<commit_before>---
layout: post
title: "Landing Page Guide Part 1: The Domain Name"
tags: landing_page_guide
---

The first step to starting any website is the name. Let's see how we find a name that isn't taken already and get it registered.

> ### I don't care about a custom domain name!
If you don't want to pay for a custom domain name, you can move onto the next post in this tutorial series: [(free) hosting]({% post_url 2015-06-18-free-hosting %}). However, a custom name does look a lot more legitimate.

## Finding a Name
The Internet has been around for a while, so many of the popular names have been taken. So before falling in love with any one name, go to [Instant Domain Search](www.instantdomainsearch.com) to find out if it's taken.

![Instant Domain Search results](/assets/instantdomainsearch-results.png)

## Registering the Domain Name
After you settle on a name, it's time to get it registered with a domain name registrar. I usually go with [Namecheap](http://www.namecheap.com). They usually provide domain names at around $10 / year. The first year also comes with a free year of [WHOIS Guard](http://www.whoisguard.com).

> ### Why should I care about WHOIS Guard? 
[WHOIS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WHOIS) basically tells people who owns any domain name. The information that you used to pruchase your domain from the registrar can be found by people, or worse, spam bots. If you don't want your private information to be accessible in a WHOIS search, make sure that your domain registrar provides WHOIS Guard as a service.

Now that you've got your name registered, next time you will learn where you can [host your site for free]({% post_url 2015-06-18-free-hosting %}).<commit_msg>added affiliate link<commit_after>---
layout: post
title: "Landing Page Guide Part 1: The Domain Name"
tags: landing_page_guide
---

The first step to starting any website is the name. Let's see how we find a name that isn't taken already and get it registered.

> ### I don't care about a custom domain name!
If you don't want to pay for a custom domain name, you can move onto the next post in this tutorial series: [(free) hosting]({% post_url 2015-06-18-free-hosting %}). However, a custom name does look a lot more legitimate.

## Finding a Name
The Internet has been around for a while, so many of the popular names have been taken. So before falling in love with any one name, go to [Instant Domain Search](www.instantdomainsearch.com) to find out if it's taken.

![Instant Domain Search results](/assets/instantdomainsearch-results.png)

## Registering the Domain Name
After you settle on a name, it's time to get it registered with a domain name registrar. I usually go with [Namecheap](http://www.namecheap.com/?aff=87740). They usually provide domain names at around $10 / year. The first year also comes with a free year of [WHOIS Guard](http://www.whoisguard.com).

> ### Why should I care about WHOIS Guard? 
[WHOIS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WHOIS) basically tells people who owns any domain name. The information that you used to pruchase your domain from the registrar can be found by people, or worse, spam bots. If you don't want your private information to be accessible in a WHOIS search, make sure that your domain registrar provides WHOIS Guard as a service.

Now that you've got your name registered, next time you will learn where you can [host your site for free]({% post_url 2015-06-18-free-hosting %}).
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