Registering a domain name: what SMBs must consider

Registering a domain proper noun and what small businesses need to consider

laptop on desk with coding displayed onscreen

(Image credit: Unsplash)

If y'all're a small business owner, you're no doubt aware of the benefits of launching and building a website with the best website builders to promote your brand, sell your products, and handle customer relations.

If you lack a dedicated IT department or technical sorcerer in your system, however, you lot'll probably take numerous questions relating to hosting and domain proper noun registration.

While our guide to the best spider web hosting services can help with acquiring hosting for your business concern, this step-past-stride guide walks yous through the fundamental legal, practical, and creative considerations you're likely to come across when selecting, and registering, a domain name for your company.

Registering a domain name: Training

Earlier you begin with registering a domain proper noun via the official registration process, the main grooming yous need to undertake is likely to be conceptual, rather than practical. In club to blueprint and build a successful website, you'll demand to be clear nearly the type of content you'll be publishing.

You should enquire yourself a number of questions. What volition be the purpose of your site? Volition you include an online store? How long do you intend on operating the site under its original domain name?

Once yous're armed with this data, you'll exist in a much stronger position to begin the relatively simple process of selecting and purchasing your domain name.

Step ane: Choose the correct name

man stood in front of wall covered in post-its — The best names are snappy and memorable (Image credit: Unsplash)

In an increasingly digital age, your domain name could be the first interaction a client has with your business. It's therefore essential that the name you cull provides an accurate representation of the services your company offers.

You should too choose a domain name that distinguishes your company from others in your industry: otherwise potential customers could mistake you lot for one of your competitors.

Other points to bear in mind: endeavour to discover a proper noun that is short, snappy, memorable, and easy to spell. From a search engine optimization (SEO) perspective, it also makes sense to choose a name that employs keywords relevant to your manufacture.

Pace 2: Inquiry potential registrars

person working with laptop on lap — The correct registrar for your company's domain depends on your specific needs (Image credit: Unsplash)

Put simply, your domain name provides an online identity specific to your business. Once you've registered your name, your business should receive protection for your copyrighted and trademarked cloth, besides equally enhanced SEO positioning.

As the proper name suggests, a domain proper name registrar is a company with the potency to sell and register domain names under a range of extensions, including (but not express to) .com, .net, or .org.

Although all domain name registrars should be accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), it's essential to do your inquiry and find the right provider for your business's needs.

Not all registrars, for example, accept a license to sell all pinnacle-level domains (the part of the domain proper name afterwards the dot). This is particularly true in the case of state-specific extensions, which may prove problematic for businesses with a global presence.

It'south besides vital to check the levels of technical support available: if you're a pocket-size business possessor and encounter a problem with your domain registration, robust technical assistance services could be invaluable.

Although the nearly appropriate registrar for your business volition depend on your specific needs, Domain.com, Hover, and GoDaddy are amid the nearly respected.

Step 3: Check your name's availability

Almost all of the major website registrars offer tools to automatically check if your proposed proper noun is bachelor for registration. Should notice your chosen proper noun is registered to another user, these tools typically contain name generator functions to suggest alternatives.

You may, for example, discover you could modify your proper noun past irresolute the extension from .net to .com. Be aware, however, that this approach could result in your business being confused with others of a similar name.

Step 4: Consider bundling registration with your web host

A number of companies, such as Bluehost, offering free facilities for registering a domain name if you also choose their spider web building services. This pick could exist especially suitable if you would prefer the convenience of an all-in-one platform.

a magnifying glass held above a laptop keyboard — Unwanted add together-on features could cause your costs to skyrocket (Image credit: Unsplash)

If you're a modest business possessor, price is likely to be one of the most significant considerations when registering a domain name. All the same, it could be a fault to simply choose the registrar with the lowest headline toll.

At this stage of the process, it's vital you check for any hidden costs or add together-ons on your plan. Some registrars charge a discounted fee during the first year and then include costly renewal fees for subsequent years, while others vary their costs depending on the extension you choose.

Well-nigh registrars, withal, volition include free e-mail addresses linked to your domain name as part of your plan.

Step half-dozen : Become your privacy right

person working at laptop and looking at mobile phone — Privacy online is paramount, with Whois protection integral to domain name registration (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Privacy is another central point to consider, specially when it comes to internet. When you lot're registering a domain name, yous can include privacy protection to protect your identity, which is known as Whois protection.

This characteristic prevents the personal details required to register a domain name, such as your name, phone number, and email accost, from existence visible to those browsing the internet. Without such protection, anyone could notice your information in net and contact you in a manner that makes you uncomfortable,

Although some registrars such as Hover offer this feature for free, others charge an boosted fee.

Stride 7: Choose your registration menses

The next affair to consider is the length of time you'll demand to own your domain proper name. At nowadays, you can't permanently buy a domain name, but many providers permit yous to register your proper noun for up to 10 years.

Although y'all may presume you'll need the maximum registration period, this may non be the case if, for example, yous're planning to sell your business in the future.

Pace 8: Understand the transfer policy

laptop, crumpled post-its, a mug of coffee and pencils on a table — Think to cheque the fine print carefully (Image credit: Unsplash)

When registering a domain proper name, it's vital to consider the time to come. The domain registrar you cull now may not necessarily be the most appropriate choice several years down the line.

For case, you may sell your business and need to transfer your domain name to some other provider to reverberate the new owner's preferences.

In full general, you can modify your registrar if your name has been registered with your electric current provider for 60 days or more, although both companies will unremarkably need to approve the transfer. A number of providers, however, will charge plush fees if you lot'd like to move to another registrar.

Footstep nine: Check for suspension clauses

When checking the fine print on any potential deals, brand sure you scrutinize your contract for terms and conditions relating to your company'due south operations. Most registrars include a clause in their contacts stating that they tin revoke your domain if you lot deport your business in a style they deem inappropriate.

Certain registers may revoke your domain proper noun for deportment such as declared spamming, which could prove problematic if your business operates a mailing listing or email newsletter. In certain cases, the registrar may withdraw the name with little (or no) observe.

Step ten: Complete the buy

In one case you've constitute the correct domain name and provider, the purchase itself is probable to be the simplest office of the process, and take but minutes. As discussed earlier, it's sensible to double-cheque that options for expensive add together-ons are not pre-checked when you make your purchase, as these can significantly increment the cost of registering a domain name.

Summary

three people working together on laptops at a table — One time your domain proper noun is live, you can either build a site yourself or hire a professional person designer (Paradigm credit: Unsplash)

Registering a domain name is likely to be the first step in your business organisation's online journey. What next?

Depending on the nature of your business, level of technical expertise, and upkeep, you may want to create site with one of the best website builders. Alternatively, you could hire a professional person website designer to promote your online presence.

Either fashion, you'll have wasted your time and coin unless you lot attach a website to your domain - a website that volition generate sales, raise your contour, or create goodwill with your customers.

Farther reading on web hosting and website builders

When it comes to websites, learning how web hosting factors can affect site SEO, and which Google tools are essential for boosting website SEO, can assistance with site operation. When y'all're building a site, information technology'south also worth learning how to make a website GDPR compliant.

Katy is a freelance journalist and editor with more than 10 years' experience writing about tech and finance. Throughout her career, she has worked with tech giants such as Google and Yahoo!, as well equally a host of fintech start-ups. Her work has appeared in national newspapers and independent media outlets.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/features/registering-a-domain-name-and-what-small-businesses-need-to-consider

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