How To Register A Domain Name

1. First, make sure your domain name has not been registered by someone else. This is the company or that will manage the domain registration for you.

2. Enter the domain name you want to check into the online form.

3. If anyone already owns the name, you will have to select another one. If it is unregistered, you can proceed.

4. Select the number of years you want to pay for. Paying for more than one year in advance may save you a little money.

5. Enter your contact information. There are four types of contacts: the registrant or owner, technical, billing, and administrative. You may use the same name for all if you wish.

6. If your registrar offers you the option, select a private or public registration. A private registration costs more, but will protect your identity and may cut down on the amount of SPAM you receive.

7. Point your new domain to a Web server or “park” the domain. If you have not yet built a Website, you should park the name with the registrar. If you have built a site, you must tell the registrar on which Web server the site is located. This information is provided by your Web host.

8. At this point, you are probably done! It may take up to 4 to 8 hours for .com and .net domains to become active and about 24-48 hours for other domain extensions.

Article Written by Ana Rincon