Question: How do I register my own domain name?
How do I register my own domain name? OK, so you’ve read the post titled “What is a Domain Name?”, and now you’re ready to get your very own domain name.
But wait! Before we continue, have you thought long and hard about the name of your soon to be website?
Now that you have thought of a name, let’s move on. There are only a few steps to registering your own domain name, take them one at a time.
Step 1: Selecting a Domain Company/Registrar
First, we need to decide on a company (also called a “domain registrar”) to register the domain name through. I highly recommend MediaTemple for both domains and hosting (which we will touch on later, don’t worry about that now, one step at a time).
There are other companies such as GoDaddy, Namecheap, and plenty more. I am of the opinion that you get what you pay for. Go with whatever company you feel comfortable with. 
I will assume you’re going with MediaTemple for the rest of this tutorial, though the process will be similar with any registrar you choose.
Step 2: Checking the Availability of the Domain Name
Once on the MediaTemple site, simply enter your domain name in the box shown in the picture below.
Home page of MediaTemple, arrows point to domain registration areas.
If your domain is unavailable, you will getting a message telling you so.
Step 3: Registering the Domain in Your Name
If your domain was available, you will see a page that looks similar to picture below.
Domain registration details page, confirm everything is spelled correctly.
Now you may continue to register the domain name. The next page will ask you for your payment and registration information.
Congratulations! Once you complete your payment, you officially own your new domain name. You will get an email confirmation with details on how to setup your MediaTemple account to manage your domain. Keep these details handy.
You will also see an option to add something called “hosting“. In addition to your domain name, you will need a server/hosting account somewhere in order to get your web site up and running.
Don’t stress, this is relatively easy and painless. Please proceed to step 4 for information about hosting your domain name and web site.
Important Note: you can always register the domain name via MediaTemple and come back to add your hosting later. Please proceed to step 4 for helpful information on what hosting is and why you will need a hosting account/web server.
Step 4: Hosting your Domain New Domain Name
For step 4, please see the beginners guide “What is web hosting and why do I need it for my domain name?“
