1. Domain
Terms¶
Domain name:
The name of a website that you type in an address bar. This site's domain name is
LandChad.net.
Top-level domain (TLD):
The extension of a domain name, like
.com,.net,.xyz, etc.
Registrar:
A service authorized to reserve a domain name for you.
When domain names first sell, they usually sell for very cheap, but once someone buys one, they have the rights to it until they decide to sell it, often for much, much more money. Therefore, it's a good idea to reserve a domain name ASAP, even if you didn't intend on doing anything big with it.
So let's register your domain name!
How¶
Domains can be registered at any accredited registrar and there are a lot to choose from. Some major names are Host Gator, Blue Host, Name Cheap or Dream Host.
There are also sites that are more private, like Njalla and Cheap Privacy, which register a domain for you under their name, but still allow you access to it. (Normally all websites must be registered with the ICANN with a real name and address, but these sites allow you to bypass that.)
Choosing a registrar is not permanent, and you can transfer domains to a different registrar if you get a better deal later, so in most cases, you can just choose one and let's head on...
Basic info about domain names¶
- Domain names usually require a very small yearly fee to keep registered, usually around $12 for most generic TLDs. There are some "specialty" TLDs that are more expensive, but
.com,.xyzand other basic TLDs are that cheap. - Once you own a domain, it is yours as long as you pay the yearly fee, but you can also sell it to someone for however much you want.
- Domain names do not hold your data or your website; instead, you add "DNS settings" that direct people connecting to your domain to your IP address. The purpose of a domain name is so that people don't have to remember your IP address to find your website!
Looking for domain names¶
Let's go to our registrar's site and you can search for domain names.
You can look for whatever domain name you want. Domains that are already bought and owned by someone else might have the option to "Backorder," but it's always best to get one that is unowned, like these:
Note the differences in prices. Some "specialty" TLDs like .game and .io charge a much larger fee, although you might want one. Some domains above, like .xyz and .org have reduced prices for the first year.
Choose the domain you want and buy it. These .xyz domains are a steal now on sale.
That's all you have to do to own a domain name! As you register a domain, you can also setup an automatic payment to pay your fee yearly to keep your domain. Easy as pie.
Now we will get a server to host your website on.
Not part of the original guide but i thought i'd mentions this, there are other ways of looking up for unused domains. what i would suggest using is porkbun.com (after searching for a domain youd have to scroll all the way down to "Show All Extensions" to see all the available domains that haven't been taken already).
Another option is https://www.websiteplanet.com/webtools/domain-name-generator/ it will list a dozen of the most popular domains and on the right it will try to generate unique domain names if the desired one has been taken.
Although, if youre going to make your own website, im sure you already have a domain name youd wish to use!