Where do I Register a Domain Name?

Answer:
Do a whois search of the domain name you want

to see if it’s available. Remember – this name is your online identity.

A domain name consists of the domain name itself and the top level domain (TLD) extension. The most popular TLD extension is “.com” – although there are many names that won’t be available because they’ve already been purchased. The “.edu” extensions are used by educational institutions and the “.org” extensions are used by non-profit organizations.

To perform a whois you may go to any registrar. I prefer DomainTools.com as it's not a registrar and seems to be the fastest and least cluttered. So once you have an idea of the domain you want to register continue with the whois lookup to see if it is still available. If it is available you can register it.

Register the domain name you’ve selected with a registrar. There are tons of registrars and they all serve the same purpose. They have been licensed by ICANN (the governing body of domain names) and can sell domain name registrations. I would recommend using a registrar that has good support and a phone number you can call in case you need immediate attention. GoDaddy and Enom are my choice registrars. They are the most affordable and provide the best service. So set up an account with them, pay the $X and register the domain name.

If you choose to have a web hosting service do this for you, be sure that the registration is in your name and not the name of the hosting service. You’ll have to pay a one time set-up fee and an annual registration fee. (Web hosting and domain registration are separate costs.) Once you’ve chosen a registrar, they should provide you with additional instructions to complete your domain name registration.