How to Register a Domain name

When you have decided what your domain name is going to be, you have to register it with a domain name registrar. If you need some help choosing your domain name, read our post ‘10 Steps to Choosing a Domain Name‘ to help you. A domain name registrar manages the registration of domain names and holds all the necessary information about the owner.  There are many domain name registrars out there and it is worth doing your research before you decide which provider you are going to register with. We show you how to register a domain name and choose a registrar.

Find Domain Name Registrars

Performing a simple search for ‘domain name registrar reviews’ will provide you with a number of useful resources to start your research.

how to register a domain name

Cost of registration

The cost of registering a domain can vary widely from provider to provider so it’s worth comparing costs from a number of different providers for your specific domain name.

Customer support

Check the levels of support given by the provider. If this is your business and something goes wrong with your domain, you want to know that they are at the end of the phone when you need them to be. This is where it is useful to check forums; you will get real life stories from real life customers on the support given by various providers.

Reliability

Choose a domain name provider that is reliable and has a good reputation. The internet is huge business and there are new providers popping up all the time. Do not risk losing your domain because your domain name provider is a flash in the pan.

Additional extras and special offers

special-offerMany domain name providers offer extras or specials in an effort to upsell their other products or services. Do not be tempted to sign up for any additional services without first doing your homework. Some providers offer free domains with their web-hosting package or offer to register your domain name for you.  Be wary of these offers and read the small print, the provider often registers the domain in their own name making a transfer in the future a tricky business. Even if the provider assures you that they will register in your name, you lose that element of control over your domain name registration and again, if you want to move providers in the future, this can make the whole process much more difficult. Also, check the web hosting costs in comparison to other web hosting packages, you may save on domain name registration but pay over the odds for web hosting!

Length of registration

Once you have decided on your domain name, it is a good idea to register for as long as possible. Ensure that you renew your registration on time to avoid losing your valuable domain name!

Location of Registrar

globe-oceaniaYou may want to consider choosing a registrar based in your country of residence. There are horror stories of people contacting their overseas registrar to transfer their domain name registration only to find that they spend hours on the phone being passed from pillar to post, from company to company, trying to track down who actually is managing their registration. Choosing a local registrar also means that they will generally keep the same business hours as you, so you can easily contact them when you need them.

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