When you're ready to start a website, the first thing you think to do is buy a website name.  Names for a website are commonly referred to as URLs, web addresses, and domain names.  Purchasing a domain name is a very easy process, but before you run out and snag a few URLs, there are some things you should know about domains, domain name registrars, and how a better name will improve your marketability, credibility, and traffic.

First, let's start off with the essentials to getting a domain name.  Simply visit a domain registration website, search for an available domain name, select the one you want, and checkout.  It really is that easy, but there are a number of options you will confront on your way to buying a website name. 

Domain renewals often trip people up and everyday valuable domains expire or drop because someone forgot to renew their domain on time.  When you buy a URL, your registration is only valid for the amount of time you register for the domain name for.  You don't actually own the name, you only have the rights to use that domain for the period of your registration.  When you buy a domain name, you have the option of purchasing 1-5 years of registration and even a 10 year time period if you so choose.  It is generally recommended you go with 1 year because this will give you ample time to see if you want to hold on to the domain.  Your rights won't be affected in any way by only registering for a year.

Another common source of confusion is privacy protection.  So what is whois privacy?  Whois privacy protection prevents your registrant information from being available to the public.  When you register a domain, you need to use your first and last name, email address, physical address, and phone number.  Without whois privacy, anyone can look up your domain and access this information.  While this is an important consideration, you should not be too alarmed as your information is typically limited to someone actually seeking to find out who owns the rights to a particular domain.

Another problem area for people registering a name for the first time is what domain name extension to get.  Domain extensions are the designation at the end of a url.  For example, .com, .net, and .org are all top level domain extensions.  If you are buying a domain, you always want to buy the .com as a first option if it is available.  If the .com is taken, .net is considered as a nice alternative because it falls under the same general applicability of the .com.  This means that it has the similar universal appeal and usage as the .com.  You will see other extensions available as options but understand that many of these signify various meanings for websites.  For example, a .tv usually represents a site with video and a .mobi is thought of in terms of website use on phones.

As far as marketing your domain, you'll want to be aware of some general guidelines.  First, as mentioned above, .com is king.  This is because the .com is programmed into our brains and so we often default to it.  If you have the .com for a particular keyword, you may in fact receive type in traffic from people guessing that the website and information they want to find will be present.  Second, the shorter your domain the better.  You always want to keep the distance between you and your traffic as short as possible.   You can increase the likelihood that others will remember your domain name by keeping it as short as possible.  Third, its also a good idea to get your specific keywords if at all possible.  Brands are a great thing, but you have to remember that many are not successful in converting keywords to memorability.