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.
Use A Short And Appealing Domain Name
The value of simplicity in a domain name cannot be overstated. Simple and short names, such as those provided by premium domain names, are easier to speak and remember.
And they don’t rely on a client’s spelling ability. Therefore, they offer more accurate results when clients search for your business online.
For instance, a website like satquestionnaires.com is harder to remember and has a higher chance of being misspelled. Therefore, a better choice would be satquestions.com.
A good domain name, especially one with keywords, sends a clear message to clients, allowing them to understand your organization’s products and services with a glance.
But as I’ll explain below. Using keywords is not always the best approach.
A great way to find the appropriate premium domain name for your company is by using a reliable domain name generator. But even if you choose to go through the stress of getting a name yourself, understanding these characteristics would go a long way in helping you.
Find A Domain Name Registrar
The non-profit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers oversees the entire system of domain names, and it allows outside companies, called domain registrars, to sell and manage domain names. You will need to register your domain name through a registrar.
Some of the most popular domain registrars include GoDaddy, Bluehost, and Domain.com, although there are many more to choose from. Be sure to carefully consider pricing and policies for each one before choosing your domain registrar, as it will be managing your domain name.
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Domain Registrar Ad Programs
Domain registrars sometimes offer to give you a free domain in exchange for running ads on your website.
Dont do this.
Theres nothing wrong with ads on your website. However, you wont have any control over the ads and their placement with this method. This will not only hinder the experience for your website visitors, but will also damage your SEO ranking.
Plus, what if your website got one million views? You wouldnt see a dime from those ads. All you get is a free domain.
If you want to run ads on your website, do it through a legitimate advertising network, like Google. Dont exchange ads for a free domain.
Whats The Best Way To Get A Free Domain Name
The best way to register a free business domain is to use a domain registrar that offers free domains as a part of their web hosting plans. For example, Bluehost offers a free domain when you sign up for its $2.95 per month hosting plan. To begin, select a hosting plan, then follow the prompts to search for a domain, select an available one, and buy web hosting. Get step-by-step instructions on the process of domain name registration.
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How Can Ionos Afford To Offer Free Domains
First of all, IONOS is not a free domain name service provider in general. We usually have very competitive pricing for our domain customers however, you will not be able to enjoy free domains all the time. The reason we can occasionally give away domains at little or no cost is that our large customer base enables us to attract a lot of registries that work with us.
One example of such cooperation might be a registry that launches a new TLD but does not intend to do all of the marketing and sales activities by themselves. Nevertheless they would like to see quick growth in their user base and to reach this goal they give IONOS very attractive offers. Then, for example, we can sometimes offer free domain registration.
On the one hand, this is a great opportunity for our customers to benefit from fantastic offers, on the other hand it can evoke the wrong impression about the hosting industry in general. In the long run, it is impossible to offer free domain name registration and cheap web hosting services at a high quality level.
Risks Of Investing In Domains
There are many risks that would-be domain investors should carefully consider before buying and selling. The three largest risks are liquidity, subjectivity and legality, but there are also many other ranging from misleading appraisals to faulty escrow payments. Would-be buyers should carefully consider these risks before investing in domain names.
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Web Hosts And Domain Names
You needn’t go to a dedicated registration service to buy a domain name, though. The best web hosting services, such as DreamHost, HostGator, and Hostwinds routinely offer a registration mechanism as part of the sign-up process. Hosting services typically offer a free domain name when you sign up for a web hosting package.
Keep in mind, however, that free domain names are usually free only for one or two years, after which the registrar will bill you for the annual or biennial fee. In other words, the provider of the free domain name pays only for the first billing from the registrar. Also take note of whether or not the provider charges a fee for setting up a domain name. Most services offer to transfer an existing domain name to their servers at no cost, but sometimes you’ll find a setup fee over and above the registrar’s fee.
Please note that not all web hosts give you the option to register a domain name. Cloudways, for example, is a solid web host that requires you to purchase a domain name from elsewhere.
Registrars offer a wide variety of registration durationsone year, three, five, and even ten. Be careful about registering for more than a year, though. First, there might be restrictions on your ability to transfer the domain name should the registrar give poor service. Second, the registrar could go out of business, leaving your domain name without a host. Check the policies closely.
How Do I Choose The Best Domain Name
Great question! Here’s a few core things to consider when choosing your new domain name:
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How To Get A Free Domain Name Using Hostinger
- Free domain name included with your hosting plan
- 24/7 live chat support
Hostinger is a great option for getting a free domain, which they provide with some of their most affordable web hosting options.
Domain name + web hosting = a website. With Hostinger, you can get a low-cost bundle that also includes WordPress, free email accounts, and other tools to build a great-looking website within the hour.
The signup process for Hostinger is incredibly easy. Everything is geared toward beginners, so you dont have to have any technical experience to get started.
Theres no risk to sign up because Hostinger offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you arent happy for any reason, get in touch within a month of the start date to receive a refund.
There are a few other ways to get a free subdomain name with free hosting, and Ill cover those after. By going with Hostinger, youre not going to run into the same limitations as those options.
Lets go step-by-step through how to get a free domain name with Hostinger.
Build Your Business By Registering Your Domain
After weighing the benefits and drawbacks of free or paid domains, you should get started on your search for the perfect domain name. Domain names can go quickly and there’s a little more competition than Symbolics had in 1985 so it is important to register the one you want before it is too late.
Registering a domain name is quick and easy, but it does take some time to brainstorm the right name, select the optimal suffix, and find the right domain registrar for you. As such, there’s no better time than now to get started on registering your domain name.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in February 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
Originally published Dec 13, 2020 7:00:00 AM, updated July 20 2021
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Got Any Tips On Finding A Good Domain Name
You bet. While it’s really easy to register a domain, having a good domain strategy helps you register the best domain name possible. Here are some hints:Make it easy to remember. This is why many businesses get domains with their business names in them. Some people even choose their business name only after they have a domain they like.Don’t register one that’s trademarked, copyrighted, or being used by another company. This can lead to losing the domain and legal problems.Shorter is usually better because they’re easier for customers to remember. It’s also easier to get matching usernames for Facebook, Twitter and any other social media accounts you have.Got a local business? Include your neighborhood, city or country in your domain so local customers can quickly see where you are. Check the list of geographic domain extensions .berlin .nyc to see if there’s one for your area.Avoid numbers or hyphens. Anyone who hears your web address won’t know if you’re using a numeral 5 or “five”. If your business name has a number in it, register both versions with the number and with the number spelled out .Get more than one. As traffic to your website increases, you may attract then attention of copycats who’ll snatch up similar domain names in hopes of drawing traffic away from you. Register similar or misspelled domains early so this won’t be an issue later.
Connecting Your Domain Name To Mailchimp
Whether youve bought your domain through Mailchimp or a third party, you can transfer your domain name and connect it to your Mailchimp account. Once connected, you can use that domain with a custom landing page or Mailchimp-hosted website. If you dont already have a website, Mailchimp offers a free website builder that you can use to make your brand stand out with no coding skills required.
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Select A Web Hosting Plan
Well, weve settled on shared hosting. Here are the plans that are available to you in this type of hosting. Take a look at the features of each one to see which one is more suitable for your online business needs. Pay attention to the extensions and extras included.
Will you be using them, or is it just a waste of your budget? We recommend stopping there and making the right choice.
Consider Using Niche Keywords That Reflect Your Website
Our website mainly about web development or helping people to create a website. Hence we chose to add a name that reflects all of it website. Obviously website.com was no longer available, we simply chose WebsiteSetup.
Keywords can help to improve your SEO you need to tread carefully here! If you try to awkwardly stuff keywords into your domain, it comes across as generic .
If you choose to use keywords, put the keywords at the beginning of your domain. Thats where theyll be the most powerful for your ranking.
You can find keywords with tools like and Keywordtool.io.
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Make It Easy To Remember
Making it easy to remember how to get to a website is what GOOD domain names are all about.
If you make your domain name easy to remember, youll get more people coming back to your website again and again. And its easier for those people to tell their friends about you!
To help make your domain name easy to remember, try to come up with a catchy name that describes what you do.
Also
The Making Of A Good Domain Name
LengthWhen it comes to a domain name, less is more. Shorter names are easier to remember and to type, which means users are more likely to find you. It’s also easier to stand out when there’s less to read. It’s a good idea not to exceed two or three words.
SimplicityYou want people to remember your domain name and type it accurately. Complicated or uncommon words or names may be hard to remember and spell correctly.
KeywordsRelevant words help users find you in a search and recognize what you do at a glance. Keywords can include what you do or offer , or even your location. Including your location in your domain name might also help you target local customers and users.
Brand nameYour domain name should reflect your brand, and vice versa. Brands can take time to develop, and including your unique brand name in your domain can help you stand out, gain recognition and increase visits to your website. When creating your brand name and domain name, just be sure not to use any existing brand names or trademarks.
Website nameWhile it may seem obvious, your domain name should be the same as your brand name, or as close to it as possible. You don’t want to confuse people who type in your domain name and get to a website with a different name.
An average domain name is better than no domain name.
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