How to register a domain name on internet: 6 tips you must know

Maybe you’ve been thinking of creating your professional website or an e-Commerce to sell products for a long time. The first step in both cases is to register a domain name, but do you know how to do it? In this article, we will explain the most relevant aspects that you must pay attention. Before we start, let´s talk about what is exactly a domain name.

The domain name is the way to identify and translate the IP address, facilitating the possibility of finding it on the internet. However, if we want to make a website visible, it is necessary to take into consideration other elements such as the hosting and the server.

A domain name and a web hosting are two concepts closely linked to each other, so it is important to know them correctly. When you register a domain name on the internet, you must keep in mind that you will need to choose a web hosting to make your website visible in the future. Without a web hosting, there is no website, even though you have the best domain name of this world.

So, to register a domain name is always very important to know the process of choosing the right website hosting. There are five different types of website hosting available at the moment:

  • Shared hosting: one server hosts many websites.
  • Dedicated server: you are given sole use of a full physical server, which means that you have all the processing power and memory. However, you need to manage the whole platform (operating system and web server).
  • Cloud hosting: in this case, your site doesn´t exist on just one server, but it´s copied to multiple servers around the world.
  • Virtual Private Server (VPS): they are equivalent to a dedicated physical server but more easily created, configured and cheaper. You have your own server but with less processing power and memory.
  • Managed hosting: this is built on top of either a Virtual Private Server or dedicated server.

Generally, people prefer a shared hosting rather than a cloud hosting or dedicated server. However, when websites have a lot of traffic it´s advisable a managed hosting.

Knowing how to correctly choose the name of a domain is vital. Knowing how to choose the name of a domain is vital correctly. It may seem like an easy decision, but choosing a suitable name for your website is very complex and important. If you want to choose the right domain name, you must pay attention to the following tips.

Use more than six characters, but less than fifteen

The first thing that you must know is that a domain name must not exceed 15 characters because it would be too difficult to memorize. In addition, it must be easy to type and pronounce. You can select a domain name based on these situations:

  1. If the domain name is for individual websites: people tend to use the name of the creator of the website.
  2. If the domain name is for a corporate website: choosing the domain for the corporate website of a company can seem very simple. The logical thing is that it matches the name of the company. And the same thing happens when it comes to a brand.
  3. If the domain is for e-Commerce: experts affirm that online stores´ names must be the domain name or the keywords of the business, but never more than three words.

Use the right domain name extension

Choosing the right domain name extension is vital. Depending on the goals of your website, it is more useful to choose one domain name extension or another. Nowadays, “.com” is still the best option for corporate websites and e-Commerce.

Know the availability on social media sites

You must check if the domain name that you would like to use is available on social media sites or if there are any trademarks registered to that name. In order to build a brand, it´s important to use the same name across your domain and social networks. This will help your customers to find you on the internet easily.

Create an SPF record for your domain name

A Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is a method of fighting spam and is a TXT record which is part of a domain´s DNS zone file. In other words, if you want to send free email marketing to your customers or target audience you need to create an SPF record or hire an expert to do it.

Be aware of legal aspects

The fact of registering a domain name entails many legal aspects that you must know. For example, it is important that the company, in which we are going to purchase the domain, is accredited by ICANN. It is also necessary to know that all the different territorial domains have a specific legislation. Don´t use names that are similar to other brands and you do not violate someone´s intellectual property rights by searching patents or trademarks databases.

Know how to register a domain in five steps

Domain registration may seem like a simple action because it´s the process of having control over a name in exchange for money. There are five steps that you must follow:

  1. Select a good name for your website: you must use words that describe your company or brand because it will be helpful with search rankings. Be always creative and concise when you are thinking of domain names.
  2. Choose one website domain name registrar: there are plenty of options suck us: GoDaddy, Enom, Namecheap, register.com or domain.com.
  3. If your domain name is not taken, you can order it: this process can be very fast or not, depending on the availability of your domain name. So, try to think of a couple of domain names to not lose too much time in this step.
  4. Know the duration of your domain: domains can expire after one or more years.
  5. Pay all the registration fees: after this point, you will need to point the domain name to your web hosting. Payments are usually made by credit card, although there are also websites that allow you to use Pay Pal or bank transfers.

We hope you´ve enjoyed this article about six tips for choosing the right domain name and remember how important is to select the best domain name for each business.