If you want to start a blog or create a website, you will need to register a domain name. Domain name is nothing but the name of your website. Finding and registering the perfect domain name might sound technical if you have never been through the process.
Fortunately, the domain registration process has become simpler these days. You just have to follow few steps and you will be done.
This domain registration guide will tell you how to buy a domain name, best place to buy domain name and the best way to buy domain name. So, no matter what domain you want, you will know how to get it by the end of this post.
Your domain name is the frontline in branding for your online business. Careful consideration needs to be taken while choosing the domain name to represent your business. If you don’t have the knowledge about domain name registration, you might feel what these jargons are. First you need to understand what these terms mean before you even jump on to buy one for yourself.
Since you are investing money to buy a domain name, it is better to have good information in place to make the right decision for yourself. If you understand what domain name are, then you will have a question how to buy a domain name, best place to buy a domain name and the best way to buy them and so on.
There are many domain registrar companies around there, it makes you confused which is the best one among them. It takes many days to conclude and then buy a domain name finally.
I know a few of my friends who did not have any knowledge about domain name and how to get one for themselves. They approached me and said, you have your website so it would be great if you could help me get my domain name registered.
I realized at that time that it’s not only buying domain names but also get the hosting and configure to the domain name server before you could get your website running.
Just by knowing that you need to buy a domain name is not enough, but the process involved in getting the website running is when your purpose of buying a domain name is fulfilled.
This made me write the whole process involved in registering a domain name and how to make it run.
Here, you will understand the different jargons associated with domain names and address a few of the concerns which you would have in mind or might not even know that exists. By the end of this article, you will be clear and confident enough to buy a domain name and register it without being dependent on someone. Let’s get started.
What is a domain name?
A domain name is the physical address of your website in a host server where the website is hosted. Nameserver is a specialized server on the internet that helps to connect domain names with the IP address (e.g., 192.168.001.123) which is also called the “Phone Book of internet”.
Will you be able to remember the IP address with so many numbers? No, right? Hence it is made easy by giving a specific name to the different IP addresses which are called a domain name.
Let’s take an example to understand it better, suppose you want to call your friend (say Asha), you will call her to her phone number which is the address of Asha in your mobile.
Similarly, when you try to access any website, you enter its domain name on the search engine to view the website.
How to buy domain name?
Once you have decided on what domain name you want to buy, and which domain registrar company is good for you. You can visit that company’s website and find if your domain name is available or not. If it is available, then you are fortunate to buy it by signing up with an account on their website.
Best way to buy domain name
Choosing the right domain registrar is very important since you might get tricked at times. Not all domain registrars have the license to sell domain name extensions. For example, some domain registrars can sell domain names with country-specific extensions like .in, .io, etc.
Each registrar may offer different services. Few will charge high prices for domain names and others might charge less to attract customers.
Following are a few things to check when choosing a domain name.
- There are many add-on pricings which automatically appear while buying a domain names. You need to uncheck them before you can check out the order.
- Check the reviews of user’s experience who are already using the service from a particular domain registrar company.
- Check the hidden fees when choosing the domain registrar, since there are many companies which offer cheap domain names for the first year to attract customers, but the renewal cost will be high. Some might even charge additional fee for transferring the domain names in case you want to.
Best place to buy domain name
Personally, I would prefer to buy a domain name from GoDaddy since they have reasonable prices, and their service is very good. I have been using their services since 2017 and I had a great experience so far. GoDaddy is one of the oldest and popular domain registrar companies out there. They offer a wide variety of domain extensions to choose from.
How to buy domain name from GoDaddy?
Follow the below steps to register a domain name with GoDaddy:
- Go to GoDaddy website and sign up to create an account.
- Click on the search bar and type your domain name to check if it is available.
- If yes, then you can add it to your cart. If no, then you will be prompted to find a different domain name.
- Uncheck if there are any add-on services added in it and check out your order.
Well done! You have finally purchased a domain name yourself. Isn’t that easy?
Once you have bought the domain name, you will receive an email with name server details. There will be two nameservers since the second nameserver acts as a backup in case one name server goes down.
I hope you can resonate with what we discussed about name servers above. Once you have the name server, you need to update your current nameserver which initially points to the GoDaddy homepage when you try to open your site with the domain name you purchased.
Go to GoDaddy DNS dropdown and click on manage DNS, search for your domain name. Once you find your registered domain name, click on the 3 dots beside it and click on Add nameserver. Add both the nameserver details here. Finally, press saves and finish the configuration process.
It is that simple!!
Now let’s address a few of the questions which people have in common.
Can I buy domain name permanently?
You cannot buy domain names forever. You can buy it for a maximum of 10 years and renew it again. You are just renting an address for your website with the domain registrar company.
Is buying domain names legal? Is it legal to buy competitor’s domain name?
There are people who try to buy the existing domain and sell it at an inflated price which is illegal. Though you can buy domain name if someone has not renewed it even after getting reminders from the domain registrar company. Same applies for competitors as well.
Can someone steal my domain name?
Yes, your domain name can be stolen if not secured. Hence to protect your domain name, use a service that hides your email address from the public.
How can I protect my domain name
There are services available with the domain registrar companies such as whois protection, privacy guard or whois proxy etc. You can avail of these additional services to keep your website super secured.
Can you get sued for having a similar domain name?
Yes, you are likely to have breached the trademark right and other parties can claim to take legal action against you.
Conclusion
In this article, you have learned about domain names and how they work. Hope you found it easy to understand. Go for domain extensions that are strongest and the most popular one is .com. Avoid hidden charges and choose the correct payment gateways for your purchase.