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How to Register a Domain

Here are the steps to register a domain name:

1. choose a domain name
2. check if the domain name is available
3. if necessary, search for other domain names
4. choose a registrar or hosting service
5. register the domain

1. Choose a Domain Name

To make a website you will need to choose a domain name. Finding a good, available domain name has become very difficult, because so many are already taken. Many domains are in use, but many are "parked." A parked domain means someone has purchased the domain and just holding it – there is no valid content that applies to the domain. So where do you start?

The best place to begin choosing a domain name is to evaluate the purpose and function of your website.

Think of characteristics, names, symbols, or qualities that represent your business or website purpose. Brainstorm some names; ask your family, friends, or others for their ideas. Many of these names will already be taken, but it will help you be creative and expand your thinking.

Here are some guidelines to consider:

1. Ideal naming guidelines
• short
• easy to spell
• easy to pronounce
• catchy or memorable
• reflect the market or purpose of the site
• no hyphens
• check your domain that it is not the same as or close to a registered trademark or service mark
2. international exposure
• get the country code TLDs
• check the meaning of your domain name in other languages; it could have a negative connotation

2. Check if the domain name is available

With your domain name possibilities list, go to a domain name availability checker tool to see if any are available. ShoutDomains.com has a cool instant domain checker. If the domain name is available, congratulations; go to step 4.

For most of the rest of us, we have a few options.

1. Find some other domain names; go to step 3
2. Contact the domain owner. If you are an individual or a small organization with little money, you may be OK to contact the domain owner directly. If you are a medium to large organization, BE CAREFUL. Consider these possible scenarios:
1. You send an email from your company and the domain owner finds out there's money there and the price dramatically escalates.
2. You send an email from a generic email address like ---@gmail.com and negotiate a price. When the domain owner receives a check from a wealthy company, the owner suddenly won't release the domain and demands more money.
3. You contact a domain reseller or auction service and allow them to negotiate for you.

In any of these scenarios, it's wise to have a legal and financial advisor assist in the process. To contact the owner, go to Whois Search and type in the full domain name. Look for registrant or contact information. In many cases, the domain owner has chosen to remain private; in these cases, the contact information is usually the registrar and you'll have to work through the registrar.

3. Search for other domain names

If your favorite domain wasn't available, don't fret, there's still hope.

Use a domain name suggestion tool

You can use a domain checker tool found on many websites to see if a domain is available. CAUTION: some sites will watch the domains that are entered and automatically reserve or register the domain before you can get it. Of course, our domain tools are safe. We WILL NOT share, store, buy, or sell your domain searches. See our privacy policy.

Shout Domain suggestion tools include:

• Domain Word Combiner: let it do all the work with many categories, or add your own keyword
• Domain Word Cruncher: create non-existent words and words that start or end with letters

Items to consider when choosing a name:

plural/singular	If your website domain is gardentools.com, you may want to also acquire gardentool.com. If your site is successful, someone else may want to grab some of your traffic with a close variation.
.com .net .org	The .com is still the most recognized Top Level Domain. In most cases, you should get the .com version especially for business purposes. (Hopefully, in the future other TLDs will be as attractive as the .com, but for now, it is best to get the .com TLD.) To protect your interests (and stop someone from diverting traffic from your site), you may want to acquire all three main TLDs of your domain: .com, .org, .net. The .org version is often used by non-commercial and non-profit organizations. Other TLDs you might consider are .info, .biz, .pro. You can also use country codes to represent yourself such as drsmith.md. See TLDs for other country code ideas.
hyphenated words	For spelling ease and memory, it's better to avoid hyphenated words like garden-tools.com. Hyphenated words do not affect SEO.
word combos	Combine simple words like a noun and fruit, or adjective and color. Here's some categories of words:Animals, Arts, Body Parts, Colors, Prefixes or Suffixes, Emotions, Health, Music, Sports, Travel. Use our Domain Word Combiner tool.
misspellings	Use misspellings such as sympel for simple. These will be more difficult if people have to remember your domain and type in the address.
languages	Find a translation of the word you desire such as herramienta (Spanish) for tool.
numbers	Use numbers for words. Of course, the number can substitute for the word such as 1 for one, but here are some other options: 2 - to, too, also (2mato for tomato) 4 - for, fore (4close for foreclose) 8 - ate or ...ait (b8 for bait) 9 - nin (9tendo for nintendo)
non-existent words	Find a combination of letters that sounds good, is short, and relatively easy to spell. Here's an example: lingol. Use our Domain Word Cruncher tool.

Split Words with TLDs

You can break up a word by using country codes. One of the most prominent examples of this is del.icio.us (which has since been transferred to delicious.com). You can find words that end with a two character country code and create your own domain combination. With Shout Domains you can search country code TLDs.

Expired Domains

Look for expired domains at expired domain list sites. When a domain is registered, it is done for a specific time period such as one year. If the owner does not renew the domain name, the domain registration expires and becomes available to others.

Do a web search for "expired domains" and you will see several sites that provide this service.

Domains for Sale

Some domains are for sale. Domainers are people in the market of buying and selling domains for profit. They find available domains or purchase attractive domains and find buyers who will pay more for the domains. Often these domains are for sale through a broker auction website. More valuable domains are more expensive some even going for over $1,000,000.

Do a web search for "domains for sale" and you'll find several options.

4. Choose a registrar or host

The choice of hundreds maybe thousands of domain name registrars or hosting companies does not make things easy. There are just too many options and it's difficult to make even comparisons. However, there are some important points to watch for:

• How long the company has been in business. If they go out of business, it could be difficult to transfer the domain to a different registrar.
• Price. Compare initial prices, multiyear prices, and also renewal prices.
• Hidden charges. These include private registration, ICANN fee, email accounts, etc. You may not see some charges until the payment page.
• Support. What support to they offer: email, chat, phone? and what hours: 8-5 Mon - Fri or 24x7.
• TLD options. Almost all registrars offer .com, .net, and .org. But you might want something different. What are the options and costs.

If you are looking for hosting in addition to registering your domain, consider these points:

• Administrative tools. If you are going to manage your domains, it's better to have more control and tools such as a cPanel to make changes.
• Email accounts. Will you need email addresses using your domain name? Watch for costs and administrative tools.
• ICANN accreditation. If the company has an ICANN accreditation, it's an indication of stability, because they must comply with the accreditation checks.
• Transparency. Are they honest enough to report their results and statistics? Every business will have problems, but it's more important to know how they deal with the problem and ensure it won't happen again.

Our favorite registrars are:

• 1and1.com
• godaddy.com
• name.com

5. Register your domain name

Finally, you are ready to register your domain name. Go to your selected registrar or host provider website and login or create a new account.

When you register the domain, you will be required to provide some personal information (first name, last name, company name, address, telephone, fax numbers, email addresses, etc.). You will also need to provide some method of payment.

You will have the option of registering your domain as public or private. If you choose private, your personal information will not be found using Whois and name searches.

We wish you the best in your quest to find that remaining great domain name. There are still many options and don't forget, our tools can offer many options.

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