REGISTER YOUR DOMAIN NAME

You've Chosen It. Now It Is Time to Register Your Domain Name.

Registering your domain name is relatively easy. The method for domain name registration you choose will depend largely on which of the Small Business Website Creation Options you have elected to use to create your website.

Register Your Domain Name: Options

At this point, you should have already done the hard work: choosing your domain name. You now need to make sure the name you chose is available. You can do this by going to the largest domain registrar in the world, www.GoDaddy.com. Type your desired domain into the box, and GoDaddy will tell you if it has been taken. If it has been taken, it will offer you computer-generated suggestions that are similar but haven't yet been taken. You can also use www.drwhois.com to do the same thing.

If you chose an all-inclusive service program to walk you through the entire website creation process (like Site Build It!), you don't need to register a domain name separately. Your domain name is included in the service. As is hosting. As are research tools. It wouldn't be all-inclusive if it didn't, right?! This is one of the reasons I highly recommend Site Build It! to anyone daunted by the task of creating a website. They help you do it all. If you have the desire, they'll get you there.

For all of the other website creation methods, you are likely going to have to register your domain yourself. One thing to consider is that you will often get one domain at no additional cost through whatever hosting service you use. So, you may want to Choose a Hosting Service before registering your domain name.

Here are some of the most popular domain name registration methods:

Godaddy.com: they are the biggest domain name registrar on the planet. They have tremendous customer support. By using this link to register your domain name, you will get 25% off the registration fee for .com domains. Instead of paying the normal $9.99, you'll only have to pay $7.49. Every penny helps.

Netfirms.com: they are nowhere near as big as Godaddy. But, they offer domains for $6.95 and include privacy (if you use the link below). Godaddy makes you pay extra if you want your listing to be private. This is also a great option for people wanting extra privacy on the cheap. Click this link to register with Netfirms at $6.95 per domain.

Hosting Service Registration: if you are planning on hosting your own website (you should), you can usually get a domain name thrown into the deal for no additional cost. If you want to save $7 to $10 bucks, Choose a Hosting Service that lets you register a domain with your hosting plan.

Remember, you will likely need to protect your domain name at some point. When your website or blog gains notariety, you will have people that will try to steal your thunder. Registering common misspellings and variants of your domain name early on will prevent the moochers from mooching.

Once you decide on an available domain name and which registrar you are going to use, you need to Choose a Hosting Service.