Registering Your Own Domain Name

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Setting up a domain name, which is an address on the internet, has never been easier. While, in the past, registering domain names required not only a large payment but also knowledge of such intricate technical details like the addresses of DNS and MX servers, today it requires only a credit card and a few minutes.

Choose a Registrar

The registrar is the entity that makes sure that saves your name for your use on the Internet. They also typically take care of letting other computers know where to go to find the computer that is linked to your name. There are a large number of registrars, although two good ones are Network Solutions and GoDaddy.com. Network Solutions, which is online at networksolutions.com, is the original registrar for the .com domain and has been around since 1980. GoDaddy.com is much newer but is currently the most popular registrar. They also offer a number of additional services bundled with domain names.

This article follows godaddy.com's procedures, although most registrars will work roughly the same way.

Ensure Your Name is Available

Look for a domain search box on your registrar's home page. You can enter the domain name, such as "sampletestdomain" and select your desired TLD, such as .com, from a pull down menu. Click the "Go" button to see if your name is available. If it is, proceed. If not, choose a different name which is open.

Register Your Name

GoDaddy presents a multi-step process which is primarily designed to up-sell additional features. The first screen that you encounter when you start the process of registering your domain is important, though. It requires you to fill in your personal information which will be attached to your domain's WHOIS record for online lookups. Other than that, you can click "next" to go through the screens. The only other thing that you should pay attention to is your registration length. Typically, the longer you register your domain name for, the cheaper the cost per year will be.

Pay for Your Name

When you finish all of the registration screens, then click through the myriad cross-selling screens, you will have the opportunity to check out using a standard shopping cart. Once you enter your credit card information and submit the form, you will own your own domain name. Congratulations!

Setting up a domain name requires only a credit card and a few minutes