It is easy to confuse a domain name with web hosting. This guide explains the difference for beginners and small business owners, including how registration works and how a domain name supports a website’s identity.

All About Your Website Name

The simple answer is the name you type in a browser to reach a website, such as www.example.com. A domain can also be used for email, such as [email protected], but a website and email service can be configured independently.

Register a Domain Name

Registering a domain name is usually straightforward. Choose an available name and extension through an accredited registrar, provide the requested contact information, and pay the registration fee. A domain name can contain letters, numbers, and hyphens, depending on the registry’s rules.

Three simple steps for registering a domain name:

  1. Visit a domain registrar
  2. Choose your name & extension ex. (.com, .net)
  3. Pay for your domain

What Does It Mean to Register a Domain Name?

People often say they are buying a domain name, but registration grants a time-limited right to use it. The registry operates the domain extension, while a registrar manages the registration for the customer.

Registration periods and renewal limits vary by extension and registrar. Renewing before expiration helps prevent the domain from being released or entering a recovery period.

Where can you buy a name for your website?

There are a lot of different domain registrars out there. It’s really important to consider that not all domain registrars have the license to sell them all. Commonly large and reputable companies have a greater selection to choose from. Usually, a non-popular website name can cost you around $10 – $15 per year.

Highly popular names can cost hundreds of dollars depending on the demand of the words or keywords’ popularity. The length of the name and the popularity of the words in the name are a key component of the value or the domain. When you deciding in a name for your website make sure you choose the right name that describes your brand. The right name can really make a difference in your branding strategy.

Criteria for choosing a domain registrar:

  • Pricing and Registration Period
  • Domain Transfers Policies
  • Domain Expiration Policies
  • Add-on & Services
  • Domain.com
  • Bluehost.com
  • Namecheap.com
  • HostGator.com
  • A current, accredited domain registrar

*Take into consideration that if registration period expires and you don’t renew, you might lose your website name forever.