Tough competition on the internet demands undivided attention from the webmaster. A domain name is a must for webmasters to be taken seriously. Online businesses thrive on site traffic meaning a memorable domain name can make a big difference. For personal websites, a unique domain name is self-expression. A domain name should describe the site clearly and tell what the site is about and its contents. It should be easy to remember and the shorter the better. It should be attention grabbing and memorable. If possible, avoid special characters like hyphens and underbars as it could potentially cause confusion to possible visitors. Sending a customer to a rival's site is not a good idea.

The next step is checking if it is available via Domain registrars and numerous web hosts. There are other options if the extension .com is no longer available. A couple of possible extensions are .org, .net. If your first choice of name unavailable alternate names are possible. A slight alteration is sometimes enough and some domain registrars and web hosts provide alternate versions which could save you coming up with a multitude of names. It may be possible to buy your chosen domain name from the owner. To know who the owner is go to InterNIC WhoIs search. The owner will not normally be willing to sell for cheap.

The last step is registering or buying the name but it is important to check if the chosen name does not violate any trademarks. Many disputes have arisen between cyber squatters and companies regarding domain names. Cyber squatters are people buying Domain Names with intention of selling. They frequently buy domain names for upcoming and existing businesses hoping companies will pay good money although trademark laws are in place so much of this can be avoided.

If the name has passed the trademark test, registration can be accomplished. An accredited domain name registrar or representative needs to be employed. A web host often offers a deal where customers can buy a domain name together with a web hosting account. There is no fixed price for registering a domain name and can vary tremendously.