How do you get a Website Domain ?

That's one of the most frequent questions we receive from beginning webmasters. In this article, we'll answer that question and address other domain name issues that affect all webmasters.

Your domain name is basically the name for your website and it is what people will type in to get to your website. It is important to choose a name that not only represents your company but is also easy to remember. For example if your company was called "Bob's Estate Agents" an ideal domain name would be bobsestateagents.co.uk. It is also possible to add hyphens to make it easier to read like bobs-estate-agents.co.uk but remember the shorter the domain name the easier it is to remember.


There are so many different domain extensions such as .biz, .info, .net, .so, .sx. But which is best for you? That depends on what you are doing with your website.

If you are selling products in the UK a .co.uk will be perfect as it is recognised as the UK extension. If you are selling internationally a .com would be more suitable as it is the internationally recognised domain for commerce. As a business, you should also consider registering a .tel to help your customers find your business on the web a lot easier.

Now, if you're looking to set up a personal site or a professional portfolio to showcase your skills and experience, then extensions like .me, .pro, .pm or .pw would work best.

There are many different extensions. Some are country specific, such as .co, .at, .de, .in, .it or .mx, so you might need to satisfy certain conditions to register them, for some like .eu you need to live in the European Union to be able to register the domain. But generally it is down to your own taste and any domain will be suitable.

You now know the basics of domains and how to register a domain name, so start now. Search for yours dream domain and grab it before anyone else!

How do I decide on a domain name?

We've covered that particular question in a lot of detail. But basically, you want a name with these characteristics:

• Short: The maximum allowed size is 63 characters, but keep the name as short a possible. That's easier to type and remember.

• Memorable: Names with special characters like hyphens and underbars are harder to describe to customers over the phone. Visitors aren't as used to them either and you may inadvertently send customers to your competitors if they have similar names without special characters!

• Descriptive: Use your company name or a description of your product instead of company initials. People would instantly know what a site called "NeverPayIncomeTaxAgain" is about (although they might be suspicious). The full title is much more descriptive than the acronym "NPITA."

How do I register the name?

You'll need to use an accredited domain name registrar or one of their agents. Often, your Web hosting company has a relationship with a particular registrar that allows you to purchase your Web hosting account and domain name with one transaction.

That's easy, but it isn't always the cheapest option. You can buy a domain name from any authorized dealer; you aren't required to go through your Web hosting company. Prices for domain name registration vary widely - from as little as $8.00 to $35.00 for the same name!

This is one area where it pays to shop around!