In the last post, we talked about some things to bear in mind when starting an online business. One of the most important steps was to pick a domain name and register it. So how do you go about doing this? Read on to find out.
Go to a domain name registrar. You have a lot of choices here. I suggest looking at the following:
1. Go Daddy
2. eNom
3. Tucows
4. Network Solutions
5. 1&1 Internet AG (a.k.a. Schlund.de)
These are the top 5 registrars as of February 2010, according to Wikipedia. For my personal blogs, I use Go Daddy.
I assume that at this point, you already have an idea of what you want your domain name to be. Once you’re in the domain name registrar site, check the availability of your desired domain name. If it’s already taken, you have to try another name. This is why you need several alternatives. You may also change the suffix (instead of .com, try .org, etc.).
Once you get your desired domain name, just follow the online prompts for payment and registration; and you’re all set!
If this sounds like gibberish to you, here is an easier way. Go to www.google.com/apps. You can click on the option Google Apps for Business and read about your options. It is very easy to register a domain name using this, and you get your own Google Apps package as well. I actually use them as I get e-mail, calendar, docs, and more in one go.
Originally posted on April 14, 2010 @ 10:54 am