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.
Make Sure Your Domain Is In Good Hands For Years To Come
Purchasing a domain name is an exciting step for a new business, but theres more to it than just finding the perfect name. Before you begin, there are a few things you should know.
Not all companies who sell domain names are the same. Some use tactics such as hiding fees or selling your information to make more money, which can have a lasting impact on your business. The good news: With a few simple tips, you can know what to look out for before buying a domain.
Managing A WordPress Website
WordPress works in two ways:
The front endAs the name suggests, this page will be visible to your visitors whenever they access your site. The tasks usually performed in the back-end like the plugin functionality enhancements and the customization of your theme will be visible to you and your visitors on the front-end of your WordPress website.
It also allows actions like commenting and sharing on other social mediums to be performed from the front-end by you and your incoming visitors as well.
The back endThis is commonly known as the WordPress dashboard where you can oversee and manage every aspect of your sites content, functionality, and web design.
If you want to access your WordPress dashboard, type yourwebsite.com/wp-admin into the address bar of your search engine. Here you can log in using your WordPress username and the password that you set for your account.
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Create A Website With A Website Builder
A website builder is a tool that lets you create and design a website without having to deal with code. It uses a drag-and-drop editor to alter the sites appearance and offers plenty of pre-made template options to get you started.
To access the platform, youll have to pay a subscription fee. However, one of the advantages is that it includes hosting, simplifying the process of website creation. Some website builder platforms even let users register custom domain names.
The only limitation is that you will be bound to the features that come with the subscription plan, making it tricky if you want to build a more complex site.
Therefore, we recommend using a website builder if youre looking for the simplicity of the process and aiming to create a simple site with few pages, such as an online portfolio and a personal blog.
There are plenty of website builders in the market, but we will demonstrate the process using Zyro.
1. Set Up a Zyro Account
First of all, sign up for a Zyro account. You can create a new account with your email or using a Google or account.
Then, you have to subscribe to one of the four plans. The Basic entry-level plan costs $2.90/month and comes with 3 GB of bandwidth and 1 GB of storage, suitable for small websites.
We recommend the Unleashed planif youre not planning on creating an online store. It comes with unlimited bandwidth and storage, as well as advanced features like Google Analytics,for $3.90/month.
2. Choose a Template
How To Get A Professional Email Address
If youre running a business, you likely dont want to use a Gmail or Hotmail address. Having an custom email address on your own domain name looks much more professional! And its pretty easy to get. Let me give you a few different options:
- Get it from your website builder or web hosting company: a few of them include email addresses at no extra cost
- Get it from your domain registrar: Namecheap, for example, offers it for less than $12 per email address per year.
- If you love Gmail, you can try . Its the most feature rich solution, but will set you back $6 per email address. This is also the solution most website builders offer
- Tip: For a completely free solution: Zoho Workplace, which includes up to 5 email addresses. Its a little bit more complicated to set up but your domain registrar should be able to help you with that.
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Bluehost Best Shared Hosting
Bluehost is one of the most popular web hosting service providers on the market. Its known as being reliable, beginner-friendly, and affordable.
Plus, you can get a free domain name for the first year when you sign up for their web hosting services.
After the first year, you can expect to pay $12.99 per year for your domain.
Each domain name also comes with full control via an intuitive interface, DNS record access, auto-renewal options, domain locking, and 24/7 expert customer support.
Plus, Bluehosts web hosting plans are hard to beat if youre on a budget since they start at just $2.95 per month.
To get this price, however, you have to pay three years in advance. Which may sound scary at first, but building a profitable website takes time and youll save money by paying in advance.
If you decide to sign up for 12 months instead, its $5.95 per month.
However, this is still an affordable price, putting you at $71.40 for a years worth of web hosting.
You can also upgrade to a better plan as your website grows and you need more advanced hosting features.
Bluehost also offers VPS hosting, managed hosting, WordPress hosting, and dedicated hosting if you end up needing more than your shared hosting plan provides.
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How To Create A Homepage
OceanWP gives you two different ways to create a homepage:
- Your latest posts. Your homepage showcases your latest blog posts.
- A static page. You create a page to become your home page.
The first option is straightforward: Create blog posts and the homepage will automatically show all your latest blog posts.
Thats why we want to walk you through creating a static page for your website. This can be especially useful for companies that just want a branded page to introduce their audience to the website.
Its also much more customizable than a page showing your latest blog posts.
First, head back to your WordPress website dashboard and click on Pages> Add New.
Now, youll be in WordPresss page editor mode. This area allows you to create a page by adding text, images, videos, memes, or whatever else you want to showcase on your homepage .
In the Add title box you can create the you guessed it title for your home page. This will display a big piece of text at the top. Below that is the content box where you can add text or media.
On the top left, you can click on the + button to add new content blocks.
This is a very important area that allows you to easily add media, quotes, pull quotes, new paragraphs, headings, and more.
On the top right, youll see five buttons:
Create a basic homepage now by adding a title and content. It doesnt need to be fancy. Were just doing this as a test run. You can always change it later.
Select that page, then click on Publish at the top.
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How To Register A Domain Name With Hostgator
Next, well explain how to get a domain name on HostGator. Part of the same group as Bluehost, it offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop website builder and feature-rich web hosting services.
The first step to buying a domain name on HostGator is to open the Domains page on their website. Insert a domain name and on the search field and press the Enter key.
If the domain is unavailable, pick a recommended alternative with a different domain extension or name variation.
The cost for a .com domain at HostGator is similar to Bluehost, starting from $12.95/year. Bundling the item with a privacy and protection feature is also possible, costing $14.95/year. Pick between one, two, or a three-year registration period, then click Continue To Checkout.
Now, create a HostGator account and fill in your billing information. HostGator has two payment options credit card and PayPal.
Before finalizing the purchase, HostGator will preview the order. Here, you can set custom nameservers to point the domain name to a third-party hosting account if desired. Click Place Your Order once everything looks right.
Finally, HostGator will send a domain ownership validation request to your registered email address. Remember to click on the link within 15 days to prevent the domain from temporary suspension.
Besides the steps above, HostGator also offers a domain name registration service via their support team. However, this alternative method is only applicable to certain TLDs.
How Do You Want Your Logo To Appear
Do you want your logo in the top left or centered in your homepage header? While the top left is the most popular place to put your logo, you may prefer it in the center of your website header. Make sure the logo is big enough to read clearly, but not so big that it overwhelms your navigation, imagery, or messaging.
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Choose A Website Archetype
There are many types of websites that you can build and this is the part where you need to select which one to build. For instance, you can build a blog, an eCommerce site, a social network, or something else.
Regardless, you need to figure out which features you need , and what your website will focus on as a topic. Then design a website around that topic.
At this point all, thats left is to start creating content or adding products to your storefront.
Find Your Domain Name A Home Aka Find A Web Host
First things first youve bought a domain, and now you need someplace for it to live. In other words, you need to choose a host and a hosting plan.
You have two options. Look for a stand-alone web hosting service or use a domain registry and web hosting combo service.
Odds are you purchased your domain name from a service that also offers hosting plans. There are a lot of companies that offer combined web hosting and domain name purchase. Buying both from the same service offers a lot of advantages.
First, you wont have to worry about connecting your domain and your hosting service theyll sync from the get-go. Second, a business that offers combined domain and hosting services will often include extra package perks that will make your life easier in the long run.
For example, Namecheap is a popular web hosting and domain registry service.
You can register or transfer a domain name, host your website, and even create business cards all on a single platform.
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How Does Web Hosting Work In Simple Terms
You will create your website and upload it on WebHost. Web hosts has something called as Nameservers.
If you open your WebHost Cpanel, you will see the nameserver of your WebHost. Copy that nameserver and paste it in your domain registrar.
This way when someone will type your domain in the browser, it will be directed to your webhosting. Webhost will show your website to your users.
How To Properly Register A Domain Name And Get It For Free
Apr 7, 2021 Since this is a comprehensive guide on how to register a domain name, we have created a table of content, You can register a domain name and make a website later. How can I reserve a domain name without buying it?
After you fill out your information, it will ask you which package you want to purchase: You need both a web host and a domain name to build a website, so its really Instead of having to buy a landing page tool or find a good podcasting
Purchase a domain · Create a plan for your domain. · Buy a domain name. · Build your website. · Set up your email. · Get the word out.
Your company needs a website, which means it needs a domain name. Once youve decided to build a website, you need to make an important You cant buy just any domain, of courseonly one that isnt already Keep in mind, however, that free domain names are usually free only for one or two years, after which
Nov 5, 2011 1. Secure matching social media names/URLs · 2. Create an LLC or corporation for your business · 3. Trademark your business name · 4. Get web
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Considerations Before You Buy A Domain Through Shopify
Before you buy a domain through Shopify, review the following considerations:
- Email hosting services arent provided on Shopify. Instead, you can connect your Shopify-managed domain to a third-party email hosting service.
- Some domain extensions include WHOIS privacy, which is a service that keeps your personal contact information hidden from public domain registration records. If you want WHOIS privacy, then make sure that your domain extension isnt on the WHOIS exceptions list.
- Some domain extensions have specific residency or business registration requirements. Make sure that you can meet these requirements, because you might need to verify your registration information. If you cant meet these requirements, then your domain might be suspended.
- A new SSL certificate is created automatically when you buy a domain through Shopify. You dont need to buy SSL encryption for your domain.
- You need to pay the registration fee every year to renew your domain subscription. Domain renewals are charged separately from your monthly subscription charges. The exact pricing depends on which domain extension you choose.
- Domain hosting services are only available with a paid Shopify plan. If you want to close your store or your Shopify account, and you want to keep using your domain, then you need to transfer your domain before you close your store. You can transfer your domain to one of the following:
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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 websites 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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Over To You: I Have A Domain Name Now What
So, here are the 10 different ways to use your domain name.
You could either start a blog and earn money with it or flip the domain at sites like Dan or Godaddy to make some quick bucks. One more potential use of a domain lying around can be using it as a vanity URL and redirect it to your resume or social media channels. Redirection can be done at your domain provider.
Another important thing to do after buying a domain would be to register all other top-level domains related to your primary domain along with other domain name extensions so that your brand is secured.
I hope we gave tried to answer your burning question, I bought a domain now what?. If you have any other creative uses of domain names feel free to comment below.
Sync Your Domain And Hosting
If you got your domain name registration and web hosting at the same place, you can skip this step. But if you bought your domain separately from your hosting account, you need to point your domain name to your web hosting by updating your nameservers and adding the domain name to your web hosting. This is usually a simple process involving logging into your domain name registrar and locating your nameservers. Once youve done this, you just copy and paste the nameservers your web host gave you into the box with your existing nameservers. Thats it!
If you want to transfer your domain to our hosting platform, nows the time to do it. This ensures that you get to keep all your domains in the same place.
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I Bought A Domain Now What Check Out 8 Amazing Things To Do Next
I Bought a Domain Now What?
This question mostly arises after buying a domain. Even I got this in my mind when I purchased my first ever domain.
There are many misleading websites that will add to the confusion further. This is what happened to me when I entered this industry.
I tried many different steps that are directed by various websites however, all this ended up in despair.
This took a lot of my time and finally I configured the steps that should be followed after buying a domain.
I Bought a domain, congratulations!
Now, what next?
Here is a guide for you guys that will help you take the first step of your journey of establishing your blog with ease.
This article is curated to help all those people who are searching for I bought a domain now what?
Buying a domain has established your path of an online presence. Once the domain is bought, the next step is to start working on your website, your brand, and target your online audience.
These might look daunting, however, can be done by simple solutions.
While you will have plenty of help awaiting, the utmost importance is to have a basic game plan which will help you to achieve your goal.
Lets quickly explore the 8 amazing things to do after buying a domain name to enhance your career opportunities.