Registering a Domain Name

BUSINESS · GLOBAL

Registering a Domain Name

Choosing one, registrars and renewals, privacy and what to avoid

A domain is rented annually rather than bought, and most of the problems people have come from that being forgotten.

Choosing one

Short, easy to say aloud, easy to spell and without hyphens or numbers, which cause endless confusion on the phone. Check the name has no unfortunate readings when run together.

Check trademarks before committing, since a name that infringes an existing mark can be taken from you through a dispute process.

Extensions

A country extension signals where you operate and is what most local customers expect. Newer extensions are widely available and less familiar to some users.

Register the obvious variants only if you genuinely need them, and point them at the main site rather than duplicating content.

Renewals are where domains are lost

Turn on auto-renew, keep the payment card current, and keep the registrant email address one you actually read. A lapsed domain can be picked up by someone else within weeks and is expensive to recover.

Check the renewal price rather than the first-year offer, since these differ enormously.

Ownership and control

Register the domain in your own name or your company's rather than letting an agency hold it. Ask for the registrant details in writing and keep the login yourself.

Note the transfer process and the authorisation code in case you move registrar.

Privacy

WHOIS privacy hides personal details from public lookups, which is free with many registrars. Business registrations may still need an address published.

Email and hosting

A domain, email and hosting can come from different providers, and separating them makes it easier to change one without disrupting the others. Keep a note of where each sits.

Use email at your own domain rather than a free address for a business, which looks considerably more credible.

DNS

Changes take time to propagate — usually minutes to hours. Record the settings before changing anything.

Buying an existing domain

Established domains are sold on aftermarkets at considerably higher prices. Check the history for previous use and any search engine penalties before paying, and use an escrow service for the transfer.

Never transfer money directly to a seller you cannot verify.

Multiple domains

Keep them at one registrar with one renewal calendar, which prevents the quiet loss of a domain nobody was watching.

Keep the registrar login details somewhere your business partner can also reach.

Email deliverability

Setting up SPF, DKIM and DMARC records on a domain is what stops your email being marked as spam and stops others forging your address. Most registrars document it.

Ask whoever hosts your email to configure them if you are not confident.

Security

Two-factor authentication on the registrar account, and a registrar lock to prevent unauthorised transfers.

WHERE TO BUY

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