Registering A Domain Name
Congratulations, so now you know what the main topic of your website is going to be. If you don't, DO NOT read on. Stop right now and figure that out. If you need a little bit of help on how to proceed with this, don't hesitate to ask us. We're here to help and you can always get a hold of us via email thru our 'Contact Us' link.
OK, now that we got that out of the way we can move on. The next thing you're going to need to do is register a domain name. And don't even think about using your generic domain name about something not related to your new site's topic. A relevant domain name is an important factor for your search engine ranking so make sure your domain name reflects the content of your site.
For those of us unfamiliar with what a domain name is, a domain name is just the registered name of your site. For example, the domain name for this site is astatic-solutions.com. Say you decided the topic of your new and aspiring website will be on bamboo furniture - you're domain name will want to reflect this topic. Although www.BambooFurniture.com is already taken (trust me, I checked), there are lots of options still open:
www.BestBambooFurniture.com
www.NewBambooFurniture.com
www.Furniture-Bamboo.com
www.Bamboo-Bed.com
etc...
And yes, you're going to want to register a dot-com (.com) domain name as opposed to a dot-net (.net) or dot-org (.org), or any other type of extension. Dot-com names are widely regarded as, for lack of a better term, the most professional domain name extension. Dot-com domain names will be harder to find because they are most sought after - which is exactly why you need one.
How do I check to see if a domain name is already registered, you ask? Well, well, well...this is actually simpler than just trying to type in the domain name into your browser and waiting to see if something comes up. Try going to http://www.domainsbot.com/ and typing in the topic of your prospective website, and the site will spit out a list of possible domain names...the word 'AVAILABLE' will indicate if the domain name is available to register.
Once you've narrowed it down to a few potential choices, we would highly recommend you check the history of the domain. There is a chance that your domain was registered by someone else a while back and then released or discarded. If your domain was registered before it could have been mismanaged and the site could have been a spamming site and therefore blacklisted by many of the major search engines. And although that owner no longer owns the site, you can still pay for their mistakes...search engines have very, very long memories. To review the history of the domain, check out the WayBack Machine.
For the most part, a domain name can be registered with your webhost (covered in the next section). As well, your webhost can usually have your website up and running quicker and with potentially a lot less hassle if you register your domain name with them than trying to save a couple more bucks and registering a domain name elsewhere. This is why I generally recommend going with your webhost when registering your domain name. Additionally, you can have your webhosting and domain name registration billings consolidated in the same bill from your webhost, making the entire process much simpler for bookkeeping purposes.
What should I be paying for registering my domain name?
Probably a lot less than you think. Once you register your domain name, it is usually good for a period of one year, at which time the company you registered with should notify you when it is time to renew your registration, so as to not lose your domain name to someone else who could be waiting for your domain name to become available. Typically, you should not be paying more than $10-$20 per year for your domain name.
Take your time settling on a domain name - this will ultimately be the face of your site. Make sure it sounds catchy and don't be afraid to ask friends for their opinion. Above all, make sure it relates to the theme of your site.
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