A custom domain name is your address on the internet. It makes up part of the URL shown at the top of your browser window and lets visitors and customers find your website and contact you via email. It also gives you control over your online presence. Domain names are rented, not purchased forever, and can be registered separately from your website host. It’s not hard to register domain names, but it does require following some basic steps to get the best deal and protect your domain name purchase.
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Do I Have To Have a Domain Name?
While you can avoid buying a domain name by choosing a free domain name option, such as a domain name bundle or first-year domain name registration bundle with some of the best web hosting or one of the best website builders, you’ll usually come out better buying domain names. Unless you use a platform like social media, you’ll need a domain name for your website.
A lot of businesses opt to use social media instead of creating a business website. While social media profiles are free and don’t require a domain name, they can leave your business at risk of being deactivated, being hidden by algorithms and tied to the content rules of the platform.
In some cases, businesses have lost millions of viewers through no fault of their own by only trusting social media accounts. Registering a custom domain to use as a permanent point of contact online protects your business and builds credibility. How to register a domain name is a straightforward process requiring minimal time and monetary investment.
1. Pick a Domain Name
The first step in registering a domain name is choosing the name you want to use. While you could change it by registering a new name later, it is generally considered best practice to avoid changing domain names when possible.
Domain Name Rules
There aren’t many rules on what you can use as a domain name, but there are a few. For example, sections can’t be more than 63 characters. However, unless you’re writing a paper about the lung disease Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis or building a website for Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch tourism, you probably won’t come close to hitting that maximum.
The main domain name rules are:
- English-language letters and numbers only; no special characters are allowed
- Hyphens are allowed but not at the beginning or end of a domain name
- No strings of hyphens
- No spaces
- Domain name length must be between 3 and 63 characters per section and no more than 253 characters in total
- Domain names are not case-sensitive
Domain Name Best Practices
Beyond registration restrictions, there are several best practices to help make your domain name easy to remember and avoid faux pas.
- Keep names under 20 characters
- Use a name as close to your business name as possible
- Be careful when using multiple words to avoid embarrassing combinations
- Use standard spellings
- Avoid names similar to larger brands
How To Think of a Domain Name for Your Website
Before you register domain names, you have to think of the domain name itself. Personally, I prefer to brainstorm name ideas before checking availability and always recommend creating at least 5 or 6 possible names. That’s because it’s easy to get frustrated if your preferred name isn’t available. Without that list of alternatives ready, that frustration often leads to creating a low-quality domain name just to get something live.
Choose something easy to pronounce and spell. Avoid dashes and repetitive letters. Be careful with trendy TLDs unless your target group is ready for TLDs like .shopping or .coffee.
—Phillip Stemann, SEO consultant at Phillip Stemann
If you need help brainstorming names, most registrars have domain name generators available to help out. However, many of those check availability at the same time and can start that spiral of trying to find anything available instead of really picking names that are a good fit for your business.
To avoid that, I prefer to use a stand-alone system, such as Perplexity.ai, to ask for name suggestions. While many are copied from domain name idea articles, they often give me ideas of where to start.
When picking your list of name alternatives, remember that some terms usually cost more if they are part of the name such as SaaS or tech.
What Is the Best Domain Extension?
A domain extension is the part after the dot. For example, .com and .org are domain extensions. Domain extensions are also called top-level domains (TLDs). There are hundreds of TLDs available to use with your domain purchase, but most domain registrars only carry a fraction of that number.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) manages what TLDs are available (outside of country code TLDs like .uk) and then turns over the management of different domains to other organizations. Registrars then buy the rights to sell use of TLDs to others.
If you’re an international or U.S.-based business, my first approach with clients is to acquire the .com if it’s not in use. If that’s not possible, the next best approach is to pair it with a verb, e.g., get/go/drink. That strategy has been used by brands like … Hint Water, which uses drinkhint.com.
—Matthew Gatley, marketing director at WeKnowGrowth
Some TLDs are restricted from public use. For example, you can’t register a domain name ending in .mil, .gov or .arpa. Some TLDs are restricted by organizations as well, such as .realtor only being available to licensed realtors. If you think you qualify for a restricted domain extension, check with the organization that manages each restricted TLD to see what the rules are for domain name registration.
The best domain extension will depend on your business. More widely known TLDs, such as .com, .info and .net, are trusted by the general public, but niche TLDs, such as .tech for technical businesses, .shop for e-commerce, .music for bands, .cv for resumes or curriculum vitae and .art for creative businesses, are gaining popularity quickly.
Another consideration when you register domains is that some domains cost more than others. For example, .tech TLDs generally cost more than .com domains.
2. Pick a Domain Name Registrar
Where you buy your domain matters. For example, if you already have a web host in mind, your hosting package might offer a first-year free domain name. However, depending on the host, it might register the domain in its name, not yours, so you must check the terms and conditions carefully.
Likewise, you need to look for an ICANN-accredited registrar to ensure you are really buying the domain name.
When choosing a registrar, I like to price-check several to see what is included in the registration, what the renewal fees are and what the transfer fees are in case I ever move the domain to a new registrar.
Be aware that not all registrars offer all TLDs, and some charge extra for SSLs or domain privacy with Whois.
Who Is the Best Domain Name Registrar?
The best domain registrars have a great reputation and often include extras like SSLs and domain privacy with Whois at no extra cost, but each has a different pricing philosophy. Namecheap has a strong reputation for low-cost domains but charges extra for SLL and “premium” DNS. Dynadot offers a great introductory rate with free domain privacy but often has inflated renewal rates together.
Most domain registrars offer some sort of bundle or discount.
IONOS offers bundles such as 50% off its website builder if you register a .com domain. One of my personal favorites, Cloudflare, offers free privacy and SSL with a happy medium of first-year and renewal rate pricing. Whois also offers domain registration and often offers bundled pricing for buying your chosen name with multiple TLD extensions
3. Buy the Domain Name
Everyone says, “buy a domain,” but you aren’t actually buying it, only licensing the use of the domain name for a set period of time. As discussed above, every domain registrar takes a different approach to licensing and can set prices without much interference after ICANN lifted domain caps on some TLDs.
That decision led to concerns over soaring prices, and in 2024, Namecheap filed a lawsuit to return price caps to the .org domains.
Part of buying a domain name includes choosing how long you want to register the name for.
How to register a domain name step-by-step:
- Use the search feature for your chosen registrar to see if the name is available.
- Click add to cart or confirm next to the available domain name you wish to license.
- Choose the length of time you’d like to register the domain for.
- Select any extra items you’d like to add to the order.
- Enter your personal and company contact information (note that this will be publicly available without Whois privacy for the domain).
- Enter your payment information and finalize the purchase.
- Enable automatic domain renewal to prevent accidentally allowing the domain name to lapse.
Can I Get a Free Domain Name?
Yes, you can get a free domain, although your choices are limited. You can often get a free domain name for one year bundled with your hosting plan, or you can opt for a free subdomain with most website builder plans. However, Freenom, a free domain name registrar, stopped operations after a lawsuit from Meta.
What To Do After Getting a Domain Name
Now that you have your domain, you have to set it up. That is, unless you bought it through your website host. If you registered a name through your website host, the host generally handles the pointing automatically.
If you need to point a domain yourself, you’ll do that by updating the domain name servers (DNS) from your domain registrar’s dashboard. The process can vary a bit, but almost every domain registrar has great instructions to walk you through it. Mostly it boils down to copying and pasting a bit of code between your web host and the registrar.
A custom domain name helps you create a unified contact point across all media.
If you want a business email, you’ll also need to adjust your mail pointing by changing the MX, SPF and DKIM settings. Again, while that sounds really technical, most email hosts will complete the process for you automatically.
Finally, add your new domain URL to all of your business docs such as letterhead, email signatures and social media profiles, including your Google Business profile. Once all that is done, you’ll have a unified brand point of contact across media.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is it worth registering a domain name?
Yes, it is absolutely worth registering a domain name. Even if you aren’t planning on using it immediately, the cost is generally low ($10 to $50 per year), and as the pool of domain names under popular TLDs such as .com shrinks, it is important to get the name of your business before another company, or domain speculator, does.
What is required to register domain names?
To register most domain names with a valid registrar, you just need your contact information (or company contact information) and a payment method. A restricted-use TLD will require proving your eligibility for that TLD, however. There may also be a few cases where you need to verify your identity. While registrars rarely check at the time of registration, it’s also good to remember you can’t trample on the copyrights or trademarks of others with your domain name.
What is the 60-day lock on domain names?
ICANN requires a 60-day hold on domain registration changes after a significant change in information or registration. This prevents rapid domain registration changes that cybercriminals and scammers could employ to steal names. Your domain registrar is allowed to (but not required to) give an exemption from the 60-day lock.
Do I have to transfer my domain name to my website host?
No, you do not have to transfer your domain name to your web host. In fact, it’s considered a best practice to keep hosting and domain registration separate in most cases. To use a domain name registered separately, you’ll either change the nameservers or your DNS records to connect the domain to your hosting. Changing nameservers and DNS records are not affected by the 60-day domain lock.
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