Go from a newbie to a pro!
Follow Us!
Guides
Buying A Domain Name
Before you can advertise your website, it's probably a good idea to purchase a domain name. Whenever you go to a popular website like Google or Amazon, you are typing in their domain name not the actual computer's name. The main purpose of using a domain name is so we do not have to memorize IP addresses. Who would want to remember that 66.135.221.11 is an IP address to get to Ebay.com? Domain names make it easier for humans to remember web site addresses.
Note: If you really want to find out the IP address to a popular web site, you can try "pinging" the site. Just open up to a shell (i.e C:\) and type in: ping google.com. You should then see the IP address (xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx) show up.
Choosing A Domain
The goal of choosing a domain name is the shorter the better. Here are some basic guidelines for selecting a domain:
- You should strive to get a .com address. They are the de-facto name for domains. If you are unable to get a .com domain, try buying a .net or .org name.
- Try not to include hyphens (-). These make it harder to tell people your address. Who wants to explain their web site as: cheap (hyphen) video (hyphen) games.com?
- Try using foriegn words. If you want to start a pool cleaning business and you don't have a name yet, try getting a domain like: piscinacleaning.com.
- Try to create a novelty domain name like del.icio.us. They used the Top Level Domain (TLD) of .us to create the word delicious.
Buying Your Domain
Once you have found a domain name that you like and can be purchased, you will need to use a domain registrar to purchase it on your behalf. Domain registrars act in a similar way to financial brokers, they act as a "bank" for domain names. By far, the most popular domain registrar is Godaddy or Network Solutions.
You can use the domain search box to help get you started on finding your perfect domain..