What Can I Do With A Ca
Host a website or build an online store
A website or online store is an obvious and powerful way to use your domain name.
Create your own .CA email address
Your .CA domain name can be used for personalized email addresses
Link your .CA to your social media profile
You can forward your .CA domain to another online or social media profile, like Facebook, LinkedIn, or Etsy – anywhere you want.
I think a .CA will always be the number one domain for us partly because of the brand value that Canada has abroad the quality that Canada brings, the brand recognition. I personally believe that a .CA has more brand appeal internationally than a .com does.
Connor Curran Founder and Chief Laundry Folder at locallaundry.ca
How To Register A Domain Name
This article was co-authored by Stan Kats. Stan Kats is a Professional Technologist and the COO and Chief Technologist for The STG IT Consulting Group in West Hollywood, California. Stan provides comprehensive technology solutions to businesses through managed IT services, and for individuals through his consumer service business, Stan’s Tech Garage. Stan holds a BA in International Relations from The University of Southern California. He began his career working in the Fortune 500 IT world. Stan founded his companies to offer an enterprise-level of expertise for small businesses and individuals.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, several readers have written to tell us that this article was helpful to them, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 556,214 times.
Registering your domain name is the first step in establishing your online presence and reaching visitors. We’ll show you how to create and register your domain, avoid some of the pitfalls that can arise, and choose the best domain name to make sure that your site reaches the most people. Read below if you want to get on your way to a successful website!
Tips For Choosing A Domain Name
Because .com is so popular, you may have difficulty finding your business name available as a .com. You can try one of the more obscure extensions, such as .info, .store, .shop or any other of the hundreds available. If youre set on getting a .com, though, consider using modifications on your business name.
Lets assume ghostlycastle.com is not available, and then try these changes:
- Add articles, such as a the or an
- Try adding another word to your domain
- Possibly include a hyphen
Disclaimer: Its worth noting that many of the domain registrars we include in our list of the best domain name registrars are subsidiaries of Endurance International Group , including Bluehost, HostGator, Domain.com and BuyDomains. The fact that theyre all under one umbrella should not affect the service you receive for domain registration, but its good to know.
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Purchase Your Domain Name And Complete Its Registration
Once you settle on a domain name, its time to purchase it. When you buy through Mailchimp, well let you know the annual cost of the domain name as well as any available discounts.
During the checkout process, youll be required to enter your contact information, including an email address, to register the domain.
Set Up Business Domain Name Registration In 3 Easy Steps
REVIEWED BY:Elizabeth Kraus
Elizabeth Kraus has more than a decade of first-hand experience building and growing a boutique digital marketing agency and double that in small and mid-size business marketing management. She provides expert answers to questions related to branding, content marketing, web development, email, social media, and SEO.
Ralph has a background in law and over 5 years of experience in writing and social media management disciplines ranging from SEO, affiliate , and geographical marketing for clients in the USA, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.
This article is part of a larger series on Small Business Websites.
To build a professional and credible online presence for your business, your first step is getting a domain. The process of business domain name registration is simple and affordable, at around $12-$15 per year through a domain name registrar or free with a web hosting plan. Just search for the domain name of your choice, choose the best option, and check out to register your domain.
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What Do The Different Domain Extensions Stand For
The most popular domain extension, .com, stands for commerce. Other commonly seen ones include .net for network, .org for organization, .edu for education, .gov for government, .info for information, .biz, for business, . mil for military and .pro for professional. Many countries also have domain names that end in letters related to them, such as .UK for the United Kingdom, .ru for Russia and .cn for China. Some less-common domain extensions include .aero for the air transport industry, .museum for museums, .name for individuals, .coop for cooperatives and .travel for businesses in the travel industry.
Renew Your Domain Name Registration At The End Of Your Term
When you purchase a domain, youre purchasing it for a fixed length of time, usually one year. While some domain providers offer longer terms , domain registration is never permanent.
In order to hold on to your registered domain, youll want to make sure you renew registration when your term is complete. Nearly all domain providers offer an automatic renewal, so its generally a good idea to have this option selected when you purchase.
Keep in mind that if your payment information changes, youll need to update your settings with your domain provider so theyre able to charge for automatic renewal.
Most domain providers will notify you when it’s time to renew, whether you have automatic renewal enabled or not, but its important to renew your domain. If you dont renew your domain, it will no longer point to your website and may be purchased by someone else. If you dont want to lose your domain, make sure you renew it.
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How To Get A Domain Name For Free
Of course, the previous steps have all assumed youre willing to pay to purchase and maintain your domain name. However, you can also legitimately register a domain for free if you look in the right places.
One of the easiest ways is to sign up for a hosting plan that offers a free domain name, like Bluehost. If you want to make a website, youll need to pay for hosting anyway, so why not get a free domain name as part of the process?
Some registrars also offer some domain extensions for free for a set period to entice people to buy them. Common free domain extensions are:
- .tk
- .gq
Freenom is a good place to start for free domain names using those extensions.
While youre unlikely to get a free domain longer than a year, this could be enough for small projects. You can always purchase your domain name once your website grows.
Another way to get a free domain name is to choose a hosted platform to build your website, such as Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress.com. These companies offer full-featured packages for building a website even .com domain names in some cases but with less overall control. For instance, you may need to agree to host ads on your site.
How Domain Names Are Registered: A Helpful Guide
Computers on the world wide web communicate with one another using a digital language consisting solely of numerical digits and periods. These strings of numbers are a computers virtual address through which other computers may locate that computer and communicate with it. Commonly, they are known as the IP addresses. While IP registrations did simplify and categorize this process of communication, computer scientists in the 80s agreed that it would be much easier if we could simply type in the name that served as a stand-in for the number, but was directly tied to that IP address thus, the website domain was born.
Without a website domain name system, we would need a massive internet phone book or have to memorize our favorite IP addresses. Now, if you are looking to create a business selling rare Nike Sneakers, the first step would be to build a website around this service. You would begin this by registering some name like, Sneakerheads.com. Now, if someone had not already registered that domain name, you would have the option to buy it. However, if it were taken, you would either have to go back to the drawing board and think of a new name or find the owner of Sneakerheads.com and try to purchase it from them.
We hope this step-by-step guide will help you as you register your domain name. But first, lets dive into some of the benefits of having a domain name and the types of domains you can choose from.
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Option : How To Register A Domain Without Additional Hosting
If you already have a hosting account somewhere and just want to purchase a domain, then youll have multiple options to choose from.
There are dozens of different domain name registrars you can use, but for the sake of example lets assume you want to register your domain at HostGator.
When registering your domain name, its a good idea to check to see if your registrar offers domain privacy. This added feature will protect your personal information from potential spammers.
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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How Long Does My Domain Name Registration Last How Do I Renew My Domain
How long your domain registration lasts can vary depending on the domain you purchase. Many domain name registrars will allow customers to register domains for 10 years at a time, but typically customers will register domains for one to three years.If you want to extend your registration, its easy to renew your domain with GoDaddy. You can choose to manually renew or set up auto-renewal, so you ensure it stays registered to you.
Use A Domain Name Generator
If youre not the creative type, you can use a domain name generator to help spark some ideas. Simply enter in some words or phrases that describe your brand or website, and these tools will give you a list of ideas that you can then check for availability.
Bring your brand to life with your own website. Design from scratch, connect a domain, analyze traffic, and optimize for SEO.
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Whats The Difference Between Domain Extensions
Arguably, the most popular domain extension is .com, but other TLDs include .net, .org, .edu and .gov. There are literally hundreds more from which you can choose, and the less popular extensions are usually less expensive, with a few exceptions. The popularity of .io and .co has skyrocketed recently, so theyre pricier.
Some extensions are restricted and you cant purchase them unless you meet certain requirements. Restricted extensions include .edu and .gov. Overall, all extensions work the same. The .com extension is preferable because its easy to remember.
How Do I Choose A Great Domain Name
Choosing the right domain name for your business isnt any easy task. Take your time and think about how you want to be perceived by your audience. Make sure your domain is short and easy to type, memorable and uniquely yours. And dont be afraid to keep searching to find the perfect one. If you need some more inspiration, give this a read.
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Can I Transfer My Domain Name
Yes, most domain registrars can also facilitate the process of transferring a domain name from one person to another . For example, if you want to buy a premium domain name from someone, a registrar can help process the deal securely.
Also, you can transfer your domain name between different registrars if you found a better deal, for example, or just need some extra features.
Below are linked help documents for doing that with each registrar:
How Much Does A Website Cost Per Month
On average, though, you can expect to pay an upfront cost of around $200 to build a website, with an ongoing cost of around $50 per month to maintain it. This estimate is higher if you hire a designer or developer â expect an upfront charge of around $6,000, with an ongoing cost of $1,000 per year.
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Is There A List Of Free Domain Name Extensions
The free domain extensions that are available for registration are: .net, .xyz, .com, .online, .link, .shop, .live, .digital, .tech, .space, .website, .email, .fun, .click, .site, .uno, .in, .host, .store, .press, .me, .help.
These domain extensions are all highly reputable and currently in demand, so grab yours whilst you still can.
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.
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Why A Good Domain Name Is Important
A domain name is your unique identifier among billions of other websites on the web. Thats why having a memorable and easy-to-type name is essential for having an online presence.
Your domain name serves as an extension of your personal or business name. In that sense it:
- Improves recognition and awareness.
- Adds extra credibility to your venture.
- Eventually boosts visitors recall.
Also, choosing a good domain name is important for SEO. Several years ago exact match domains were all the rage, but today most people choose brandable domain names.
Memorable domain names get typed to Google more frequently. Algorithms keep track of that and assign more authority to your website. As the branded search volume grows, your domain name earns extra authority points, so that it gets easier to rank for related keywords.
With that being said, lets move on to the how-to part.
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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 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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Learn How To Register A Domain Name Of Your Own
We hope this guide to registering your domain name was helpful and that we have successfully pointed you in the right direction. With all said and done, domain names are extremely important they can help you grow your business and establish your brand. We encourage you to spend a sufficient amount of time researching your options and thinking through your domain name possibilities before making a purchase.
Renew Your Registration On Time
At this point, youll have a domain name registered and ready to go. However, your registration is only valid for the time period that you selected, which is usually one year by default. After that year expires, youll need to renew your domain name to continue using it.
Some registrars hold onto your domain name for a period of time before auctioning it off. As we mentioned, NameCheap offers nearly a month grace period to renew. Most domain registrars will notify you by email at the 30- and 7-day mark before expiration, and you should think carefully before letting a renewal period lapse. Domains can be difficult to reclaim once theyve expired.
The best way to keep on top of this is to set up automatic renewals. In fact, youll often find that its set by default. In our opinion, you probably dont want to auto-renew all of your domains, but for the most important and permanent, letting your registrar handle renewals is going to save you a potential headache down the line.
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