Although it is pretty straight-forward to create a domain name and then search a database to ensure that it is available, paying for the domain to be hosted by a specific vendor or partner requires making a few choices.

Here are some tips that can help you get up and running strategically when you register your next domain:

Multiple extensions or not?

Domain name registration is normally the point where some people realize that there are other extensions that are available that can provide other addresses for people to see their website. One strategy that people follow is to add a couple of domains with the same domain name and a different extension. A popular way to discover which extensions you should choose is to check statistics on which extensions have been queried the most over a set period of time. That can give you a hierarchy that will show you which extensions should bring you more value.

Another popular strategy is to block competitors from trying to add your domain name. If you have a good domain name, people will certainly be interested in trying to siphon off traffic by mimicking your company name and leading them off to their sites when they visit your domain name plus their extension. The way that they block them is to purchase all major extensions available using the same domain name that you plan to get. If you would like to know how effective this is in your industry, just compare the traffic on competitor’s sites. If you can find a competitor that has paid for all the domains, you can compare them to competitors that have not- learning whether or not it makes financial sense for you to apply this strategy.

Adding Private Registration:

A long time ago, people started using Dropbox because it gave them some email privacy that they couldn’t always get in other places. Choosing a domain name gives you similar options. If you don’t want your name to be displayed as the contact or company person in front of everyone, you can opt to use private registration. Companies like Networksolutions.com that have over a decade of experience helping people register publicly and privately have added features that can make private registration a compelling choice. One option is to take advantage of an email address that changes frequently on the hosting provider’s end. They then forward the mail to your account. Another important feature augments the notion that all of your contact data is aliased to a location and person that are not you or your company, per se. With many providers, they will also insist that you allow them or a third-party then manage the domain in their own name. There are services, however that let people retain domain ownership in a private manner.

Adding domain names would seem to be a pretty brief process. On the other hand, the planning that needs to go into decisions that will work for you and be cost-effective can make it worth your while to be informed and strategic about how you make your purchase decision.