How Do I Buy a Domain?

In order to build a website, you will need a domain. I prefer to use Dynadot because it has a very easy-to-navigate interface.

 If you would are working with me to develop a website, I will have you set up an account on Dynadot if you have not already. It is the website hosting service that I am most familiar with using and I will be able to produce the best results for you this way.

STEP ONE

First, you are going to need to have your own domain. Domain is another way of saying "the name of your website." 

Once you have made an account with Dynadot, go to the home page. You will see a search bar; this is where you will type in your desired domain name before searching.

STEP THREE

Once you have chosen your domain, you are ready to check out. Head to your shopping cart.

Domains will vary in price. A ".com" is usually around $10.19 a year, while others, such as ".vip" can be less expensive.

STEP FIVE

If you are looking to have a fully operational website with multiple tabs and an array of internal features, I recommend paying for the pro version of the website builder. It is $20 annually to have access to everything listed here.

You are now ready to finalize your purchase!

STEP TWO

Once you have searched for your domain, multiple options will come up. 

On the left is exactly what you typed (in this case "mydomain"). On the right (highlighted in purple) is a selection of AI generated alternatives to what you initially searched for that are available. This can be handy if the exact domain you wanted is not available, but you are open to other options.

To add a domain to your cart, press the blue cart with the plus sign next to the desired domain.

STEP FOUR

If you are looking to have a website attached to your new domain, make sure to purchase it here.

Every domain comes with a free website - However, the free website is a single page with very limited capabilities. This free website will also display ads from the Dynadot website and will only provide you will 500MB of storage when developing your site. 

HOW DO I CONNECT MY DOMAIN TO THE SITE BUILDER?

There are some extra steps required to connect your domain to the site builder. Do not worry - this process is very simple!

STEP ONE

Make sure you are logged into Dynadot before proceeding.

In the right corner of the page, you should see the name associated with your account. Click on this and a dropdown menu will appear.

Click on Manage Domains (highlighted in the image).

STEP THREE

The default setting for most domains is Dynadot Parking, which just means that there is a placeholder there so no one else can use your domain.

We want to switch from Dynadot Parking to Dynadot Site Builder (highlighted in the image to the right).

STEP TWO

You are now in the Manage Domains section!

You will want to click on the highlighted portion below DNS Settings (highlighted in the image to the left).

STEP FOUR

Once you have selected Dynadot Site Builder from the drop down menu, you are going to want to click on the button that says "Save Settings."