Definition of Terms

Domain Name: www.mydomainname.com - this is the address that people will use to access your web site.

Domain Name Registrar: A service that leases domain names to the public. Many registrars are also hosting companies.

Hosting Company: A company that provides server space for you to store your web site.

Nameserver: The server that associates domain names with the web hosting company’s servers.

So you’re ready to get your first domain name? Terrific! Before you get to excited you will need to be sure that the domain name you want is available at a domain name registrar. There are many popular registrars available, but my personal favorite is Godaddy.com.

At the domain name registrar you can search for available domain names and order your site’s domain name if it is available. Keep in mind that your first choice for a domain name may already be taken. If your desired domain name is taken, check Domains Bot for alternative domain names. At Domains Bot type in a keyword that relates to your site content in the search box and click Search. Domains Bot will return a list of suggested domain names, their availability, and purchasing information.

Once you have the domain name selected and you’ve determined that it is available you can then lease the domain name at the registrar. Yes, I said lease; you don’t really own the domain name, instead you lease it for a period of one to 10 years.

Once you’ve gotten your new domain name you have to point your domain name to your hosting company’s servers. This process is called updating nameservers. When you purchase your domain name from a domain name registrar the nameservers are usually pointing to the registrar’s servers and to a temporary “coming soon” page.

You will have to get the nameserver addresses (there are typically two) from the hosting company. The nameserver addresses should look something like: NS1.YOURHOSTINGCOMPANY.COM and NS2.YOURHOSTINGCOMPANY.COM. Once you have the nameserver addresses from your host, visit your registrar’s home page and log into your account. From the account or domain manager you should look for an option to update or manage the nameservers. If you have used GoDaddy to purchase your domain names you can watch this Flash Movie - Updating Nameservers (Flash SWF - 1094kb) to see a demo of how to update your servers.

Once you change the nameservers it will take 24-48 hours for the domain name to propagate. This means that your new domain name may not work for up to 48 hours. Be patient.

If you do not have a hosting company here are some tips for finding a hosting company.