What Steps Can I Take To Ensure My Domain Privacy Is Protected
Some Registrars offer privacy protection services that allow their customers to mask their actual contact details in the Whois search result in order to prevent their private contact information falling into the hands of spammers and scammers. Get in touch with your Registrar to learn more about your options.
Choose A Domain Name Suffix Such As Com Or Net
After settling on the domain name, consider the suffix. The most popular suffix is .com, although .net and .org are also popular. These are considered to be top-level domains, or the highest-level domain suffixes in the domain naming system.
There are also other varieties to consider, such as country code top-level domains. These domain names end in a suffix that is particular to a specific country. A website in Germany might end in .de, for example.
Finally, there is another class of domain name suffixes called sponsored, top-level domains, which are sponsored by a specific community related to the domain name. For example, .gov is for the U.S. government and .edu is for education organizations.
For most websites, .com is the best suffix for its ease of use, but if you have a specialized website, you might consider a country code or sponsored top-level domain.
Do You Need A Web Host And A Domain
Its common for domain registrars to offer web hosting services. Its also common for web hosting providers to offer domain registration.
These bundles might seem tempting, but in most cases, you should keep each service separate.
This gives you a lot more flexibility with changing web hosts and/or domain registrars in the future. It also improves the quality of service on both.
Id only recommend registering a domain and getting hosting with the same company if youre not planning to buy more domains in the future.
If youre going to bundle your domain and web host, you should use Bluehost. They are the only provider that is able to nail both of these services.
This is a great option for something specific and simple, such as a blog or small personal site.
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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.
What Is A Domain Registrar In More Detail
Like I mentioned before, you need to buy and register your domain name. You can buy one of these from a domain registrar. A domain registrar is a person or entity who helps you to buy and register a domain.
Helpfully, most registrars offer intuitive tools that help you search available names. On your part, you simply fill in the name of your choice and make payment.
In practice, domain names are not sold to you outright. You only get to lease the names for a period of time. Most domain registrars keep track of expiry dates and offer renewal services too.
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My Information Doesn’t Match The Whois Results How Do I Change My Whois Information
According to the rules established by ICANN, Registrars are expected to maintain the accuracy of the domain name owner’s contact details in the Whois database. Most Registrars use the details provided by the buyer at the time the Domain was registered.
In case your information does not match the Whois results, you can change this information by getting in touch with your Registrar who will be able to assist you in updating your information. Once this information is updated, the Whois record will also update accordingly. On an average, it can take 24-24 hours for this change to reflect in the Whois database.
A Wide Variety Of Top
Without going into too much detail, the top-level domain is considered the highest level in the hierarchy of your overall domain name.
This would be anything like .com or .org or .net.
When I look for the best domain registrar, it usually offers hundreds of top-level domain options.
Take NameCheap, for example. A quick domain search reveals dozens of top-level domains for the same domain search, along with some alternatives if you cant find what youre looking for.
After one search I see .club, .design, .store, .info, and many more.
Most buyers will do fine with this selection. But, its also important to look for niche registrars if youre interested in more unique domains like for countries or for certain organizations. For example, .io is a popular TLD among startups and tech companies, but not every registrar supports .io domains.
If youre interested in seeing every possible top-level domain, check out the updated list from IANA .
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Automated Renewals And Reminders
Seeing as how you register a domain for one or more years, it stands to reason that at some point youll have to renew your registration.
Luckily, the best domain registrar options offer automated renewal services as long as you put a credit card on file. We also like registrars that give you some grace period after the domain expires.
Now, after a few years you may have new credit cards, so you also want to ensure that the registrar will send out reminders that a domain is about to expire.
Important: If you dont renew a domain name it eventually gets released to the public for purchase . Someone else can then buy the domain and either keep it or try to sell it back to you for a large sum of money. This is not uncommon, so make sure your credit card is up-to-date and you activate auto-renewals.
Who Legally Owns A Domain
Searching for a domains owner can turn up multiple names provided as contacts for functions such as technical support, administration, and billing. But, the legal owner of a website is the registrantthe person or entity in whose name the domain has been registered with a dedicated domain registrar or hosting provider. As long as registration fees are kept up to date, that owner retains full rights to the domain and has sole control over selling it at any time, whether or not the domain is nearing expiration.
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Finding The Owner Of An Ip Address
What To Look For In A Domain Registrar
Now that you know all the ins and outs of what a domain registrar is and how domain registration works, youre probably ready to find a good domain registrar and get started. You have a lot of different options. Some companies only provide domain registration services. Others, like HostGator, offer domain registration along with other services like web hosting, so you can take care of multiple basic website needs all under one account.
With so many options to choose from, you need to know what to look for. Here are some of the most important factors to consider.
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How To Register Your Websites Domain Name
The first domain name in history was Symbolics.com, which was registered on March 15, 1985. Today, there are more than 300 million domain names, with millions more added each year. A domain name is essentially the address that visitors will type into their browser address bar to arrive at your website.
Domain names allow users to easily connect to other computer IP addresses by typing in an address like Google.com instead of Googles numerical IP address of 74.125.239.116. In other words, domain names make our lives a lot easier.
Your domain name is an important part of establishing your brand. No two domain names can be exactly alike, although they can be similar. Ideally, your domain name will be unique and distinctive, so users dont confuse it with other domain names or different businesses.
You might be wondering isnt a domain name, then, simply a website? Although they are similar, domain names and websites have important differences. Your domain name is the address for your website it is what people use to find your website, which consists of pages, images, and other files.
Choosing and registering a domain name is often the first step when building a website. Read on to learn how to register a domain name.
Check Your Billing Records
Checking your billing records is probably the easiest, and therefore, the first method you should use. Typically, your domain name registrar is who you bought your domain name from. If you dont remember who that registrar is, try searching your email archives for records regarding your domain name registration . The domain registrar should be listed on your invoice.
Its imperative that you keep your domain registrar up to date regarding changes to your email address and/or contact information. Registrars send renewal notifications to the email address they have listed.
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Not Sure Who Your Domain Registrar Is
No problem, there are two simple ways to tell:
1). Who bills you for your domain? This cost is typically paid annually or a few years at a time. Check your inbox or financial statements to see who is billing you for your domain name to find out who your registrar is.
2). MxToolbox – This free online tool allows you to search your domain name. With the search type set to “DNS Lookup” as shown below, it will find your domain registrar your domain is hosted with and the server IP address your domain is pointed to.
*Some website hosts like Squarespace, Wix, or others may also provide domain registration/hosting in addition to hosting your site. At Showit we do not provide domain hosting, but here are more details on the hosting we provide.
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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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What About Restricted Domains
Some top-level domains are created and managed by certain organizations or countries. You must meet some criteria in order to gain access to these domains. Sometimes these are called Brand TLDs.
Most restricted domains are not found in regular domain registrars.
For example, .gov is only issued if you work for the US government. Some countries and companies also save their own unique domain extensions. The .apple domain extension is managed and distributed by Apple Inc.
What Is Private Domain Name Registration
Part of the domain registration process includes providing the registrants information to the database of domain owners. In addition to the domain registries, the WHOIS directory tracks information on every website domain thats registered, who owns it, and their main contact information. Thats because someone needs to be able to identify website owners who use their site for illegal purposes.
But in our age of high-profile data breaches and growing concern around internet privacy issues, not every website owner wants to put their name and contact information out on the open web. And it shouldnt be a requirement for running a website.
Thanks to the private domain name registration options now offered by many DNS registrants, its not. Domain registrars usually charge a little more in order to shield you from having your own name and information included in the directory. They provide enough contact information to the WHOIS to keep you on the right side of the law, typically an email address associated with the registrants company, and keep the rest of it private.
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What Is A Domain Name Registrar
Domain Registrars are companies that can register and maintain domain name information for customers. That is accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers .
Any place where one can register a domain name must use a domain registrar. Domain registrars make sure that there are no multiple registrations of identical domain names. Domain name registrars are also accountable for keeping the attached contact information current for the domain names registered through them. That protects the person that purchased the domain name from third-party attempts to steal said domain name.
After you purchase a domain name from a registrar, you are capable of the following administrative actions:
- Manage the contact information on the registration entry.
- Manage the nameservers that your domain uses.
- Create a Secure Space by adding an SSL/TLS to it.
Note:
Although we often refer to registering domain names as purchasing and owning them, the fact is that registries own all of their domain names, and registrars only offer the opportunity to reserve domain names for as long as the customer keeps paying for that reservation.
In case you have failed to pay for your domain renewal in time, keep in mind that many registrars honor up to 45 day Auto-Renew Grace period which allows you to redeem an expired domain name.