Domain Registration Guide
Introduction
Are you looking to purchase your first domain name—maybe for your business—and don't know where to start? PxO Ink LLC has put together a straight forward guide to help you register your first domain name.
Table of Contents
- Domain Names
- Registrars
- Deciding on a Domain Name
- Registering a Domain Name
- Granting Access
- Other Resources
Domain Names
What are domain names? Domain names are the addresses that direct users or customers to your website. Behind the scenes, a domain name is assigned to a location somewhere on the World Wide Web. When people enter that address into their browser, they are sent to that location. In mose cases, the assigned location is a website hosted through a hosting service. On the Web, a domain name is both a representation of your business, and directions to your website.
Domain names are made up of a name of your choosing, known as the Second-Level Domain, followed by a
pre-existing Top-Level Domain.
You may already be familiar with the .com and .net TLDs.
If you want your own domain name, you will need to invent a catchy, and descriptive SLD.
Here is a full example of a domain name, broken down:
https://
www
.
pxoink
.
net
/
| Example | Description |
|---|---|
https://
|
The Protocol, in this case HyperText Transport Protocol, Secured |
www
|
Subdomain (www is a special subdomain, which many sites use automatically) |
pxoink
|
Second-Level Domain or SLD |
net
|
Top-Level Domain or TLD |
Note: We recommend sticking to .net or .com TLDs, but you
don't have to.
Registrars
Registrar's are companies that you can register a domain name with. Some registrar's also offer other services, such as DNS, or Domain Name Services, which is used to assign a location to your domain name. Some also offer affordable email services, which can be helpful for small businesses. For this article, we'll be using a preferred provider to register our domains; as such, all of the associated imagery will be relevant to that provider.
Deciding on a Domain Name
Before going further, it's imperative that you decide what your domain name should be. In general, the following tips should be considered:
Domain Names Should Be Descriptive
Your domain name should be reminiscient of your business's name, descriptive of what your business does, and, if possible, relevant to what you plan to do with your domain name. In some cases, this could even be your own name.
This can be challenging, but don't worry, we have examples of what we mean later.
Domain Names Should Be Short, Simple, and to the Point
Domain names that are long or difficult to type, especially on mobile, will often be ignored. Ideally, domains should be no longer than 8-14 characters. 14-20 characters can be pushing the maximum length of a domain name. If possible, anything longer than 20 characters should be avoided.
If Abbreviations are Used, They Should Be Easy to Understand
To keep your domain name short, you may use abbreviations. Long and confusing abbreviations will be difficult to understand and meaning may be lost. Test your abbreiviaton ideas against coworkers, colleagues, friends, family, or with us. We can help you find a short and effective domain. Contact us and schedule a consultation!
Repeating Characters Should Be Avoided
It is often difficult or confusing to type repeating characters in the address bar. Unless absolutely necessary, avoid repeating characters in your domain names.
Avoid Misrepresentation and Ambiguity: Whitespace is Often Ignored
Spaces are not usually available when registering a domain name. Other whitespace options, like dashes, are often frowned upon. Therefore it's important to make sure the words in your domain name are not misrepresented through ambiguity, especially if they combine to make another, unsavory, word.
Domain Name Examples
Take for instance a business named "Personal Computer Building Company." It's a straight forward name, which explains what the business does: they build personal computers. However, this example is a mixed bag when it comes to possible benefits, and detriments, to domain name selection. For instance, it's a unique name, with no repeating characters, but it is significantly long. It also has a lot of possibilities to abbreviate, but some of them could be misunderstood. Here are some examples of good and bad domain names using this example:
Good Examples
| Example | Assessment |
|---|---|
| pcbuilding.com | PCBuilding is representative of the name, business, and it's short, and to the point. |
| pcbuild.com / pcbuilder.com | Although slightly less representative of the name, it is shorter, and easy to remember. |
| pc-building.com | Although hyphens are sometimes frowned upon, in this case, it is easy to digest and short. |
| personalcomputers.com | Like PCBuild, it is slightly less represenative of the business name, but conveys what the business does. |
| computerbuildingco.net |
Lengthy, but representative of the name, business, and to the point. The "co"
abbreviation is easy to understand. Note that the TLD is changed to .net
because "co.co" could be repetitive and confusing.
|
| computerbuilding.com | Although not representative of the name, it is representative of the business, and still fairly short. |
Bad Examples
| Example | Assessment |
|---|---|
| pcbcompany.com | PCB is also an abbreviation in computing, so it is confusing and not representative of the name or business. |
| pcompbuilding.com | The abbreviation of "p" for personal, without "c" for computer, and instead using the abbreviation "comp" is confusing. |
| personal-computer-building.com | There are too many hyphens, which can make it very difficult for certain users to type into their browser. |
| computerco.com | A short domain, but it doesn't represent the name of the business, or what the business does for customers. It's also repetitive on the TLD. |
| personalbuilds.computer | Although it may look unique, complex and new top-level domains can be difficult for users to use and remember. |
| personalcomputerbuildingcompany.com | Although a perfect representation of the name of the business, it is very long and difficult to type. This would be acceptable if there are no other options, but difficult to justify. |
Searching for a Domain Name
Domain names are generally in short supply. Therefore it is important to decide on more than one domain name, and then search for those domain names to see if they are taken.
Note: It is imperative that you do your searching exclusively through ICANN, which is the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. They are ultimately responsible for servicing domain name registration, but they are not a registrar, and as such, they do not have a profit motive when it comes to registration.To start your search, head over to the ICANN registration data lookup tool and enter in your preferred domain name.
If the domain name you're looking for is taken, you will see registration information.
If that domain name is not yet taken, you will see a message indicating such. You should be free to register domains that are not already registered.
Registering a Domain Name
Now that you've decided on a domain name, you can register it with a registrar. The process is simple and straight forward.
Before you begin, you will need to have your list of preferred domain names ready to go, access to a neutral email account unaffiliated with the domain, and your payment information ready.
Add Your Domain to Cart
First, click this link to visit the preferred registrar. Alternatively, you can click this banner:
When you visit the registrar's homepage, you will see a form where you can enter your preferred domain name. When you complete this search, you will see whether the domain is available for purchase through this registrar.
If the domain is available, you will be presented with various options for purchase. You may simply add the domain, as it stands, to your cart. You do not need to add any additional domains unless you wish to.
Email Services
If you are looking for small business services from PxO Ink LLC, or we have not discussed purchasing email services through a third-party, it is highly recommended that you purchase email services at this time.
If you wish to purchase email services here, you can do so by clicking on Email or Business Email from the main menu. You will be presented with various packages. Unless you need multiple mailboxes, you are generally safe purchasing just one single mailbox to handle email for your business. You can always upgrade later.
If you do not wish to purchase email from this company, you can do so from an alternative, like ProtonMail.
It's important to choose an email address that is easy to remember and understand. Some suggestions include:
- business@example.com
- support@example.com
- contact@example.com
Checking Out
Note: Most registrars attempt to upsell customers on various services they provide. If you find your cart has additional services being added to it, take the time to understand each one and make an informed decision on whether you need that service.
You will generally want to keep domain privacy, which is usually free. It is strongly recommended that you enable auto-rebilling features for peace of mind. You do not need any other features, except if you have opted for email services. You generally do not need to purchase hosting at this time.
Once you are sure you are happy with your cart, you may complete your order.
You will likely need to create an account to finish your order. It is strongly recommended that you create this account with a different, neutral email address, to ensure that you always have access to your account. You can use any free email service if you do not have an email account already, such as ProtonMail, GMail, ZohoMail, Tuta, or Apple Mail.
You should receive a receipt after purchase to your neutral email address. Congratulations on your new domain!
Granting Access
After you have purchased your domain, if you are purchasing services through PxO Ink LLC, you will need to grant us access to your domain. Please click here to view the guide on how to share access with other users. It is important that you provide us all access, except managing renewals and domain locks.
Other Resources
Email Management
Click here to view all of the guides on how to manage your email through the preferred provider.
Click here to view all of the guides on how to access your email using the suggested service. Here are links to the most common guides:
Note: You should always use the IMAP protocol when accessing your email.
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