If you have your own small business, freelance your professional services or just have a hobby you like to share with others, your own website is something you cannot be without. The first step in setting up your site is to officially register your domain name, the “www” address people will use to find you.
It’s not as difficult—or as expensive—as you may think. Here are the steps to follow to acquire your own domain:
- Think of the name you’d like to use. Be warned: There are literally tens of millions of websites already registered worldwide (No one knows the exact number), so some of the “obvious” choices may not be available. Have alternatives ready. Be as creative and unusual as possible, yet try to have the name somehow relate to your site’s subject. And understand you can use punctuation to create a unique domain when the name you’d prefer is already taken. (For example, “I Love Dachshunds” may not be available, but “I-Love-Dachshunds” might.)
- Choose an online registration site. There are dozens of them on the Internet. In your favorite search engine (e.g., Google, Yahoo, etc.), search for “Domain Registration,” pull up some of the top pages listed and compare their prices.
- Use the tools provided to search for the name you’d like for yourself. If it’s available, great! If not, try the variations described in Step 1. You may also try a suffix other than .com (commercial), such as .net (network), .biz (business) or .tv (normally for TV shows, but available to individuals as well).
- Once the name you’ve chosen is approved, fill out the rest of the application.
- Pay the filing fee as directed by the registration site.
And that’s it! You now have a domain name all your own!
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