Do’s And Don’ts Of Securing A Domain Name
Consider these six tips from small-business owners and experts before deciding on a website name.
Entrepreneur
Navigating the world of domain names can be a daunting task if you’re not up to speed on how to get one. With countless caveats and hosting companies out there, it’s easy to be overwhelmed or worse, make a mistake that could ultimately cripple your business.Consider these do’s and don’ts from small-business owners and experts to help secure your company’s domain name.Do: Include a location or keywords in your domain name, if you can.
If your business focuses on a geographic region, try to put the location into the name of your domain, says Jean Bedord, a Silicon Valley-based search consultant and author of the book I’ve Got a Domain Name–Now What??? When Mikalai Krivenko needed a domain for his painting business in Hoboken, N.J., in 2009, his son Yuriy, a Jersey City, N.J.-based search-optimization specialist, suggested he put “Hoboken” in the name. For $11, Krivenko bought hobokenpainter.com, which shows up at the top of keyword searches that include “Hoboken” and “painter.” Whether it’s location, or what your company does, Krivenko advises: “Put the most important keyword for your industry in the domain name.”
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Related: Protecting Your Business with a Trademark
Expand Your Domain Portfolio
Strengthen your online presence in your local market or worldwide by registering your domains in all the relevant extensions, making sure you forward your new domains to your current website. We offer over 250 domain extensions worldwide! Our Domain Name Management experts can assist if you need advice or help maintaining a large domain portfolio.
Do It Yourself With A Simple
You dont need any design experience to build a lovely site via the affordable DIY solutions available, including GoDaddys Websites + Marketing. Choose your industry, customize it, and hit publish. Just like that, your website is live.
GoDaddys Websites + Marketing also has templates for a variety of industries. You can even give the templates a test run before you decide if GoDaddys website builder meets your needs.
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Point Your Domain Name To Your Web Host And Install WordPress
Once youre done with your domain registration and hosting purchase, you now need to do the most important thing which is to connect your domain to your web hosting servers. Then, you need to install WordPress.
So lets first talk about how you can point your domain name to your hosting servers easily.
Step 1: Find your web hosting DNS settings. Once youve signed up with Bluehost hosting, it instantly sends you an email where you can find your DNS settings they usually look like ns1.example.com and ns2.example.com.
Step 2: Now once you know your DNS settings, you simply need to add domain name servers to your domain with your domain registrar .
Log into your domain registrar dashboard and find the section for custom name servers.
Make sure to click on the Use Customer Name servers button to add your DNS. It looks something like this.
Quick note: If youve bought domain and hosting from Bluehost, by default, the DNS settings will be there, so theres nothing new to do.
Step 3: Click on Save Settings and youre done. It usually takes 24 to 48 hours for the changes to take effect. Usually, your DNS settings will be taken place almost instantly.
Once your DNS settings are set, your domain name will be shown up properly. Thats it, youre done!
Now since your DNS is pointed to your hosting account, youll now have to assign your domain name into your cPanel on Bluehost so that, it will create a folder on your hosting account.
Heres how it looks like
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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Register Your New Domain Name
After settling on the right combination of keyword-based name and TLD, all you need to do is buy the domain name. The way you do this will often depend on the hosting provider you decide to use.
You can usually purchase a domain name during the process of signing up for a hosting plan. In addition, you can buy a domain separately through a dedicated registrar or hosting company. If youve chosen a name using Domain Wheel, you can even use the View Details button to go straight to a checkout page:
When youre ready to sign up for a web hosting account, make sure you use this Bluehost link. Going through it will result in two things: it is an affiliate link, which means that we receive a small commission if you buy through it, it will unlock a $2.75 vs $3.95 discounted price for you. You wont get this discount if you visit the Bluehost site in any other way.
Of course, you dont have to get your hosting and domain name from the same place. If you pick up a domain name elsewhere, you can still connect it to your new or existing site after the fact. How this works will depend on the web host youve chosen. You should check out your providers documentation or ask their support team for assistance when making the transfer.
You May Find That Someone Else Has Snapped Up The Domain Name Of Your Dreams Here Are Your Options
So you have a great idea for a domain name. It will make you millions and be the beacon by which an unprecedented amount of Internet commerce flows your way. You’re excited. You go to a domain name registrar to perform a domain name search and, you guessed it, the name you want is already taken. What now? Don’t worry, you have choices.
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How Much Does It Cost To Get A Domain Name
The cost of a domain name can vary significantly, depending on several different factors. Here are a few things to consider when thinking about how much your domain name will cost:
Type of extension: The cost of acquiring a domain name can be heavily impacted by the TLD itself. For example, a promotionally priced .cyou domain may cost less than US $5.99/1st year, while a more exclusive TLD like a .inc can be priced in the thousands. Prices can also be impacted by the domain registry, any discounts at the time, along with the operator of the domain. The most popular and familiar domain extensions tend to fall somewhere within CA$20/year to CA$50/year.
Promos & Term: Domain names are sold as annual renewals, not dissimilar to subscriptions. If youre looking to get a domain over a multi-year term, be sure to consider the annual renewal price as well. Often domain names are sold at a discount for the first year, with the price of renewal being significantly higher. Consider the total cost of ownership when committing to a domain.
Availability: If youre looking to get a domain that is already taken, the cost of acquisition can vary significantly from seller to seller. In cases where youd like to acquire a domain thats been taken, enlist a domain broker to get an accurate valuation of any aftermarket domains youre hoping to acquire.
Set Up Domain Monitoring
Still after that perfect .com URL?
Maybe none of these techniques have persuaded you to try something else, and thats okay. If your dream .com is what youre after, you can get it.
Lets say you only want a certain .com address, but its taken by someone.
If you dont have the funds to buy it outright , then the next best thing is to monitor the domain to check if it expires.
You can use a tool like DomainTools Domain Monitor to track any changes in its registration status.
If it expires and the owner doesnt renew it, you can swoop in and snatch it.
This isnt a surefire technique, but it can get you exactly what you want.
In the meantime, you can use one of these other strategies to set up a temporary domain. When youre able to grab your ideal domain, you can set up 301 redirects to the new URL.
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Change The Name Slightly
A domain name is reported as not available only if the exact name is already taken. For instance, if an availability search tells you that madprophet.com is already taken, you may find that “mad-prophet.com” or “madprophets.com” is available. If you are not wed to the exact form of your first proposed domain name, you can experiment with minor variations until you find an acceptable name that is available. But read the warning just below for reasons to use caution when taking this approach.
Slight Changes to a Name Can Spell Trouble
The fact that a slightly different name is available, or that a name is not available as .com, but is available as .net, .biz, .info or .org, doesn’t necessarily mean that you can or should use it. Using a domain name very similar to an existing one may result in trademark infringement — the violation of someone’s trademark rights. If you infringe someone’s trademark, a court might order you to stop using the name and pay money damages to the other domain name owner. For more, see Avoid Trademark Infringement When You Choose a Domain Name.
Create A Website Thats Attached To Your Domain
Chances are, you had a website in mind when you set out to secure a domain name. Your domain name is the heart of your website address. And everyone keeps telling you that you need a website for your business.
A website gives you a branded, dedicated space to share your contact information, a rundown of your services, a snapshot of what your business is all about, a portfolio of your amazing work, customer reviews and links to your social media accounts.
And did I mention its perfect for businesses that want to expand their reach and attract NEW customers?
But understanding the benefits of having a website for your business and actually creating one are two very different things. I know, it might feel scary.
You basically have three options:
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Buy Hosting From A Reliable Web Host
First things first. Immediately after buying a new domain, whats the first thing you need to launch a professional blog or website?
If you said purchasing web hosting, youre absolutely right.
But heres the thing: dont go for any web host blindly just because its free or cheap. In fact, you should avoid free web hosts at all costs as they are going to trouble you a lot in the coming days.
That being said, if youre someone whos getting started, we recommend you to go for reliable yet affordable hosting choices. Heres where a web hosting company like Bluehost comes into place.
Why Bluehost?
There are over 100 web hosting companies out there, then why go for Bluehost instead of others? Thats a great question to begin with. Weve been using Bluehost on most of our websites for more than 5 years now and we never had even 1 issue with Bluehost.
Besides that, Bluehost offers incredible hosting features at extremely attractive pricing plans which most new bloggers can easily afford.
Whether you know it or not, Bluehost is one of the 20 largest web hosts owned by Endurance International Group and Bluehost is hosting more than 2 million websites throughout the world.
Heres how you can get started with Bluehost:
Step 1: to start your blog on Bluehost. Once you click on the link .
Step 2: Click on the Get Started Now button and youll be taken to various pricing options from Bluehost. You simply need to pick a hosting plan that suits your budget and website needs.
Truth In Domain Names Act
IAMMRFOSTER.COM” alt=”How to find the domain and range of points > IAMMRFOSTER.COM”> In the United States, the Truth in Domain Names Act of 2003, in combination with the PROTECT Act of 2003, forbids the use of a misleading domain name with the intention of attracting Internet users into visiting Internet pornography sites.
The Truth in Domain Names Act follows the more general Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act passed in 1999 aimed at preventing typosquatting and deceptive use of names and trademarks in domain names.
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Verify Ownership Of Your New Domain
Paying for your domain might seem like the last step in the process, but you also need to verify your ownership. This step lets you send email using the domain and keeps other people from using it without your permission.
If you purchase your domain through Mailchimp, this process is simple. Youll receive a verification email after you complete your purchase. Simply click on the Verify Domain button in the email and follow the instructions on the next page, and you can start using your domain to build your brand. Youll only ever have to complete this step once.
Get A Premium WordPress Theme
Theres a reason why we mentioned premium WordPress theme.
Most beginners go for free WordPress themes but most of them dont provide you support, frequent updates, mobile friendly design and they are not SEO friendly.
Thats the reason why you need to invest money on getting a premium WordPress theme so youre good at from day 1 of launching your WordPress site.
You dont have to shell out thousands of dollars on a premium and good looking web design as there are few theme developers available out there which provide you themes at affordable prices.
Elegant themes is one such theme provider which offers you stunning premium WordPress themes at unbeatable prices.
Why use Elegant themes?
Elegant themes is used by over 500,000 people worldwide and you can get access to 87 professionally designed WordPress themes at just $80 per year.
That means, you literally get 1 theme for less than $1, its a steal you shouldnt miss out.
It doesnt matter what niche you are in including eCommerce to real estate to fitness, you can find at least one premium theme you can use from Elegant themes. The best part is, you dont have to pay for Elegant themes as you can use the 87 themes for lifetime.
Another thing about using Elegant themes is that it offers you Divi Builder which is a drag and drop builder that lets you customize your website design however you want.
Heres how it looks like
So what about the pricing?
Elegant themes offers 2 pricing plans.
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