How to get a domain name

Many beginning internet marketers want to know how to get a domain name. Here’s the process you should follow so you avoid spending more money than you need to.

Choose a domain name that’s easy for people to remember. If you already have a business name, then it’s pretty easy to choose. But if it’s taken already, you might have to be a little more creative. Let’s say your business name is “Bob’s Barbershop” but it’s already taken. You can add your city to the domain name, like www.bobsbarbershopinorlando.com , or add “the” to the front of it like this www.thebobsbarbershop.com . You can also use hyphens in your name but this might be a little difficult for people to understand.

If you don’t have a business name yet, you can do a little keyword research and include those good keywords in your domain name. For instance, I had a website called www.youcanloseweight2.com that was focused on, you guessed it, weight loss products.

There are still lots of really good domain names available that include good keywords in them. You can see a list at Easy Domain Names.  

How to register your domain name

Once you decide on your domain name, you need to register it with a domain name company. The most popular one that everyone is familiar with would be Go Daddy. I’ve read many horror stories regarding Go Daddy and my personal experience is that it’s been difficult to manage my domains with them. For more stories and experiences that will help you make your decision, go to No Daddy.

I’ve used Namecheap for years to register my domain names. One reason I like them is that they are a little bit cheaper than other companies and they also block your personal information on the WHOIS registry for free. Other companies will make you pay for that service.

Your Next Steps

When you register your domain name, the company you choose will ask you if you want to use their hosting service. Here’s another warning: Do Not Host Your Domain Name with Your Domain Registrar Company. The reason is that if you decide to go with another hosting company later on, you will have most likely have problems making the transfer.

Hostgator is a great company. I’ve been using them for years and have had very few problems and none that their support department couldn’t fix for me.

Once you’ve registered your domain name, and you’ve selected your hosting company, you need to make sure your domain name is pointed to your hosting company’s nameserver or you won’t see it when you go online. It takes time for the hosting company to propogate your site, usually 24 hours.

Go into your hosting cpanel to see what that is. If you have problems finding this information, you can ask the support department of your hosting company for help.

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