You can think of a domain name as being a website’s address on the internet. Each domain name is unique (although many can be similar) and having a unique address like this allows people to arrive at the right website, simply by typing its name into their browser’s address bar.
Types of Domain Names Available?
Domain names are vital to the functioning of the internet, but they also play a big part in businesses’ branding and marketing strategies; a good domain name should be memorable and easily identifiable with the business that owns it.
Many businesses like to use their company’s name; others choose a name that reflects the service or products they offer. Alternatively, many people simply opt for something short, catchy and attention grabbing.
Choosing the Best Domain Extension
An important part of every domain name is the domain extension, and this is what most people mean when they talk about the different ‘types’ of domain name. There are many domain extensions available – the most popular is ‘.com’, and this is the perfect choice for businesses that want to establish a global presence. But what about companies that want to appeal to people in a specific country?
Top Level Domains
That’s where ccTLD’s (country code Top-Level Domains) come in. Each ccTLD is specific to one country – for instance, the UAE’s ccTLD is ‘.ae’. If your business trades mainly in the UAE, then choosing the .ae domain extension is the perfect way to let everyone see that fact – simply by looking at your website’s address.
As well as building trust with the public, .ae domain names are also good for SEO, and could help your website to rank a little higher on google.ae.
How to Set Up a Domain
It’s easy to set up a domain name, you just need to register it correctly – and that’s where domain name registrars (like us) come in. The first step in the process is to make sure that the name you’ve chosen is available. Our domain name search tool makes that simple – and even suggests alternatives if someone else has already registered the name you’re thinking of. Once you’ve found your dream domain, you’ll just need to provide some basic details in order to purchase it.
Setting up a domain is fast, simple and affordable, and most people actually spend much longer choosing the right domain name than going through the set-up procedure!
Using Your Domain Name
Once you have a desirable domain name you will now need to set up your website. Creating your own space on the world wide web requires a few more steps. After you buy a domain you then need to purchase a hosting service. Hosting a simple web page or small site only requires a basic hosting package.
Create a Subdomain
As a domain owner you have the power to set up a subdomain. This is an extension of your custom domain and allows you to create regional specific websites, add-on sites and much more.
Setting Up an Email
Now you have a domain you can do more than just set up a website. You can also use your domain within email. Your domain name is the address for both your site and your mail exchange. Meaning you can now have an email such as [email protected].
Create a Website
We touched on it earlier, but, one of the main ways to use your new domain is in a website. Building a website is as simple and quick as ever before. With the power of website builders and tools such as WordPress you’re able to make a website yourself, in a matter of hours. View our blog on how to build a website here.
How to Transfer Your Domain
Domain transfer is the process of switching between one domain name registrar and another. There are a few reasons why people consider making a domain transfer – the commonest reasons are to access a better level of service, or to benefit from lower domain renewal fees.
Just like setting up a domain name, the domain transfer process is very simple. For most types of domain names, you’d start by contacting your current registrar to get an auth/EPP code (which is needed to authorise the transfer).
You’d then provide this code to the registrar you’re switching to. However, .ae domain transfers are a little different, and rather than going through your current registrar, you can obtain your auth code here: https://password.ae.
Either way, transferring a domain is usually fast and hassle free, and can have numerous benefits if you’re unhappy with your current registrar.
Find out more information on transferring a domain name here.
Keep Your Domain Safe
Your domain is a very valuable part of your business, website and online presence, keeping it safe is important. There are many ways of keeping it safe, such as hiding your personal information on the domain and paying for an upgraded secure web server. Here are some other methods for keeping your domain safe.
Lock Your Domain
When you’ve pointed your domain to your web server and set up your emails you should lock your domain. This prevents internet users from moving your domain away from the current domain name registrar.
Password Protection
Keep your passwords secure and complex. Your security level is only as good as your password and factors of security. Keep your domain registrant’s password secure and complex to prevent hackers from stealing your domain.
Set up Auto Renew
Don’t lose your domain after it expires by not having auto renew set up. This prevents your domain becoming public when the domain name expires with your registrar.
For added security checkout our article on the best WordPress Security Plugins here.
