Registering a domain name - what you actually do

When you want to get an internet domain name for a new hobby site or online business, or to reserve your own given name as a dot com, the steps are very straightforward.To begin with, decide on the name you want. Many of the domain registration services, like Godaddy, have various tools which you can use. You enter any domain name, and they will tell you whether the domain is owned by someone or not. If it is not yet taken, you can get it for yourself. If it is already owned by someone else, then the domain name registration service will offer you different versions of the domain name to think about, or you could consider other suffixes, such as .info or .org. Although .com domain names are still the most popular, the amount of traffic you will get to your new web site will be due to your web promotion efforts and will have little to do with the domain extension, so don't be to concerned if you cannot get the .com version of the domain name you wanted.So, you have found the name you love, and it is not already owned by someone else, what do you do next?Using a service like Godaddy, and having performed the search for a name and checked that it is not already taken, you will then click on a 'Buy Name Now' button or a similar option.Next you will select the length of time you want to register for – from one to ten years. If you have big plans for the domain, or want it as an investment, go for a longer registration. If the registered domain is just for your indulgence, choose a lesser period.You will then have to give things like your name and address and email contact details. If the domain is for a company, you can also insert the company name. All this is used for the official domain name registration process – the domain is recorded as legally belonging to you, for the period you have registered it for. In technical terms, you become the 'registrant' of the domain, and no-one else can own it.Following on with the registration, you should select if your registration is to be a public or a private one. A public registration will mean that anyone using the Whois lookup service can in future look up the domain name and see who owns it. Depending on the nature of the web site you are going to create, you may believe paying the extra small fee for a private registration which hides your details will be worthwhile to avoid spam or other unwanted contact.After having made your choice, you can give your credit card or Paypal details, make the payment, and the domain becomes yours, for the period of years you have selected. The best registration services like Godaddy will remind you, using the contact details you registered with, when the time arrives to renew the registration of your domain name.Internet domain registration is really as easy as that!Ready to get your new domain name, or just check if the name you want is still unregistered? Click here - register a domain - where we make it easy. Good luck!
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