.
Once you see that the domain is available, buy it immediately. It may be available now, but not a few seconds later .Don’t check and then imagine that the name will be around at some future date when you figure out what to do with that domain name.If you don’t have a plan for the domain, don’t check it. Or just buy it first and plan later. Whatever the case may be, once youcheck it, you should regard yourself as having committed yourself to the name. Unless of course you don’t really want the nameanyway.
If you have doubts about whether one set of domain names is better than another, buy them all .New domain names are cheap. Second handdomain names are not. You can always let a domain expireif you decide you don’t want it later. Pricesof domain names are now almost universally around $10 USD a year, so it’s penny wise pound foolish to save those few bucks nowand pay thousands of dollars to a reseller later.
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Complete The Domain Registration
As soon as you have completed the payment, youll be redirected to the control panel. Inside, there will be a setup box that youll need to fill out to complete the domain name registration.
Youll need to fill in all the fields with the correct details, such as your name, address, andcontact information. This data will be stored on WHOIS, the official domain ownership database.
After submitting your details, the domain registration will be processed.
Its possible to modify the domain ownership details using the domain management section within the control panel. Once the changes are made, you will have to confirm them via email.
Prepare Your Domain Listing
Once youve chosen your marketplace its time to optimize your listing. A lot of sellers just upload their URL and call it a day. However, you can maximize your chances of selling your domain by making it more attractive.
For example, does your domain have any existing traffic? Does the domain have considerable age? Does your domain have any existing authority?
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How To Find The Best Domain Extension For A Personal Website
Choosing a domain extension for a personal site can seem overwhelming at first. There are so many available, from generic top-level domains like .com and .org to country code top-level domains like .us or .ca.
Luckily for you there are many domain extensions for personal use to choose from. There may be a suitable domain for your industry, like .law or .accountant, or your personal interests like .cooking or .photography.
Check out the How to choose the right TLD article for more helpful advice.
Weve Come To An Agreement Now What
Congratulations! Youve managed to contact the domain owner, they were interested in selling, and now youve made a deal. How do you actually get the domain? Well, it depends. For gTLDs the transfer process is standardized. Theres information on the requirements here.
For ccTLDs there can be a lot of variance in whats required to transfer, so if you have trouble figuring it out or getting started, let us know. Were happy to help.
If the domain owner is an iwantmyname customer and so are you, you can do whats called an internal transfer or move..
If you want to transfer the domain from the owners account at another registrar to your account with iwantmyname, then the owner would unlock the domain, get the transfer auth code, remove any privacy services, and one of you would initiate the transfer at our website. More information on transferring TO iwantmyname here.
If the owner is an iwantmyname customer and you want to transfer the domain to your account at another registrar, then the owner would unlock the domain, get the transfer auth code, remove any privacy services, and one of you would initiate the transfer at the new registrars website. More information on transferring FROM iwantmyname here.
Depending on the domain type and registrars involved, transfers can be immediate, or take up to 5 days to complete.
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Make Sure Your Contact Information Is Public On The Whois Directory
Most people dont want their contact information publicly listed online. However, when youre ready to sell a domain, this is the time you DO want your contact information available.
Lets say someone searches for a domain name to purchase, but you already own it. If they can find your contact information in the WHOIS directory, they can contact you directly and offer to buy the domain name from you.
You can update your contact information through your website host or read more about how to update your contact information on WHOIS.
To Secure Your Child’s Namespace On The Web
Youve had a baby and you want to reserve their place online. Its not just the rich and famous snapping up domain names relating to their children’s names. It might sound a bit presumptuous that your newborn will want their own website, but it helps keep cyber-squatters at bay.
Cybersquatting is the practice of buying the domain name of a person or company and making a profit by selling the name to the relevant person. Mark Zuckerberg recently bought a domain name from electronics student Amal Augustine. Amal registered a version of the short form name of Zuckerbergs daughter Maxchanzuckerberg.org . The deal closed at a reasonable $700.
Whether you are famous or not, your babys domain name-sake is still at risk of being snapped up by someone else. The number of people registering their baby’s name is reportedly growing at 400% each year, so it seems more and more parents are keen to secure a little chunk of cyberspace for their children.
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Make It Brandable Not Generic
Creative, memorable domain names are always better than generic ones. After all, your domain name is how people will find, remember, and spread the word about your business on the internet. Its much better to have something that aligns with your brand instead of a domain name thats made up of a bunch of general keywords.
For example, can you tell the difference between cheapcarinsurance.com and affordableautoinsurance.com? Which one would you trust when it comes to buying insurance? Probably neither. Both sound a little spammy, and theyre terribly generic.
On the other hand, youll probably know where the domain names progressive.com or geico.com are going to point you to. Those companies have invested in their brands, and theyve used them in their domain names. You can trust that these sites are legitimate.
Even if you havent built up trust and loyalty yet, you can start by choosing a strong domain name that fits your brand.
Renting A Domain Name
When you rent a domain name , you avoid the financial risk associated with buying your own domain name. Depending on the rental company, domain names can start at about $20 a month. Compare that to the cost of a good domain name, which might cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. When starting a business, less capital expenditures can be critical.
Also, with a domain name rental, you have the flexibility to cancel the monthly commitment at any time. If your business doesnt work out, you will not have lost much.
On the other hand, if your business flourishes, that flexibility can become a huge liability. The person who owns your domain name can also cancel the contract at any time. Imagine, for example, that the site you created has started to generate some good traffic. The owner of the domain name might decide to monetize the domain themselves, ending the rental agreement and leaving you out in the cold.
Further, a domain name brands your company. If you build a successful company on a rented domain, you would not have full control over your own brand.
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Your Domain Name Should Be Easy To Remember
You want to make sure that your domain name is easy to remember. But what exactly does that mean?
Basically, the more items you ask someone to remember, the harder it is for them to do that.
When it comes to domain names, every word and symbol is a separate item, which is something to keep in mind when you are considering various options.
For example, www.luciddreaming.com is easier to remember than www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com .
Try to keep your domain short, avoid using symbols, and get a well-known extension.
Should I Register More Than One Domain
Yes! Registering multiple domain names protects your brand from domain squatters or copycats who may try to register alternative versions of your domain. For example, if you own coffeelovers.com, you may want to consider registering coffeelovers.net and coffeelovers.org as well. You may want to consider misspelled versions of your domain name too.
Want to learn more?
Weââ¬â¢ve got you covered. Here’s a few articles about searching for a domain we think you’ll find pretty helpful:
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What To Do If Your Trademarked Name Is Being Violated
If you learn that someone has registered a domain name that uses you or your businesss name, there are several federal laws that you may rely on to recover the domain.
Several of these federal laws govern trademark protections, while others provide protections against cybersquatting, even for those who are not trying to enforce a trademark.
At the federal level, there is the Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act , which prohibits individuals or businesses from registering domain names in bad faith or for profit. Congress passed the ACPA to combat cybersquatting and it provides cybersquatting protections for trademarks, service marks, and certain individual names.
There is also 15 USC § 8131 , which focuses more on individuals who are victims of cybersquatting.
Cybersquatting is also addressed at the state level. California and New York have also passed their own cybersquatting laws, which we address below.
Minc Law Fact: There are several different types of cybersquatting. For example, typosquatting involves registering a slightly misspelled version of a commonly used domain name. This type of cybersquatting is often used to commit fraud, such as phishing. The ACPA prohibits typosquatting.
Using A Custom Domain With A Website Builder
Website builders are fantastic if you need to create a website from zero, and have little experience creating websites. A common question we get asked is Do website builders allow you to connect customer domains, whether people can use a previously purchased domain name, or Are there any site builders allowing to connect my own domain for free?
The answer is a resounding yes. Many website builders allow you to connect your custom domains. Lets look into how to build your own website with a domain.
Paid plans
Most of the free website builders will offer a custom domain as part of a premium package. Otherwise, the basic free plans allow you to create a site and host it on a subdomain. Its important to have your own domain instead of a subdomain . Subdomains lose some professionalism and SEO brownie points.
Popular builders like Wix and Weebly will only allow you to create your site on their domain if you pay extra to use your own domain name. The danger in buying a domain name through sites like this is that youll often pay a markup.
If a website builder is what you want, choose one according to your personal needs, your budget, and its simplicity to use. Alternatively, take one from a domain registrar. Almost every web hosting provider offers some kind of site builder when you buy a domain through them. For example, Namecheap has a free site builder for our customers to use.
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