Domains at Retail: Domain Names and Web Hosting

Start Your Domain Name Search!

Please Sign in or Register

March 4, 2008

How Do I Register a Domain Name

Filed under: General, Domain Names, Website Design

Today’s post comes in the form of a tutorial explaining How do I Register a Domain Name?

In my daily talks with clients who are beginning their venture of getting a web site put up online for their business, they all want to know how to register their own domain name. They want it before anyone else takes it.

Let’s see the process I show my clients to take when registering a domain name through Domains at Retail.

  1. Open the Domains at Retail web site by going to http://www.domainsatretail.com. From the menu hover over “Domain Names“, and then click “Register Domains“. Alternately, you can directly go to the Domain Name Registration page.

  2. How Do I Register a Domain Name Image 1
  3. Once on this screen, you will see the “Register a Domain Name” heading. Just below you have the form to type in the domain name you want.

  4. How Do I Register a Domain Name Image 2
  5. Think of a name you want for the domain. For some help, read our other post about Selecting the Perfect Domain Name. Now type this into the input box. We have chosen to use “domainsatretailexample.com” to illustrate the process.

  6. How Do I Register a Domain Name Image 3
  7. Click “Search

  8. You will now be taken to one of two screens: “DOMAINSATRETAILEXAMPLE.COM is available” or “DOMAINSATRETAILEXAMPLE.COM is already taken“. In our case we are taken to the first option, as no one has registered this domain at the time we are creating this tutorial. To see an example of a domain name that is already taken, try and put in a popular domain name like Google.com.

  9. How Do I Register a Domain Name Image 4
    How Do I Register a Domain Name Image 5
  10. Since our DOMAINSATRETAILEXAMPLE.COM is selected, we scroll down and click “Continue”.

  11. How Do I Register a Domain Name Image 6
  12. You will be notified of a great savings to register multiple TLD extensions (.org, .biz, .info) of the Domain Name. Registering multiple TLD extensions ensures no one later registers them in an attempt to lure visitors that are looking for your web site.

  13. How Do I Register a Domain Name Image 7
  14. Click “Add these to my order“, as we dont want cybersquatters later gaining from our hard earned efforts.

  15. How Do I Register a Domain Name Image 8

    If you want to only register the single domain name, you can click the link where it says “No Thanks. Continue to checkout…“. Reminder: You will not be offered the same great package again if you say no.

  16. You are then taken to a screen to provide your Domain Registration Information. Three options are given (note our customer #’s have been blacked out):

    How Do I Register a Domain Name Image 9
    • Make this purchase under my current Domains at Retail account #XXXXXXX

    • Login to an existing account (this will also populate your registration information)

    • I would like to create a new Domains at Retail account.

  17. As a first time customer, we will select the third option. You must complete the required Domain Registration Information, including First Name, Last Name, Email Address, Company Name and Address Information.

  18. Click “Continue“.

  19. Here we now have our new account

  20. How Do I Register a Domain Name Image 11
  21. Click “Continue

  22. You are now taken to the “Registration and Checkout Options” page. Note, by default domain names are set for registering for 2 years. We recommend 2 years or more for registrations, as to search engine spiders it gives the perception your site will be around for longer, thus giving a better ranking.

  23. How Do I Register a Domain Name Image 12
  24. We are only looking to register the domain names we have selected, so we leave “Select Type of Registration” to Standard, and “Select Checkout Preference” to “No thanks. I’m ready to checkout.”

  25. Click “Continue“.

  26. Now you get to “Review your Shopping Cart

  27. Click “Checkout Now

  28. You are now taken to the Log In or Create Account page. Here I log in to my account, but for new customers you would create your account and password here.

  29. Billing Information page - complete your billing information including your credit card info, or your method of payment for your domain name purchase.

  30. How Do I Register a Domain Name Image 14
  31. Click “Checkout Now

  32. We then ask you for a Captcha code to verify you are human. After you verify the captcha code, you are taken to the final screen and your domain name is registered.

  33. How Do I Register a Domain Name Image 15

Congratulations, you have now purchased your domain name and are one step closer to branding your identity on the internet!

What’s next? Purchase domain name hosting to host your web site files. Alternately, you can purchase Web Site Tonight which provides hosting and an online WYSIWYG editor to build your web site, with free templates.

Wish you all the luck in developing your online presence, and hope you enjoyed our tutorial on “How Do I register a domain name.”

October 3, 2007

Cheap Domain Names: a real Bargain?

Filed under: General, Domain Names

Are cheap domain names really a Bargain?

Coming to the Domains at Retail web site, your are in the right place to register your own domain name and learn about domain name pricing.

Many registrars exist, but you will be suprised at the difference in prices you will see for the same thing, a domain name! Why do some place charge up to $30 for a domain name for one year, when others charge almost 1/3 of the price.

You will be delighted with the value you get and cost savings you receive when purchasing from Domains at Retail.

Go ahead, take a look. Look at the prices and see how we compare. Open the link below:

Compare Domain Name Prices

Done looking? See how different domain name prices can be.

But how does Domains at Retail offer the domain names at such low prices? Does our low prices mean you get no support?

Of course not! We provide 24/7 support to help you with any problems you may encounter.

  • Need advice on upgrading or what to do next?
  • Call our support line and they will provide you with everything you need.

  • Need help configuring your DNS settings?
  • Our support is there.

We just don’t believe in charging You astronomical prices in this day and age where the ability to register a domain name is much easier than it was decades ago.

Same great support, low cost domain prices!

Now go ahead, do some domain name searches on our Domain Name Registration page, and get the domain name you want instantly!

May 10, 2007

Selecting the Perfect Domain Name

Filed under: Domain Names

When building an e-business, one of the most critical steps is choosing and registering a domain name that will be the home of your business on the Internet. People know and remember many companies by their domain name alone.

The domain name should reflect the business you are in or its message. You want it short enough to remember, and long enough to identify your business. You ideally should register a domain name that relates directly with the business name.

What issues should you consider when registering a domain name?

  • Length
  • The shorter the better. You want people to be able to remember it and type it in quickly. Have you ever tried dictating a long domain name to someone with hyphens or other characters. Chances are the person will forget it or mistype it.

  • Keywords
  • Search engines love to index you based on keywords. Have those keywords in your domain name? Then it should help you slightly with search engine rankings.

  • Brand Name
  • If you have a brand name, like Google, then you will want to register the “brandname.com” domain name. Keep up your brand awareness.

  • Top Level Domain
  • .com domains are the most registered domain names out in cyberspace. People will always put in “CompanyName.com” as they try to find your site. It’s just natural. Since .com domain names are harder to find, you may look into alternatives such as .net, .info, .gov, .biz and more. For a complete list of domain names to register, visit our domain name registration page.

  • Multiple Domain Names
  • In the world of cybersquatting, where people want to make a quick buck off your hard earned brand name,you will want to ensure you register the .net, .info, .biz, .us (if in the us) domain names to avoid cybersquatting, where users will try and sell you that domain name later for thousands of dollars. It makes sense to register the multiple domains. If you don’t, its possible someone may register the domain name and put a site up that goes against your company image.

Keep in mind these issues before registering your domain names.

Domains at Retail offers a full range of Internet Web Site Service products including the ability for you to register your domain name, purchase web hosting to host your files, build your web site with Website Tonight and promote your site with tools like Traffic Blazer and Express Email Marketing.