Step 2. Choosing and Registering a Domain Name

Getting your own domain name is really what it's all about. Registering a domain name means that you own it as long as you pay for them. Domain name registration is the difference between a "real" Web site and one that looks fake.

Fortunately, domain name registration is cheap and easy. The last time I signed up for one, it took ten minutes and cost $8.95 a year. You ought to be able to get the domain name of your dreams cheaper than this, especially if you're willing to pay for several years of registration at once.

Are all the good names taken? They aren't! In fact, lots of really great names have expired and have become available again. All of the domain registrars have domain-name search features to help you find something you like. If there's any justice in the world, the ads on this page will send you straight to a friendly and easy-to-understand name-search process.

One of the ads is sure to be from GoDaddy.com. They're the ones I use, and I'm happy with them.

The domain name will belong to you, and is independent of who you choose to host your site. Once you have our domain name, you can hop from hosting service to hosting service, and your users won't even know. People do this all the time. The hosting services are set up for it. No worries.

When in doubt, choose a ".com" domain. In theory, ".com" means "commercial," but in practice nobody cares.

On to the Next Step.

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