After making a domain name purchase for a website, you need to get your website up and running to ensure that your investment pays off. In this blog, we are going to take you through 6 easy steps to follow after purchasing a domain name. From choosing the right type of web hosting service, connecting your domain name, creating your site, and getting it noticed, we have you covered.
Table of Contents
Registering a Domain Name Purchase
The registration of domain names is done through the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which manages the global Domain Name System (DNS).
After purchasing a domain name, information about the registrant is sent to the domain name registry to complete registration. The registry then adds the domain name to the servers that contain the DNS records for all registered domain names. The DNS records contain information about the domain name, such as the IP (Internet Protocol) address of the server hosting the website associated with the domain name. Registries maintain domain names for their specific TLD (Top Level Domain), which can be country codes (ccTLD) or generics (gTLD).
After the domain name is registered and a user types it into their web browser, the browser sends a request to the DNS servers to look up the IP address of the web server. The DNS servers then return the IP address to the browser, to connect to the web server and access the website.
If this sounds gibberish to you, don’t worry. All you really need to know is once you’ve chosen and purchased your domain name, it needs to be registered so users can find your site.
Now we are going to look at what you need to do after you have purchased your domain name, including signing up for web hosting, connecting your domain name to a DNS server, setting up your website and getting it visible on the web.
Step 1 – Get Hosting
You have a name for your website, but it needs a place to live before you start building it. That is where web hosting comes in. There are several factors to consider when choosing the type of hosting service. Here are two examples of beginner friendly hosting:
Shared Hosting
Shared web hosting is a service where multiple websites are hosted on a single server. The server’s resources, such as CPU, RAM, and storage space, are shared between the sites on the server. Shared hosting is an affordable and user-friendly way to host a website, making it a great option for beginners.
Hosted.com’s Shared cPanel Web Hosting gives you access to one of the foremost web hosting control panels. cPanel ensures a user-friendly, fast, secure, and dependable web hosting management system. You don’t need extensive technical knowledge to manage the behind-the-scenes operation of your web hosting products.
The system works in a similar way to a desktop application where you can perform actions from a single dashboard instead of knowing complex commands or coding.
With a cPanel Web Hosting plan you get everything you need to run your site, email accounts, a FREE domain, and of course web hosting.
WordPress Hosting
If you are planning on using WordPress to build your website, WordPress Hosting by Hosted.com is the best choice.
WordPress Hosting is specifically designed to optimize the performance of WordPress websites. It provides a range of features that are tailored to the needs of the WordPress CMS (Content Management System) and its users, such as automatic updates, enhanced security, easy installations and more.
Additionally, WordPress hosting is ideal for beginners in that most plans offer easy site management, professional support, and technical assistance.
Email Hosting
If your website is still under construction but you want to start communicating with your customers professionally, Hosted.com offers Email Hosting so you can create and manage email accounts with your domain name without needing website hosting. Of course, you can upgrade it later to one of our web hosting packages as soon as your site is ready. Read our Blog for more information: The Top 5 Benefits of Email Hosting.
Hosted.com’s hosting servers are configured and optimized to ensure that your data and files are ultra-secure and will load quickly. We also offer a 99.9% uptime guarantee thanks to our Geo-redundant DNS servers that are housed in a highly secure infrastructure in a top-level data center.
Sometimes things like natural disasters or power failures can cause data centers to go down. Not only does Hosted.com make use of the best-of-the-best data centers with numerous backup protocols to prevent this but we also boast geo-redundant DNS servers. Geo-redundancy means we have DNS servers in multiple geographic locations. Therefore, in the event of a DNS server failing, the system will automatically switch over to the next DNS site
Step 2 – Connect the Domain Name to a Nameserver
After purchasing a domain name, you need to connect it to a nameserver to make it accessible online. Every website gets assigned an Internet Protocol (IP) address on the internet, which is a string of numbers, for example 192.1.3.2. IP addresses are how servers identify and connect websites to a user’s browser.
As you can imagine, these numbers are difficult for people to remember which is why we use domain names to access websites. Nameservers, which are servers in the Domain Name System (DNS), translate domain names into IP addresses.
Your hosting provider will point your domain name to the correct nameserver; however, you can do it manually should you need to change nameservers. Here is a general overview of the steps:
Find & change the nameservers
These are usually provided in the welcome email you receive after purchasing your domain name. If you can’t find the nameservers in the email, you can contact your provider’s customer support.
Once you have the nameservers, log in to your hosting provider’s website. Go to the domain management section and look for the option to change the nameservers.
Make the new connection
In the nameserver section, enter the nameservers you received from your provider. Save the changes.
Confirm the changes
Once you have saved your changes, they may take up to 48 hours to take effect.
After 48 hours have passed, please check that the changes have been made by using a Whois Lookup tool.
Keep in mind that the process will differ depending on the provider, their infrastructure, and systems.
At Hosted.com we take care of pointing your domain name to the correct nameserver for you. When you sign up to a hosting package which includes a domain, the DNS nameserver gets updated automatically so you don’t have to do it manually.
Step 3 – Set up an Email Account with Your Domain Name
Setting and using an email address with your domain name, such as user@domainname.com, is a fantastic way to build trust and credibility with your potential clients while you are busy setting up your website.
Most web hosting and domain registration providers offer domain-specific email accounts included in their packages.
Here is a brief step-by-step guide to creating an email account with your new domain name:
- Login to your Hosted.com account and navigate to the cPanel Control Panel.
- Look for the “Email” section and find the option to create new email accounts.
- Click “Add Email Account.”
- Enter the desired email address (e.g., user@domainname.com).
- Set a strong password.
- Configure your email settings for incoming (POP3) and outgoing (SMTP) mail for your email client e.g. Microsoft Outlook or webmail client e.g. Gmail.
Step 4 – Create Your Website
Now that you have most of the admin out of the way, it’s time to get creative by building your website.
Using website builders like WordPress is an excellent place to get started. The WordPress platform allows you to create any type of website you can think of. From blogs to business sites, ecommerce and many more.
WordPress offers a variety of free themes to choose from, and you can further customize your website’s appearance and functionality by adding templates, plugins, and widgets. Themes are what controls the look and layout of your website. You want to choose one that suits the type of website you are creating.
Hosted.com’s Website Builder is a beginner-friendly add-on to our cPanel Hosting Plans that lets you easily create and design a professional-looking website. It uses Drag & Drop widgets to alter along with over 200 templates to give you the website you’ve always wanted. If you are setting up an online store, it is ecommerce ready with multiple payment gateways and a built-in shopping cart so you can start selling right away.
Step 5 – Submit Your Website to Search Engines
Even the best-looking website won’t do what you need it to unless people can find it. Search engines like Google and Bing are how almost all web users find sites so after creating yours, submitting it to them can help your website appear in search results. This is called indexing.
Keep in mind that search engines index websites automatically, but submitting your site with complete and up to date information can help boost its visibility. Here are two methods you can use:
Create a Sitemap
When you create a sitemap and upload it to your server, you are essentially organizing all your website’s pages making it easier for search engines like Google and Bing to crawl. They use the sitemap to index every part of your website.
Use Google Search Console
You can manually submit your site’s URL to Google through its Search Console, and it will examine it and index your site for you.
The main way search engines find websites is crawling. To help your site rank higher on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) you need to optimize it to make it more attractive to them.
You can do this by making sure your site loads as quickly as possible as loading time can significantly affect its position on SERPs. Google gives preference to sites that use the “HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure)” prefix in their URL so having an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate installed will go a long way to improving your visibility in addition to keeping your site and user data secure.
Finally mobile-responsive websites tend to rank higher as many people browse the internet on mobile devices. So, when building your site, make sure you choose a theme that is mobile-friendly.
Step 6 – Start Marketing
Speaking of making your website visible, marketing your business’s website is essential to help potential clients visit it. The most common methods are social media and email marketing.
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn give you a direct way of interacting with customers. You can share your expertise, see what people in your market are talking about, or even directly promote your website. Adding social media widgets to your site will also make it easier for customers to find and follow you.
Take the time to research what platforms your customers are using. Having social media accounts where there is little or no engagement around your market won’t help with getting your website in front of the right people.
Email marketing is a fantastic way of keeping customers informed and getting them clicking through to your page.
Some types of email marketing you can use are newsletters, promotional mails, and retention campaigns. You can use these to provide discounts, exclusive offers, and updates to drive traffic to your site and generate sales.
Keep in mind when sending emails, they need to have value and appeal to your subscribers. So, make sure that you create visually appealing, engaging content with a clear Call to Action (CTA).
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Domain name purchases need to be registered through a DNS registry and stored on a DNS server.
- Sign up for web hosting such as Shared or WordPress Hosting so the website associated with your domain name can be accessible online.
- Point your domain name to a nameserver to translate it into its associated IP address on the DNS.
- Set up an email account containing your domain name.
- Create your website using a Website Builder. Make sure to use a theme that matches your brand and business.
- Submit your website to search engines for indexing and optimize it for maximum visibility.
- Market your site through social media and email to generate traffic and drive sales.
FAQs
How long after I purchase a domain name can I use it?
Can I have a domain name without web hosting?
Who owns the domain name after I register it?
Can I get a domain name and web hosting together?
How long does it take to verify a domain name?
How can I see if my domain name is available?
Other Blogs of Interest:
– How to Buy an Expired Domain
– Web Hosting Versus Domain Name – All the Facts Explained
– Make Money Online: 10 Practical Steps to Starting an Online Business
– International Domain Name Registration: What You Should Know
– 6 Best Website Builder for Blogs 2024
*Ts & Cs Apply
Free Domain Registration applies to the following domain name extensions: .com, .online, and is only applicable at time of purchase
Free Domain Registration depends on the selected hosting plan and only applies on 12, 24, and 36 month billing cycles.
All listed prices exclude Premium domain names.
- About the Author
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Rhett isn’t just a writer at Hosted.com – he’s our resident WordPress content guru. With over 6 years of experience as a content writer, with a background in copywriting, journalism, research, and SEO, and a passion for websites.
Rhett authors informative blogs, articles, and Knowledgebase guides that simplify the complexities of WordPress, website builders, domains, and cPanel hosting. Rhett’s clear explanations and practical tips provide valuable resources for anyone wanting to own and build a website. Just don’t ask him about coding before he’s had coffee.