How to register a domain name

Cotswold Web • 23 March 2020

Whether you plan to sell online or you just want to create an online presence for your business, the first thing you need is a domain name.

Your domain name is the bit after https:// or www. – so in this example https://soccerkids.com – the soccerkids.com bit is the domain name.

Photo by Arnel Hasanovic on Unsplash

"your domain is a visitor's first impression of your business"

Your domain name is a visitor’s first impression of your business and the right domain name can create a positive and lasting impression, while the wrong one can have the exact opposite effect.

A good domain name can improve your SEO ranking and help define your brand, so it is important to get it right. You can read more about choosing your domain name in our How to choose a domain name post.

Once you’ve chosen your domain name, you need to set about registering it, so that you are ready to launch your website and your online business.

There are a number of companies selling domain names in the UK. Two of the most popular are GoDaddy ( www.godaddy.com ) and 123-reg ( www.123-reg.co.uk ). Buying and registering your domain name with these companies is a simple and straightforward process.

Simply search for the name you are looking for eg ‘Soccer kids’ and it will give you a number of options and prices. The options will include a variety of Top Level Domains and variants of your chosen name, perhaps including hyphens, your location or ‘the’ to make them unique. Your options might include ‘soccerkidsuk.com’, ‘soccerkidsgloucestershire.co.uk’ or ‘soccer-kids.com’.

The ‘.com’ or ‘.co.uk’ bit of your domain name is called the Top Level Domain and there are a few to choose from. Some of them are better than others, in terms of making your business look trustworthy and reliable, so take care over registering the right Top Level Domain for your business.

What about pricing?

There is likely to be a range of prices, depending on the Top Level Domain you choose – and the cheapest one is unlikely to be the best choice for you:

‘Dot com’ is internationally recognised, so is a good option if you intend to trade internationally.

‘Dot co dot uk’ is very British and generally trusted by British customers. If you are operating a business locally or in the UK only, this is a good choice.

For charities and not-for-profit organisations, ‘dot org’ is well recognised and viewed as trustworthy.

There is also a whole range of other choices, including ‘.biz’, ‘.net’ and ‘.website’, which are far less recognisable and less likely to be considered trustworthy by potential customers.

Once you have selected your domain name, you need to decide how long you would like it to last for – two years is usually a good length of time to start with.

The cost of domain names varies hugely – starting at as little as 99p a year for very niche names. As long as you are not registering a name that would appeal to a very wide range of companies, a cost in the region of £15 or £20 a year would be normal.

Once you’ve paid for your domain name, it will be registered and will officially belong to you.

Your domain name won’t belong to you forever, so you need to make sure you update regularly. Your provider will email you when it is due to renew, so there should be no worries about losing your domain, for as long as you wish to keep it for.

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