Registering Your Domain Name

Now that you've chosen your domain name, you need to register (purchase) it. This is done through one of the many registrar's on the Internet. These days there are many to choose from.

A registrar will require your contact information, payment for the registration (costs will vary depending upon type of domain you choose, length of registration, and so on), selection of a registration term, etc. After you purchase your domain, you will have to wait up to 48 hours for the domain to "work".

It's important to remember that registration of a domain name IS NOT the same as hosting. Some registrars offer a "coming soon" (or parked) page as a free service, but this isn't hosting either. If you wanted to host a web site with your registrar (and only some even offer this service) you'd have to sign up for a seperate service. All that domain registration consists of is purchasing a domain.

When you purchase your domain, or shortly thereafter, you'll need to designate what are called name servers. Nameservers are what tells the computer, after you've typed www.yoursite.com, where it (your computer) can find the hosted contents of the web site. Don't sweat over this feature. Your host will provide you with your nameservers in your welcome email (usually) or upon request. Some hosts will even register your domain and set up your nameservers for you.

You should now know how to choose the right domain name for your site, understand what a domain name is, and have an understanding of the domain registration process.