Selecting Your Domain Name

• 1). Make a list of several "keywords" that relate to your business or the topics you plan to write about on your personal website.
  
  
• 2). Form four to five potential domain names that are short and easy to spell using the list of keywords from Step 1.
  
  
• 3). Check the availability of your chosen domain names on a popular registrar. Select the available ".com" domain name that most closely represents your proposed keyword combination.
  
  Please refer to Step 3 in Section 2 to register an unavailable domain name.
  
  

Registering Your Domain Name

• 1). Create and account, then purchase your selected domain name. If your business is a legal entity, consider registering your company's name as a domain name to prevent fraud or misrepresentation of your brand later down the road.
  
  
• 2). Set the technical and administrative contacts for the domain, as well as the domain hosting options. Most registrars have an easy-to-use interface that allows you to quickly make error-free changes to most of your domain name's settings.
  
  
• 3). If you cannot find a suitable domain name for your business or personal website, contact the owner of the domain name you wish to register. If you wish to register a trademarked name as a domain, you may be able to get the domain name for free or at "cost." Otherwise, visit the domain to look for contact details for purchasing the domain name, or use a domain name-buying service offered by some registrars.
  
  

Maintaining Your Domain Name

• 1). Register your domain name for at least five to 10 years, reducing the chance of your domain accidentally expiring.
  
  
• 2). Set your domain name up for automatic renewal. Even if your credit card expires or changes before the domain name expires, you will still receive notification beforehand, giving you a chance to update your billing information before the domain name permanently expires.
  
  
• 3). Contact the customer support department at your registrar if your domain name expires. Registrars have a grace period that allows you to re-register your domain if you allow it to expire.