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How
to Register a Domain Name
Here's
how you register a domain name.
- You can
check the availability of a domain name and register your domain name yourself through any popuplar domain name registar. Or you can ask your web designer to register the name for you. Reliable domain name registration companies include www.GoDaddy.com
 and www.namecheap.com. Make sure you save your user name and password in a place where you'll find it later. You will need it to point the domain name to your servers (hosting).
- Name servers: When submitting a registration or transfer, the registrar will
ask for the name of two domain name servers that contain your
IP address. Your host will give you that information.
- Once your
domain name has been registered or transferred, it can take up to
72 hours before it becomes active but it's usually faster.
Fees
for domain name registration
Each
domain name registration service or registrar, sets its own price
for registering domain names. Fees for .com names range from $8 to $12 to register
a domain name for one year. You can register a domain name for one
or several years.
Some registrars offer free or discounted registration
services in connection with other offers, such as Web hosting. Make
sure they are reliable. Receiving a $10 discount is not worth the
delays and hassles you may encounter.
TIP: Do NOT use your domain registar for hosting! Ask your professional Web designer
to recommend a hosting company. See my hosting recommendations below. |
TIP: Check online for "godaddy coupons" and "namecheap coupons." |
To keep your domain name, you need to renew the registration
and pay a renewal fee when the name expires.
Parking
a domain name
If
you want to reserve a domain name but don't have a hosting company
yet, you may have to pay a fee to a hosting company or registration
service to hold or park your name. Some registrars charge $40 and
others offer free parking. Make sure they are reliable.
| IMPORTANT
TIP: When
registering your domain name, make sure you are both the billing
contact and administrative contact. If your hosting company
lists itself as the billing contact, you won't have much leverage
to keep your domain name if you decide to switch hosts. |
More
tips about domain names
-
A
domain name can include up to 67 characters, including the .com,
.net, .org, .edu, or other extensions.
-
Domains cannot contain spaces.
-
Domain
names are NOT case sensitive, so you can spell your domain in uppercase,
lower case, or a combination of both, e.g. http://www.FiveStarWebDesign.com
or http://www.fivestarwebdesign.com.
-
You can use numbers, letters, and hyphens (dashes) in your domain
name, but the web address cannot start or end with a hyphen.
-
Special
characters such as ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) and ? are not permitted
in web Addresses.
-
Avoid
confusing characters like 0 (zero), l (one), 2, s, and z to minimize
the risk of typos. The number zero (0) can be confused with the
letter O, and the number "1" with the letter "l."
-
-
If you register a domain containing hyphens, also register the same
name without the hyphens. For example, www.five-star-web-design
and www.fivestarwebdesign.com.
Changing
hosting
When
changing hosting companies, you can keep the same domain name and
email address (connected to that domain name e.g. Leva@FiveStarWebDesign.com. You simply transfer your domain name to a different hosting company.
It
is important to protect your business and product names by registering
them as a domain name before someone else does.
Recommended hosting companies:
HostGator
BlueHost
Your hosting needs will vary. Contact me to discuss your web design and hosting needs. |
If you are not experienced with
web design, a professional designer can help you turn your text and
graphics into an easy-to-read, easy-to navigate, professional-looking
web site. Professional designers know which layout and techniques are
most effective. Visit http://www.fivestarwebdesign.com or call Leva
Duell at 760-722-0290.
This
information may be reproduced if the signature
above is included.
.
|
A
professionally-designed Web site can double your sales!
Five Star Web Design specializes in designing professional,
easy-to-read-and-navigate Web sites that build trust, and
generate leads, customers, and sales.
|
.
Contact me for a FREE
consultation, evaluation and quote
(760) 722-0290
Or email me at Leva @ fivestarwebdesign.com
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