How do you register a domain name? Affordable Domain Registration
A Domain name is a Web address that tells visitors where to find your online business. Your domain name is the central structure of your online presence. Choosing the right domain name and registering it are essential key steps for securing your company’s online presence. Registering a domain name at times can become a lengthy process. Don’t worry.
This article will guide you with how to register a domain name easily and hassle-free.
- If you already have a domain name that you want to use, you must check for its availability.
- Then, you must register with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). They assign and categorize different types of domain names and ensure that the process goes seamlessly.
- In order to register a name with ICANN, you must contact a domain name registrar.
- After registering the domain name which you wish to register with for your website, the last thing is to assign the duration of that domain.
- You can buy the domain name for a year and then get it renewed yearly, but renewal charges are 4 times more than the original price.
- Now, all you have to do is deal with the payment.
S.No | Domain Name | Website |
---|---|---|
1 | Web.com | https://www.web.com/ |
2 | Bluehost | https://www.bluehost.com/ |
3 | Namecheap | https://www.namecheap.com/ |
4 | Hostgator | https://www.hostgator.com/ |
5 | GoDaddy.com | https://www.godaddy.com |
Different type of domain extensions
There are different type of domain extensions which are categorized into different groups. For example, International country codes Top Level Domain, Sponsored Domains, and Industry Domain Names, and much more. Let’s have a look at all the different varieties of domain extensions:
Top Level Domain
The top Level Domain or TLD is the last part of a domain name like .com, .in, .club, etc. The six top level domain extensions, which represent the highest level in the Domain Name System hierarchy, are listed below:
- .com– This is the first top-level domain in common use. Shorthand for commercial, .com was initially created for the usage of commercial businesses. .com had now become the most popular and commonly used type of top-level domain for businesses, websites, and email.
- .net– Short form of network, .net was created for institutes those work in network technologies such as an internet service provider or an infrastructure company. Later, it became one of the more popular top-level domains, with many seeing it as a close second to using the .com top level domain.
- .edu– .edu was created for educational institutions. Shorthand for education, it was intended for universities everywhere. Schools from other countries use .edu in combination with their country-level domain.
- .org– Short form for the organization, .org was made for nonprofit organizations. But the usage wasn’t confined to nonprofits. These days, .ors is used as top-level domain by nonprofits, profit businesses, schools, and communities.
- .mil– .mil, short form for military, was created for U.S. military branches. Now, it is very common for .mil to use second and third-level domains in combination with the .mil Top Level Domain.
- .gov– .gov, short form for government, was restricted for governmental agencies and personnel use only. These days .gov is used by governmental agencies, government programs, cities, states, towns, and counties.
1. Country Code Top Level Domain
Country Code TLD or ccTLD are the ones ending with two letters representing a country. In order to differentiate one country from another, particularly one that would like to use a top level domain such as .gov or .mil, two letter countries domain names were established to resonate with countries or geographical locations. For example, .uk and .au, to represent England and Australia, respectively. When initially created, the ccTLD was to be limited to those countries residents. However, certain countries have let outside parties register domain names using their country code.
2. Generic Top Level Domain
Generic top-level domains or gTLD function as a category of top-level domains within the domain name system. Out of 1,500 gTLDs already in use, these 21 generic top level domain names make up the vast majority of all types of domain names. They include four sub-categories:
- Generic domain names that can be used for general purposes. (.com, .net, .org, .info)
- Generic restricted domains that can only be used for their specific purposes. (.pro, .biz, .name)
- Sponsored domain names that can only be used by businesses involved specifically with that industry. (.edu, .int, .mil, .gov, .aero, .asia, .mobi, .cat, .coop, .travel, .tel, .jobs)
- Infrastructure domains which were one of the original top-level domains used to help with the DNS infrastructure. (.arpa)
3. Second Level Domains
The second-level domains are domains that come before the top-level domains. For example, in Wix.com, Wix is the second-level domain of the top-level domain .com. Quite often; second-level domains are the name of the businesses or merchants those register the domain name with a registrar. Second level domains are sometimes combined with country code second-level domains (ccSLD). The second-level domain will be found to the right side. For instance, in a domain such as nike.co.ca, the ccTLD is .ca, and the ccSLD is .co.
4. Third Level Domain
The third-level domain naturally follows the second-level domain. It can be found to the left of SLD and is often referred to as the sub-domain. Bigger companies will often use third-level domains as identifiers that can differentiate between various departments. Some refer to a specific server within the company while others are used to balance the load on sites with heavy traffic. For example, names like www1 or www2 are used for this purpose.
How much does it cost to register a domain name per country?
You can either buy a brand new domain name, or purchase one that’s been registered for a while, but not in use. Now, if you are thinking that how much does it cost to register a domain name per country, well, here are few estimates:
- A brand new domain will cost you around $10-15 a year, depending on registrar and Top Level Domain.
- An Aged domain can be a bit costlier. It can range from hundreds to millions of dollars.
- The Price of your domain name depends on many factors like the age of domains, keywords and length.
- For examples, Hotels.com sold for around $11 million in 2001, Beer.com sold for $7 million in 2004, and SEO.com sold for $5 million in 2007.
- You will pay a domain fee every year to keep the domain, which varies depending on your registrar.
You can find the detailed cost of your domain name for your country at your registrar’s website. Almost each domain name registrar has mentioned the cost of a domain name, categorized by extension type and country type.
Tips for affordable domain registration
- Use domain generators for clever ideas
- Select a trusted and affordable registrar
- Keep track of hidden services.
- Stick with .com
- Use relevant keywords
- Keep your domain name short
- Make it easy to pronounce and spell
- Avoid hyphens and double letters in the domain name
- Leave room to expand
- Register for 2 years to avoid renewal charges
- Get a free domain with web hosting
Conclusion
With this enlightening information and tips, you’re ready to purchase a great, cheap domain name. Choose the domain extension according to your business type. You can even use different combinations of domain extensions. Stress upon the importance if the domain name and try to make it user-friendly and attractive.