The registration of a domain name is a simple process, even if you are doing it for the very first time. The process for the first-time domain buyer can be broken down into the following steps:

1. You decide on the name you want to buy.
2. You sign up with a domain registration service (this is free).
3. You buy the domain you want using your credit card (this takes a few minutes).
4. You leave the domain name parked with the registrar (as an investment for later, or until you decide what to do with it); or you develop a web site for the domain.

 

Let's look at these steps in detail.

Deciding on your name

You may know the domain name you want already, and know it is still free - if you don't, just type the name in a browser to see if it is already taken. If it isn't taken, then you can buy it.

If you are not sure about the name you want, you need to do some brainstorming. Short, generic names are the most valuable, but they are in very short supply now. If you need ideas, go to a domain name registrar like Godaddy and use their tools to suggest a free (unregistered) name based on the theme or subject you have in mind.

Signing up with a domain registration service

Go to a service like Godaddy, and register yourself. This means you will have to enter your name and contact address, so that any domain names you buy are registered to you. You also have to enter your credit card details. There is no cost to you for signing up, and you can get an overview of the process of registering a domain and read a FAQ about it before going any further.

Buy the domain you want

After you have registered, you can buy any domain name you want, as long as it is still free. Note that the .com name extension is still the most popular one, though you could buy .net, .info, .org, .tv, or .biz versions of the name if the .com is taken. Expect to pay about $10 for the registration, and then the same every year you want to keep the name registered.

 

Park the name, or build a site

Services like Godaddy allow you to simply 'park' the domain with them. You own the domain, and no-one else can buy it, unless they make you an acceptable offer of course. Or, you can find a host and build a website for the domain, which is the next step in making the domain a valuable asset.

Thinking about registering domain names for your website? Trying to find a good, cheap domain name?

If you have a look around, you'll find that registering domain names can cost between $2.99 - $34.99 per year. It all depends on whether your domain name ends with .com and what features are included.

As a general rule, good .com internet domain names cost around $10 per year to register. For this price, you should get the following features:

1. Free domain name forwarding and masking. This is when a visitor types in your website address and gets automatically redirected to a different website address.

2. A personalized email account. An email account with your domain name that you can access from both your email program (POP mail) and a website (webmail).

3. Unlimited email addresses (aliases) that you can forward to any email account. For example, you could create three accounts with your domain name (i.e. info@... , sales@..., and feedback@...) and any mail that was sent to these addresses would automatically get forwarded to whatever email address you want.

4. Full DNS access. Be careful with this one. Not all registrars provide you with complete access to your DNS settings. You should be able to point your website to the Domain Name Servers of any web host in the world. For example, if you have a free blog at Blogger or WordPress, you should be able to change your DNS servers so instead of typing in yourdomain.blogger.com, they just type in your domain name. (But if you don't have complete control over your DNS settings, it won't work.)

5. Free Parking. If someone tries to visit your internet domain name, they can be sent to a temporary generic page that says your site is coming.

6. You may or may not get free domain privacy. When you register a domain name, all of your contact information (full name, mailing address, email address, and telephone number) is published in the WHOIS database that can be accessed by anyone. Some registrars offer a privacy feature where they will list their corporate contact information instead of your personal information to protect your privacy from spam and prying eyes. (You still retain full control of the domain name)

If a company is registering domain names for less than $10 per year, then look at the fine print to see which services you are missing. Remember, no registrar will give you a refund when registering domain names.

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