How to Register a Domain
When you’re ready to register a domain, there are a few things you need to do to make sure you get the best deal and avoid any potential problems. In my previous post I shared a few steps you should take before starting a website, one of those steps included checking if your domain name is available.
First, you need to decide on the perfect domain name for your website. This can be a tricky process, but it’s important to take your time and choose something that reflects your business or brand.
Once you’ve chosen a domain name, the next step is to find a reputable domain registrar. There are many different registrars out there, so it’s important to do your research and choose one that offers good customer service and competitive pricing. I’ve personally gone through GoDaddy to register all my domains.
VIDEO WALKTHROUGH: How to Register a Domain?
Is my domain registrar the same as my site hosting company?
No, your domain registrar is the company you purchase your domain name from. Your site hosting company is where you host the actual files and content for your website. You can purchase your domain name from any number of registrars, but you’ll need to connect it to your hosting account in order to get it live on the web.
I always keep them separated to ensure I can redirect the site if there’s an issue with the hosting company.
Do I have to have a website when I first start my business?
The simple is answer is NO.
It’s easy to get caught up in hustle of starting your business, like having a website, creating content for all the social media platforms, making time to develop and sell your product or service.
Look at the niche your building your business around, what social media platform serves that niche and its audience the best? Start there.
As a one person business, it’s not realistic for us to be able to build up 4-5 different platforms, especially if you’re still working, have littles at home, or both!
Pick the best platform to be present on
Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, or YouTube, pick the platform that you know you ideal customer/client will be present on. Build an online presence there first.
You’ll want to create profiles on the other platforms so you can reserve your username across the board. But, the most important thing is that you’re present and active on one of them.
Create a community while growing your brand’s visibility
The goal of being present on a single platform is to grow your community, while connecting your business to the niche it’s a part of. This helps with SEO or search engine optimization.
You want individuals, who are searching for answers on Google, Bing, or Yahoo, to be able to find your community and the resources you provide. Many people focus on SEO first and community later, this is definitely the longer road to success. Trust me, I did that!
If you build your community, while focusing your content on questions they’d ask search engines, you’re accomplishing two things at once.
So don’t get hung up on building a website right off the bat. Definitely, register a domain so you own that from the beginning. Focus on building a community and SEO!
