cheap domain name registration
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- Tips for Choosing a Domain Name
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Domain names are your identity on the Internet. Whenever you think of a famous site by name like Amazon.com, ebay.com, etc. you're thinking about their domain name.
Do you need it?
Unless you're looking for a completely free hosting package, where you'll be getting a free domain name like www.your-free-provider.com/~yourname, you will need to register your own domain name. You might end up registering more than one!
How Domain Names work
Every Internet site is identified by a series of numbers called an <IP address>. For example, if you type into your browser's address bar the following number: 72.21.210.250, you will get the site called Amazon.com.
No one is going to remember these numbers by heart, though, and that's where Domain Names come into play. Each IP address can be associated with a domain name. Type the domain name in your address bar—in this example, www.amazon.com—and your browser will go to the IP address mentioned above.
These name/address couples are stored on <DNS servers> throughout the world. When you register a domain name, you in fact buy the right to say that www.your-domain-name.com is connected with your IP address, for a period of X years.
Getting a Domain Name
You buy a domain name through a Domain Registrar.
Most hosting providers offer domain registration services as well, but there are some companies that specialize in domain names. Keeping your domain name separated from your hosting package might be a good idea: if you ever want to change your hosting provider, it might simplify the move; and if you'll be managing more than one website (give yourself room to grow!), you can manage all your domain names in one place, even if you host each site with a different provider. Besides, some companies have great deals on domain names but not on hosting, and vice-versa.
Choosing your domain name consists of two parts: selecting the name itself (like "Amazon"), and selecting the extension (like ".com", ".co.uk", ".ca", etc.). The combination you choose must be unclaimed worldwide. You'll find a free "check availability" tool on every registrar's website, but careful! If you do multiple searches of a good trendy name, they might claim it themselves before you place your order.
You can buy your domain name before or after you buy a hosting plan, but it will lead to your site only when you've connected the two. Making this connection is simple:
- Your hosting provider needs to know your domain name
- Your registrar needs to know the address of at least two DNS servers, which your hosting provider will give you.
It may seem an impossible cycle, but it's not. You can usually give your hosting provider the name you plan to buy, or even a temporary name like www.my-temp-name.com. You'll be given DNS addresses even at this stage, which you can give to your registrar when you buy the domain name. If you bought a different name than the one you gave your hosting provider, go back to him and ask him to change it.
Alternatively, when you buy a domain name, it usually comes with two default DNS addresses that belong to the domain registrar. When you buy a hosting plan, you'll have a real domain name to supply, and you'll get your own DNS addresses. Go back to your domain registrar and change the DNS addresses to the ones you just received (usually through an online dashboard), and you're done.
Shopping for a domain name? Look for . . .
- A domain registrar who is accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
- A registrar that will not charge fees for transferring domain names to him or from him (in case you ever decide to move your domain names to another registrar).
- A registrar who offers free "auto-renew" services—you wouldn't want to lose your domain because you lost track of time.
- Good prices for the first year and for all subsequent renewals. It won't do to buy a $1.99 domain for the first year, which then renews at $30.
Tips for choosing your domain name
- Make it short, memorable, and easy to spell.
- Don't be tempted by cheap, exotic extensions like ".ws" or ".to". Unless your site has a very specific niche (e.g. military, government, education), stick with ".com", ".org", ".net", or even ".info" if you must.
- Make it meaningful. If you're opening an online store for children's pyjamas, "the-colorful-zebra.com" will be less efficient than "colorful-zebra-pyjamas.com" (unless you already have a strong brand called The Colorful Zebra).
- Include your site's major keyword in your domain name. This will help your <search engine ranking>, and will also make your domain name more informative (see #3).
