What Every Tech Enthusiast Should Know Before Building a Website

Want your website to actually perform?

Every tech enthusiast at some point dreams of having their own website. Whether you’re building a portfolio, a blog or an online store there’s always something you need to do first.

You need to register a domain.

The Issue:

Most people rush domain registration. They choose any ole name and sign up with the first registrar they come across. Then they wonder why they run into issues down the road.

Domain registration services are the foundation of your entire web presence. If you don’t get this step right it makes everything else more difficult.

What you’ll learn:

1. Why domain registration is more important than you might think
2. How to choose the perfect domain extension
3. What features you should expect from a registrar
4. Mistakes tech enthusiasts make with domain names

Let’s get into it.

Why Domain Registration Services Are More Important Than You Might Think

Choosing a domain name is like finding a home for your brand online.

Your domain name is how customers will find you on the internet. It’s what they’ll type into their browser and remember to type in again later.

Think about how many websites already exist…

As of right now there are 368.4 million domain names registered all over the world. Every single one has to uniquely identify a business or individual.

Your domain name impacts everything.

From your branding to search engine optimization… it all starts with your domain registration services. Domain names aren’t just a cool web address.

They provide the infrastructure which allows your website to stay up 24/7.

Want the cheapest domain registration Singapore has to offer? Don’t settle for just any registrar. Price shouldn’t be your only consideration when signing up.

You want a domain registration service that offers all the tools you need like DNS management and WHOIS privacy.

If you’re serious about your website it starts with domain registration.

How To Choose The Perfect Domain Extension

If you don’t pick the right domain extension your website will suffer.

.dot com is and will likely always be the king of domain extensions. It’s what people are used to seeing and typing into their browser.

But here’s the thing a lot of people don’t realize…

New domain extensions are becoming extremely popular. Technology related extensions like .tech, .shop, and .io are growing in usage every year.

This allows tech enthusiasts unique options when branding their site. Plus they’re often cheaper than premium .com domain names.

Just don’t choose a dumb extension because it’s cheap.

You want your domain extension to give users an idea of what your website is about.

Also consider:

• Will your target audience understand it?
• Is it commonly used in your industry? Tech websites often use .io successfully.
• Is your perfect .com name available?
• How much are you willing to spend? Premium extensions will cost you more.

You should strive to find a balance between memorability and availability when choosing your domain extension.

The 3 Features You Should Expect From Any Registrar

Not all domain registration services are created equal.

Some try to offer you the cheapest prices possible. Others provide so much extra value you don’t want to manage your domain anywhere else.

Let’s dive into the key features you should expect from any registrar:

DNS Management

DNS management is how you tell the world where your domain should point to.

If you want to connect your domain name to a specific web hosting provider you’ll need good DNS management options.

Quality DNS management means you can make changes quickly without going crazy trying to troubleshoot.

WHOIS Privacy Protection

When you register your domain your information is saved to a public database.

This means basically anyone can look you up if they know how. Unless you pay for WHOIS privacy protection.

WHOIS protection keeps your information hidden from spammers and bots. To me this is reason enough to pay for a slightly more expensive registrar.

Auto-Renewal Options

Ever forgot to renew your domain name? Or even worse your website?

If you don’t enable auto-renewal your domain name will expire and someone else can register it. Don’t let this happen to you and your brand.

Enable auto-renewal so your registrar can charge your card before your domain expires.

Customer Support

Your domain registrar is going to make mistakes. When they do you better hope they have good customer support.

All registrars should offer 24/7 customer support via multiple channels. Whether that be through chat, email or phone.

Common Domain Name Mistakes That Tech Enthusiasts Make

Believe it or not I’ve seen experienced web masters make silly mistakes with their domain registration.

Here are the biggest mistakes I see:

Picking A Domain Name That’s Too Long

Keep your domain name short and sweet.

Long domain names are hard to remember and easy to mistype. Each additional character exponentially decreases the chance someone will get your domain correct.

Less is more. 15 characters is usually my maximum for a domain name.

Trademark Troubles

Registering a website that’s too similar to an existing brand is trouble.

Not only will you struggle with branding yourself as separate but you’ll open a lawsuit against you.

Do your due diligence and check trademarks before settling on your domain name.

Procrastination

According to All About Cookies, 51% of internet users start building a website but never publish it.

Their stats show the biggest reason these websites don’t get finished is “changed their mind”.

Take the time to plan and research before you dive into website building.

Neglect Related Domains

Say you decide to register yourbrand.com. I recommend you also grab yourbrand.net and yourbrand.org as well.

This prevents competitors from getting your brand name. Not only that but protect your brand from copycats.

Not Designing For Mobile Users

Did you know 61% of web traffic comes from mobile devices?

When typing on a smartphone it’s difficult to enter websites with tons of hyphens or numbers. Not to mention crazy spelling.

Make it easy for your users and keep your domain name mobile friendly.

Give Yourself The Best Chance At Success

Want your new website to succeed? Start with domain registration.

Here’s a process you can follow to prevent any rookie mistakes:

1. Take time to consider what domain name best fits your brand.
2. Check availability of that domain name with different extensions.
3. Do your homework and find the best registrar for your needs.
4. Register your domain with privacy protection from the get go.
5. Enable auto-renewal so you never have to worry about expiration.
6. Take the time to configure your DNS settings correctly.

By following this guide you’ll avoid 90% of the mistakes new tech enthusiasts make.

Wrap Up

Domain registration services provide the foundation every website needs to flourish.

If you take your time and do things right at the start you’ll be setting yourself up for success later.

Here are my biggest takeaways from this article:

• Your domain name is important – It plays a large role in your branding and SEO
• Choose the right extension – Not every domain extension is created equal
• Pick a quality registrar – DNS Management, Privacy Protection, and Support are paramount
• Don’t make any rookie mistakes – Do your research and take your time
• Plan for the future – Enable auto-renewal and secure similar domain names

Tech enthusiasts who understand the value of a good domain registration service are playing with house money.

They have a great foundation to build on while others are stuck troubleshooting preventable issues.

Want your domain registration to set you up for success? It starts here!