Category: Website management

Understanding the basics of domain name registration is crucial to any webmaster

So what is a domain name? A domain name is the unique text (word) name corresponding to the numeric IP address of a computer on the Internet. Internet users access your website using the domain name assign to your website. A domain name is also known as a web address or host name.

How to go about getting a domain name? You will have to register for one. There are certain companies that have made a business out of registrating domain name for others. These agents are known as domain name registrars. Basically they act as a middleman between the registry that handles domain names and the webmaster, buying and selling names.

Domain Name Registration for Beginners

To register a domain name, you need to do is find a domain name registrar. One of the most popular registrar is Godaddy.com.

Next, make sure your domain name has not been registered by someone else. To do that, you need search for the name you are interested in using to see if it available. If the domain name is taken, you will have to select another one. If it is unregistered, you can go ahead and register it.

Unfortunately, many of the most popular domain names have already been taken. During the domain name registration, you must also decide what you want your top level domain to be. The choices are:

.com
.net
.org
.biz
.info

The most common choices are .com or .net.

Once you have picked your domain name, you need to decide how long you want to have ownership to the name. Most registrars offer contracts that range anywhere from one year to ten years, and most offer you the opportunity to renew once the contract expires.

Always use a reliable domain registrar. Companies that have been in business for quite a few years usually provide good services, and thus are safer and more reliable.

Choosing the Best Domain Name

Choosing the domain name requires careful consideration. It is recommended that you choose a name that is both memorable and has something to do with your business or company identity. If possible, also avoid "-" in the name. Additionally, a short name is easier to remember than a long one.

Including your site's main keywords in the domain name is a good practice. There are many webmasters who have chosen keywords in their domain name that are not related to the niche and have found themselves getting traffic from these unrelated keywords.

Well, that is all. Hope that it has been useful. Thank you for reading.

Additional resources:

An Introduction to Domain Name

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