How to Register a Domain Name

A domain name is a user-friendly address that acts like an alias for a website's numerical IP address. Imagine it as a nickname for your house on the internet. Here's a breakdown of its key points:

Table Of Content:

What is a Domain Name?

A domain name is a user-friendly address that acts like an alias for a website's numerical IP address. Imagine it as a nickname for your house on the internet. Here's a breakdown of its key points:

Easy to Remember: An IP address is a long string of numbers (like 172.217.160.131) that's difficult to memorize and type. A domain name, like "google.com" or "trusthostreview.com" is much easier for people to remember and enter in their web browser.
Unique Identifier: Each domain name on the internet must be unique, just like a physical address. This ensures users can reach the specific website they intend to visit.
Points to a Server: A domain name doesn't directly store website content. Instead, it points to a web server where the website's files and data are actually located. When you type a domain name in your browser, a complex system translates it into the corresponding IP address and directs you to the website.
Types of Domain Name Extensions: The ending part of a domain name, like ".com", ".org", or ".net", is called a Top-Level Domain (TLD). There are many TLDs available, some with specific purposes (like ".gov" for government websites) and others for general use.

By using a domain name, website owners create a memorable brand identity and make their website more accessible to users.

How to Choose a Domain Name

When starting the process of choosing a domain name, there are a few things to consider. First, your domain should be related to your brand, website, or business name. Typing it should be easy, so avoiding overly long domain names is key. After all, you want your visitors to be able to easily type your domain into the browser directly, so keeping it short, catchy, and memorable is important.

Another consideration is to always opt for a top-level domain (TLD), such as .com. They are the most common, so most people consider them safe and reliable. Although there aren’t any technical differences in TLDs, it’s widely considered that .com will likely be more effective than a .net, .biz, or .org. In fact, according to w3Techs, .com domains make up nearly 48% of all domain names on the internet.

However, not having a .com TLD doesn’t have to be a deal breaker. The most important thing is to find the right domain name for you. That means choosing a lesser-known TLD is okay if your desired domain isn’t available as .com, and you’re set on your choice.

Choosing a Registrar

Here are the key factors to consider when choosing a domain registrar:

Pricing:

Registration Cost: Look for a registrar with a competitive registration fee for your chosen domain name and TLD (Top-Level Domain, like ".com" or ".net"). Some registrars offer introductory discounts, but be mindful of renewal prices, which can sometimes be higher than the initial registration fee.
Renewal Cost: As mentioned above, factor in the long-term cost by checking the renewal price of the domain name.
Additional Fees: Some registrars might charge extra fees for features like domain privacy protection or email accounts. Be sure to understand the full cost breakdown before committing.

Features:

Domain Management Tools: Look for a registrar that offers user-friendly tools to manage your domain name, such as DNS record editing, subdomain creation, and domain forwarding.
Email Accounts: Some registrars offer bundled email accounts with your domain name registration. While convenient, consider if it meets your email needs or if a separate email provider is preferable.
Security Features: Choose a registrar that prioritizes security features like two-factor authentication and domain privacy protection to safeguard your domain name from unauthorized access.

Customer Support:

Availability: Does the registrar offer multiple support channels like phone, email, and live chat?
Responsiveness: How quickly can you expect a response from their customer support team?
Customer Reviews: Researching online reviews from other users can give valuable insights into the quality of the registrar's support.

User Interface:

A user-friendly and intuitive interface makes managing your domain name a breeze. Explore the registrar's website and see if it's easy to navigate and find the features you need.

Reputation:

Opt for a well-established registrar with a proven track record of reliability and security.

Bonus Tip: Some web hosting providers also offer domain registration services. If you plan on building a website, consider a bundled package that includes both domain registration and web hosting. This can often be more cost-effective and convenient.

Beware of hidden fees: Always read the fine print before finalizing your registration. Make sure you understand all associated costs, including renewal fees and any additional service charges.
Compare prices: Don't settle for the first registrar you come across. Take some time to compare prices and features from several different providers before making a decision.
Read online reviews: Reviews from other users can provide valuable insights into the registrar's customer support, user experience, and overall reliability.

By carefully considering these factors, you can choose a domain registrar that meets your needs and budget, ensuring a smooth and secure domain registration experience.

There are nearly unlimited registrars, each capable of helping you find the perfect domain name. As previously mentioned, there are hosting providers that offer the same service. For this tutorial, we’re going to cover an example of each. First, we’ll walk you through securing a domain through one of the most popular hosting providers, Namecheap. Additionally, we’ll show you how to register a new domain through a popular domain registrar, GoDaddy.

How to Register a Domain Name Through Namecheap

Namecheap

Founded in 2000, Namecheap is a web hosting and domain name registrar company based in Tempe, Arizona.

This hosting solution provider is focused on making web hosting inexpensive and manageable for everyone. The company has over 4 million customers throughout the globe and over 16 million domains under its management. Among some important highlights of Namecheap are its dedication to affordability, high levels of reliability, excellent customer support, and an extensive catalog of features. As a consequence, all web hosting packages by Namecheap come with complimentary features such as an SSL certificate, automatic backups, and free website migration, helping make sure the process of owning a website is as streamlined and painless as possible. To support these points, let me provide these reviews:

$1.44/months

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Domain search process

When you look for a domain using Domain Name Search, you’ll find the information regarding its availability with a list of similar domain names you may be interested in. Beast Mode tool allows to check options for a number of names and set various filters:

You can enter fully-qualified domain names (Top-Level Domains or TLDs like .com, .net, etc.) or select TLDs from the list:

You can take advantages of different available options of our Beast Mode, namely:

Choose the wanted Price Range
Use the Show Domain Hacks option. Domain hacks are domain names that combine domain levels to spell out the full title or name of the domain name. These type of domains spells out a word by using a combination of periods and less popular country-based extensions. Domain hacks offer the possibility to produce very short domain names (e.g., inter.net, domain.name)
Hide Unavailable domain names
Show Premiums indicates whether you want to see premium domains in the output or not
Drop Last Vowel removes the last vowel in the search results (e.g., ocean.name will be shown as ocen.name)
Pluralize Nouns creates a plural form of a noun (e.g, space.net will be shown as spaces.net)
Append Prefix/Suffix includes results that add text to the beginning or the end of your keywords

On the next page, you will see the Explore more button, which allows you to filter the results by the following options: Professional, $1 or less, Personal, and other categories:

Click on the "+ Cart" icon or “>” button to select the additional products you’d like. Once all the necessary products are in your Shopping Cart, click on the View items button in the pop-up window, which will appear in the right upper corner:

Domain configuration

If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to enter your Namecheap account username and password on the next page. If you do not have a Namecheap account, you will be able to create one on the same page.

If you register a domain name for the first time, and you have not provided your contact information (the postal address, phone, etc.), you will be prompted to do it before proceeding to the Billing stage. To do this, click on the I’m registering on behalf of a company option to fill in your respective Company Name and Job Title:

If some Extended Attributes for domain names with special requirements are to be provided, you will be redirected to the Setup page. Here you can configure the Whois contact information, privacy protection and nameserver settings for each domain name separately:

Payment settings

If the Whois contact information should be provided without the Extended Attributes for a number of domain names, you will be suggested that you change the settings for all the domains in a batch, although it’s possible to set them up individually:

You will be able to switch back to the batch setup at any moment:

The majority of domain names should have the Registrant, Administrative, Technical and Billing contacts, while other can have the Registrant and Administrative contacts (.CA domains) or even the Registrant contact only (.EU and .UK domains).

You may choose to Use default account contact, Add new contact or Use previously saved contact. For new and previously saved contacts, there will be an option to edit and save them in your Namecheap account:

By default, Domain Privacy protection is enabled for the supported TLDs at the time of purchase. However, it’s possible to disable it in the corresponding section:

PLEASE NOTE: Due to restrictions of certain Registries, privacy protection tools cannot be used with a number of specific domain names. You may check additional information on the Domain Privacy page.

To change nameservers, you can click on the Show Additional Settings link. After the setup is complete, click on the Continue button to proceed:

PLEASE NOTE: You may skip this step if the settings were saved during the previous order or specified at the Domain Contacts Presets and the DNS and Redirect Presets menus in advance.

If the Whois and DNS settings are fine, and it’s the first time you pay for the order, you need to specify the payment method. At the Billing stage, you may choose between a Secure Card Payment, PayPal, or Account Funds.

Secure Card Payments can be made with Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. You can use a saved card, or add and save a new one, providing the card holder’s name, the 16 digits of the credit card number, the 4 digits of its expiration date (MM/YY), the 3 digits of the CVC code and the card’s billing address:

PLEASE NOTE: Unlike secure card payments, PayPal account details cannot be saved and must be provided each time you place an order.

As for the Account funds option, it can be used when the balance covers the total sum of the order. Funds become available after deposits from credit cards, PayPal or Bitcoin.

If the balance is insufficient, you will receive the following message:

Below you can also review the auto-renewal settings, the billing contact information related to the order, and save them as default for all future orders. After the setup is complete, click on the Continue button to proceed:

PLEASE NOTE: You may skip this step if you have the payment information saved in the previous order or specified in the Profile >> Billing >> Payment section. You can also add a credit card or funds to your account in advance.

On the next page, you will be able to review your order once again, check the terms of service, and pay for the products.

If you need to change your settings or payment details, click on the Review domain configuration or Review payment settings links located at the top of the page.

When you are ready to place your order, click on the Pay Now button (Checkout with PayPal if PayPal was chosen as a payment method):

The selected items are processed one by one, and when your order is complete, the order summary will be printed on the screen as well as sent to your primary email address.

You may check it, resend or download as a PDF file in the Order History section.

Now your domain and website are well on the way, it's a great time to start looking at how best to protect them. Domain Vault is our most advanced domain protection yet. It restricts changes to crucial domain settings and comes with unlimited advanced domain support. Start your free trial today.