If you’re starting a new business, you will most likely want to have a presence on the internet. One of the first steps is having a domain name registered in the name of the business. Although the process might seem technical or tedious, it is a simple exercise.
Let us look at some of the things you need to know if you wish to go for domain registration.
Process of domain registration
1. Use a domain checker
Finding a domain checker is the first step towards registering your domain name. This is to ensure that the domain name that you wish to go ahead with is available. Further, you can also use it to list interesting domains that you can choose for your business. In case the domain name of your choice is already taken, you can select an alternate domain extension or tweak the name slightly.
2. Select a reliable domain registrar
There are several registrars that you can pick from to proceed with the domain registration. However, you have to make sure that the registrar is reliable. Some of the registrars that are popular and reliable are as follows:
- Domain.com
- Bluehost
- Namecheap
- Hover
- GoDaddy
- SiteGround
- OVH
Other essential factors to consider while selecting a domain name include ease of use, customer support, and other additional services like a website builder.
3. Pick the domain name
Once you have finalized the domain name that you wish to proceed with, you can go ahead with the registration. After that, you can proceed with payments.
4. Confirm the registration
When you confirm the registration, you get to know the duration for which the domain fee is paid. You can buy it for a year or a longer period. While making the purchase, you will have to input your contact information, including an email ID.
Types of domain names
There are different types of domains that can help you identify one domain name from another. These include the following:
1. Top-level domains
There are six top-level domain names, and they are placed the highest in the Domain Name System hierarchy. These are the following.
- .com
- .net
- .edu
- .org
- .mil
- .gov
These domain names are the most commonly used and are considered most authentic. Some of these are restricted to specific organizations. For example, .gov is used for government organizations. Likewise, .org has been created for not-for-profit organizations and cannot be used by commercial establishments.
2. Country code top-level domains (ccTLD)
These are 2-letter domains that are used to distinguish domains belonging to different countries. Some examples of such domains include .uk and .au.
3. Internationalized country code top-level domains (IDN ccTLD)
These are top-level domain names encoded to permit the use of special characters and non-Latin character sets.
4. Generic top-level domains
These are 21 domain names that are top-level domains but can be used for generic purposes. Some common examples of these include .com, .net, .info, .pro, .biz, .name, and .edu.
5. Second-level domains
The second-level domain is the name that follows the top-level domain. This is usually the name of the company or brand for which the domain is being registered. An example of a second-level domain is Nike.com, in which Nike is the second-level domain. Sometimes, there are country-code second-level domains. For example, in Nike.co.in, the ccTLD is .in and ccSLD is .co.
6. Third-level domains
The third-level domain in most cases is www. These follow the second-level domain and are found toward the left. The only instance in which it is not www is when a specific company server is being referred.
