A domain name is the alpha-numeric name that corresponds to a specific IP address of a PC that is connected on the Internet. It is the text that users type when they want to access your website so it is a very important element to website creation.

Register a domain name that is appropriate or suitable for your business. This will help a lot in the marketing of your business, as well as in projecting the right image to your customers.

Following are the basic steps you need to do when you register a domain name for your website.

Choosing the right domain name. Before you register domain, you must decide on a domain name. Take a long and hard look at your business and evaluate the best online name you can have for it. If you have an established offline business that you simply want to put on the Internet, then you can use your offline business name. This will promote identity and easy recall. Even if it’s a strictly online business, you can also use your company name as a domain name.

On the other hand, if you don’t want to use your company name, then you may need to do some thorough keyword research to find out the most appropriate domain name.

Ensure that the domain name is short and easy to understand (and type) by consumers.

Choosing a top level domain. The top level domain is the last part of your URL. This can either be a generic domain such as .com, .net, .biz, etc. or a country domain such as .sg (for Singapore) or .ca (for Canada).

A generic domain may be best if you have an international market. On the other hand, a country domain may be best if your market is concentrated on a particular region.

Find an accredited domain name registrar. Once you've decided on a domain name, you need to register the domain name with an accredited registrar. Shop around to find out the most reputable registrar that offers the cheapest registration rates.

Sometime, you may be disappointed to note that the domain name you like has already been taken. Don’t worry; the domain name registrar will usually offer alternatives you can consider.