Reasons To Own a Domain Name

If you’re designing a website or launching an online business, you probably want to know how to buy a domain name. Your domain name refers customers, clients, and interested others to your website. You don’t need to have an organization or a company to register the domain name. Individuals have domain names, too.

There are many good reasons to own a domain name, including:

• You aren’t tied to a host company. If you decide to transfer your site to a new website, your domain travels with you. That’s important because, after you build a following, clients, community members, and others won’t know about a change of URL. All users need to do is type the domain name into their browser.

• Your domain name provides credibility in today’s digital world. A business domain is expected by clients, employees, and vendors. Select a business domain that’s simple to remember, such as the business name, to help people find the website with ease.

• The selection of a strong domain name can attract advertisers to the website, too. Sponsorship of your website can generate incremental income for the business or blog.

Register Your Domain Name

Registration of the business or organization name with ICANN is the essential first step to registering your domain. A registrar company provides tools for this purpose.

If you’ve already chosen a preferred domain name, the search toolbar on the registrar’s site shows if the name is available. As long as no one else owns the domain you want, you pay the registrar a fee to purchase it.

You now have the right to this domain name for a year or more. If you elect to renew the registration each year, you must pay the registrar on time. It’s possible to lose the right to your business or organization domain name if you don’t pay registration fees.

Reserve Domain Names

Good domains seem to quickly disappear and many would-be website owners moan that the best domain names are already taken. In most cases, that’s not true. Use creativity and arrive at a few great domain selections before you search the ICANN database.

If you’ve got several great ideas now, don’t risk losing these ideal domain names to someone else. Register the domain names now and, for at least a year or more, no one else can purchase the domain name registered to you. Protect your domain names for years to come by registering each for multiple years.

Register a Domain Name

Registering a domain name isn’t difficult, but it’s best to prepare beforehand. Make a list of several domain names you like. Don’t start the process with just one domain name because someone else might already own it.

Take these steps to register the domain:

• Have a PayPal or credit card account in hand to pay the registrar. Major registrars won’t send you an invoice.

• If you haven’t selected a web host firm yet, ask the registrar representatives about how to park the domain. Most of the major commercial registrars offer temporary sites for the purpose and it’s completely free after you pay to register the domain name.

• Some registrars create a new domain-specific email address for you. Even if website design is months or years away, you can benefit from the domain name now. For instance, if you register “myperfectwebsite.com,” your email address could be configured as Joe@myperfectwebsite.com or “info@myperfectwebsite.com.

Established Domain Registrars

New domain registry businesses are plentiful, but many don’t have staying power. An established registrar can offer competitive pricing and access to services you may need, such as privacy and web design tools.