Step One:
Getting your own Domain Name
I would strongly advise against using any “free” domain names that a hosting company offers to you, because if you ever switch hosting companies, they can keep the domain name. So, bottom line is you are better off buying your own name, so that you have complete control over the “Name Servers” ( I will explain that term later.)
To buy your own domain name, go to https://www.godaddy.com/ and register as a user. I do not get any money for suggesting that people use Go Daddy. I suggest them because I have been using that service for over 20 years and believe them to be the best and most reliable place to buy domain names.
Once you find a domain name that you like, I would recommend trying to get a dot com or dot org name if at all possible.
The next step in finding a domain name is to find one that fits your goal. However, keep in mind that if you pick a long name, such as over 10 or 15 characters, some people, especially the elderly or handicapped users may not want to type in that many letters, so I would suggest that you buy a “second domain name” that just contains the first letter of each word or even some numbers that are easy for the general public to remembers such as using 4 instead of four, or 2 instead of two.
After you pick a domain name, you will have several choices. The first choice is involves how long you want to own the domain name. I have some sites that I have owned for over 20 years and others that I have owned for less then a week. I have also deleted a number of domain names that I have upgraded to other names or gotten rid of all together.
For example, if you are getting a site name for a local fight that might be over in a year or two, you might want to only get the name for one or two years, however if it is something you want to live on for decades, then get the name for as long as they will allow.
The pricing of a domain name will very depending on the type such as a dot com vs a dot org, etc but most of them can be purchased for the first year for premium names for $10 to $20 per year or less if you get a discount. Some of the more obscure extensions like dot xyz or dot club may be on sale for as low as 99 cents the first year but then goes up to $14.99 per year. Either way, in this day and age, the cost of the name is one of the lowest expenses you will run into.
The next thing you need to look at is the “security” for your domain name. Basically anyone can go to a website like, https://www.whois.com/whois/ and find out the name and email address of the owner of a website. So, in order to prevent you from getting a bunch of spam and even fake bills from companies that do not control the registration of your domain name, I personally always spend an extra $10 per year to get some basic protection to keep my name hidden.
The following info comes from the Go Daddy site and will explain the protection.
“Why is protecting my domain important?
When a domain is registered, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, requires us to gather contact information for the person or business registering the domain name, known as the registrant or domain holder. This information includes name, phone number, address and other details, which is reported on the WHOIS directory. Keeping your domain contact information private helps prevent unwanted spam calls and emails, and makes sure you're in control of what information is publicly available. But it's not just about keeping your personal information private, either. We want to help you protect your domain and your entire online presence.
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So I highly recommend getting some type of protection in order to keep you safe from individuals in the solar and wind industry from trying to cause problems as well as scammers and internet trolls.“What kind of protection is offered?
We have three different protection plans to choose from so you can determine which option is best for you and your online presence.
• Basic Privacy Protection (or Basic Protection): Regulations vary around the globe, but GoDaddy automatically hides your name, street address, phone number and email address in the GoDaddy WHOIS directory for every registered domain name. Based on current ICANN regulations, your state/province, country and organization name (if you have one) will still be displayed.
• Full Domain Privacy & Protection (or Full Protection): Instead of masking your contact information on the WHOIS directory, Full Protection substitutes your contact information with proxy details. You'll get a private email address that can be used to filter, block or forward emails to your main address. You'll also get Ownership Protection to protect your domain from hijacking and accidental loss due to an expired credit card. Full Protection prevents certain domain actions from being completed without additional verification, such as transferring away, cancelling or changing contact information.
• Ultimate Domain Protection & Security (or Ultimate Security): This option includes all the features of Full Protection, along with our Website Security Basic. This product protects your domain and website with automatic malware scans and continuous security monitoring. It also monitors search engine blocklists to ensure your domain reputation is protected. If Website Security finds an issue on your site, we'll notify you as soon as it's found, along with the next steps you need to take.
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One more important item. If you buy your domain name through Go Daddy, I would strongly suggest that you do NOT let them host your website. You will have much better speed and options available through other options that I will mention in later posts.
This will get you started safely.
In the next article I will talk about hosting companies the name servers.
FTW