Many will tell you that the answer to the question posed by the title of this article includes the admonition, "Very Carefully!" It's as if you're petting a tiger or something; and you might be tempted to have someone with more experience, a professional web designer for instance, do it for you. But don't worry about how to register a domain, it's a piece of cake! If you think you've come up with the name you want and need, go for it! Good grief, folks; we're talking about an item often priced under ten dollars! Some very useful domain names cost less than a cup of coffee at Dunnbros. What if you get it wrong? Big deal; if you have a bad case of buyer's remorse you have five days to change your mind--if you've picked the right seller (more on this later). And even if it takes you longer than five days to make up your mind, so what? At worst you're stuck with an extra domain you can't use for a year. Don't pay someone to do it for you, learn how to register a domain yourself.
Picking the right place to register a domain: First, how do you usually decide whether to trust a company on line with your credit card number? I can explain how to register a domain, but I can't help you with this because we all have different ideas about what signals legitimacy and what says fraud. Do what's worked for you before.
Second, as I mentioned in the first paragraph, pick a company that will allow you to return the domain name within five days. The Internet regulator, ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, asks its registrars to allow consumers five days to return domains; but they don't have to do so. Don't pick a seller that won't allow a five-day return; you will likely have more problems down the road as they are obviously making things up as they go along.
Third, get a seller that offers 24/7 support. If they don't brag about it on their landing page they probably don't have it. If they say they do, test it; call them at an odd hour and ask them if they allow returns within 5 days.
Fourth, make sure you get more than just the domain name for your money. Many domain sellers will give you a number of free items with your new name. Chief among these is a free email box. Then there is forwarding and masking. And with a free website and website builder you might enjoy learning a whole new skill-set; that's how this writer got into the business years ago.
Ok. Let's suppose you've found the right place to register a domain. Now let's get on with the registering. First you're going to have to be certain someone hasn't got to the name before you. That's what the domain search box is all about. You've see it before: usually an enclosed rectangle of light with the domain extension "Com" at the end. Type in the name you want and see what happens. If you're lucky, the page will light up and tell you in no uncertain terms that the name you want is available for registration. If not, the page will signal in more muted terms that you're going to have to try again with another name. It's a good idea to have a list of possible acceptable domain names before you start.
Second, after finding that the name you want is available, you will be asked if you want to register it. If you do, you're going to be asked the usual questions about name, address and phone number. This is a critical part of how to register a domain, so don't fake this information. Should an ownership problem arise you could lose your rights to the domain. And last, but not least, yes, your credit card number, unless you use PayPal or something like it.
At this point you will have an account number with the domain seller and you will be shown to your shopping cart. As with most shopping carts this can get a little messy, so watch what you are doing. All sorts of things will be presented to you as important. Maybe they are and maybe they aren't. That's up to you. Some individuals, for example don't want their domain ownership to be known. They choose the "privacy" option. Others could care less, and all they want is the domain name. If all you want is the name and the free stuff, fine; just watch what you're doing so you don't get a surprise when you get to checkout. The sellers don't want to cheat you, but they do want to be sure you are aware of your available options and sometimes they try too hard. You can always turn your cart around and go back and change things--or just start over.
All right, now you know how to register a domain name. As you can tell it's a painless operation with little risk to your pocketbook. You most certainly don't need the help of a professional. Enjoy your new web address!
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