So you’ve got a great idea for a blog and you want the world to see it. You know you need a catchy domain name that everyone will remember, but how do you go about choosing it and buying it? Depending on the purpose of your blog, you might want a domain name that echoes your website, or it could just be a blog that you want to get up and you don’t need to worry too much about branding or making it memorable.
Is it Available?
The first thing you need to do when you set out on your buy domain name quest is to see if the name you’re thinking of is available. You need to go to a domain name provider. There are lots of providers to choose from; you can check one to see what names are available at https://www.names.co.uk/domain-names. You may need to play around with the name you’re thinking of if it’s already taken.
Setting up the Domain Name
The sites are easy to use, and you can just go to the drop-down menu for buy a domain and type your planned domain name in the search box to see what’s available. Many sites will tell you whether the name is available or not, with some names already being taken but available for you to buy. For the cheapest option, it’s best to find a domain name that no one has thought of before and claim it as your own! The site may suggest alternatives to the name you’re searching for if it has already been taken.
Buying the Domain
Once you’ve found the name you’re looking for and decided on the suffix that you’re going to use, such as .com, .co.uk or org.uk, you can choose from the price options that suit you best.
These vary depending on the length of time that you want to own the domain for and also what other add-on options you want, such as if you want to also buy email addresses and web hosting. When you make the payment, many sites offer auto-renewal so that you don’t need to worry about your ownership lapsing and losing the domain.
Set up Your Account
Once you’ve decided to go ahead with the purchase, you’ll need to set up an account with the domain provider, arrange your payment and confirm the registration.