Registering a domain name made simple

Starting a new website? Confused with the jargon and the process of registering a domain name? It is quite a simple process and this article will try and demystify the process of registering a domain name. Most domain name registration services have made this process virtually pain free. Registering your domain name at Ballistic Domains for instance, is just a matter of picking the name of your choice and making an online payment. It is as simple as that.

Being equipped with some information can help you make informed choices. In this article, we have tried to explain:

• A couple of terms that you may encounter while registering a domain
• Things to do while registering a domain
• A few best practices

Explaining a couple of terms that you may encounter while registering a domain When you start the process of registering a domain name, you may come across terms that may not make sense to you. Nameserver and Whois are two of the terms that you need to be aware of.

What is nameserver?

Nameservers is the place where information about your domain name resides. The information stored on nameservers help your domain name to be pointed or directed to where your website is actually located. Each domain name must have an IP address. This is a string of numbers that helps other servers locate your website. Without this, your domain name wouldn’t be found on the internet. The information about your website IP is stored in the nameserver. Simply put, it is like a directory containing details of domain names and websites.

What is Whois?

Who is the owner of this website? “Whois” is the answer to this question. In other words, when you do a “whois” look up, you find out who owns a particular website or domain name. The information you need to provide while registering a domain name distinguishes you as the owner. Depending on your need, you can decide whether you want to keep your ownership details private or whether you are willing to disclose these details when someone does a whois look up.

A few things to do while registering a domain name

• List of Domain Names – Make a list of multiple domain names for easy access in the case your first pick has already been taken by someone else.
• Choose what level of domain and the domain extension you want: A top level domain is preferred. While .com is the most preferred domain extension, good domain names with the .com extension are scarce. As such, you may want to consider domain extensions like .org, .net, and your country-specific domain extensions.
• Contact information – Keep your privacy at bay, but make sure you have a valid email address for correspondence. This will allow the registrar a way to contact you if needed and to send your instructions on how to access your account. By having valid contact information, you should hear back from the registrar within 24-48 hours. If for some reason your registration doesn’t succeed, it may be due to someone else registering the same name at the same time frame as you did.
• Decide on the duration for which you want to register your domain name. Registering for multiple years usually saves money over all and reduces the chance of missing a renewal date the following year. You want to make sure you secure the use of your domain for as many years as you think necessary. Some feel that a new business should only register a domain name for two years and then start renewing for longer periods if the business is still going strong. You can register your domain name from one year to ten years.
• Payment Methods – Have your credit card ready. Many companies allow you to use a check or money order, but the fastest payment method is paying with a credit or debit card. Make sure this is a secure transaction! By paying with the fastest method, this allows you the guarantee that your domain name will be available once it’s paid for instantly.
• Lock your domain name – Locking secures your domain name and prevents anyone from transferring your domain to another registrar. Make sure you read carefully all links that are provided upon registration. Most companies require the lock, but many wont if you don’t specify to do so.

Now that you have your list of what to have ready and the steps that will be taken, you can proceed to getting your domain name registered. Once you have checked with your registrar for domain name availability, you can proceed to the check out after filling in the form that is provided with all the contact information that is needed.

A few best practices of registering a domain

Since there are so many domain name registrars out there, the cost of registering a domain name can vary from company to company. Domain registrars like Ballistidomains offer discounts and package domain registration with a number of free and/or value added services that you may want to consider depending on your need. Compare the prices and the packages and select the one that fits your need the best.

Once you are registered it is a good idea to visit the WHOIS directory to make sure that all of your contact information is correct. Make sure that you are listed as both the registrant and the administrator, so that if there are any errors you have the right to make edits. You may want to make sure that you have a list of contact people in order of importance.

You will need:

• Registrant: This should always be you, the owner of the domain
• Administrative contact: Who ever you wish to grant access to make changes or edits
• Technical: Any IT or technical staff that can handle problems that you may have. At times it is best to list your web hosting company

Following these tips can make registering a domain very simple. We, at BallisticDomains, will be happy to help you with all the assistance you need and can walk you through all your domain name registration process.