So you want to start a website? Putting up your own website is not as hard as some might think. With countless websites already online and more being developed even as you read this, creating a website is not that hard. There are many guides that you can read that will teach you how to create a website.
If you plan to start a website, the first thing you need to do is to make that first step. Starting a website begins with a domain name, specifically, choosing one. So how do you go about choosing a domain name?
First, think of a domain name that you want to use. You should choose a domain name that is related to the business or service you want to promote or the general topic you want to cover in your site. This will make your name easier to remember and also easier to market.
There are some online resources that you can visit to research on domain name availability. Godaddy is a well known web hosting service. On its front page is a search bar where you can find out if a domain name you’re eyeing is still available. For example, nextgenconsoles.com may be taken but nextgenconsoles.biz may be available. It’s very useful and the research results are fast.
But what if the domain name you want is not available? Make a list of names that you prefer and go down that list. Input it on the Godaddy search bar and find out which domains are still available. The cheap solution is to just get the second level domains that are still available.
But if you have already built a brand around a name and want to continue using it (After all, it is a lot of hard work to market a brand), you can go the more expensive route – which is to buy the domain name of your choice from the person or company who owns it. Look at the whois of the domain name that has been taken or look at the details that the Godaddy search results provides and contact the owners to find out if they are willing to sell the domain name to you. Prepare to pay a higher than usual rate though, depending on the popularity of the domain name.
Once you’ve acquired your domain name then you can continue on with building the website of your dreams.