Purchased a Domain, Now What? Read the Complete Guide

Purchased a domain name? Great! Now, it’s time to take action. Here’s what you need to do after buying a domain: 

• Choose a web host 
• Create a domain-specific email address 
• Sync your social media accounts 
• Register and trademark your business 
• Set business goals 
• Start designing your website

Purchasing a domain name is an exciting step, whether you are starting a blog, building a personal brand, or setting up a business. But the journey doesn’t end when you complete the purchase. In fact, it’s just the beginning. There are several important steps to follow. This blog post will walk you through what to do after purchasing a domain name. 

Things to Do After Purchasing a Domain Name 

Here are some things you should do after domain purchase to ensure your domain works perfectly and supports your business’s growth.

1.Purchase hosting

Once you’ve bought your domain name, it’s time to find it a home on the internet. Your domain is like an address; it must be linked to a website people can visit. To do this, you’ll need a web hosting service. Generally, it’s recommended to purchase hosting and domain from one place. This reduces the time and effort spent on syncing domain names and hosting manually. We at BigRock offer both domain registrations and hosting. 

We offer many hosting options, and you can choose the one best suited for your website’s needs. Most new businesses prefer shared hosting, as it is affordable and easy to manage. 

2.Set up your business email address

A business email address helps build not only credibility but also aids in building your brand and its recognition. Wondering if you need a custom email address for your business? Trust us, you need a business email. Imagine sending emails to clients with the email address salesmybusiness@gmail/yahoo/etc.com instead of sending emails via [email protected]. The difference it will make is immeasurable. Moreover, having a domain-specific email address is a great way to make your online presence more professional. Instead of using a generic Gmail or Yahoo account, creating an email like [email protected] shows customers or visitors that you’re serious about your business or personal brand. 

Most hosting services offer email addresses as part of their hosting plans. Typically, you will get at least one email address for free with your hosting, and you can add more as your needs grow.

3.Register yourself on social media platforms

Now that you have your domain and email, it’s time to make sure your social media accounts align with your new online identity. Just like with your domain, you want to ensure your social media handles match or closely reflect your domain name. Consistency across platforms is essential for building a strong brand.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when creating your social media accounts:

• Check availability: Before purchasing your domain name, it’s a good idea to check if the same name (or something similar) is available on popular social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
• Create new accounts: If you haven’t done so, create social media accounts that reflect your domain name. This will help people find you easily across different platforms.
• Close matches are fine: If the exact name isn’t available on a social platform, try to come up with something close. For example, if you run a store named “CoolStore” and “CoolStore” isn’t available on Twitter, consider adding a location identifier like “CoolStoreIndia” or “CoolStoreUK” to your handle.

4.Register and Trademark Your Business

After setting up your online identity, it’s time to shift focus to trademarking for business protection. Registering and trademarking your business name gives you legal protection, preventing others from using your brand name. 

You can choose between:

• State-level trademarking: This offers protection within your state.
• Federal trademarking: This gives you nationwide protection and is the most comprehensive option, though it’s more complicated and expensive.

5.Chalk out goals for your business 

Goals help visualise your business ideas and what you aim to achieve. Before you build and launch your website, it is crucial to build an actionable item list based on what your business is about and all you want to achieve. 

This doesn’t have to be a plan set in stone; however, defining your goals at the start enables you to always be in check and work on items that you want to achieve. Some goals could be:

• The revenue you want to drive
• Do you plan on having a blog?
• If you have set up social media accounts, the number of followers you aim to achieve, and more 
• If you’re ever stuck and don’t know where to head, your goal checklist can always come in handy!

6.Start building your website

With your domain, email, social media presence, and phone system set up, the next step is to focus on your website. This is where all your efforts so far come together.

Before you dive into design and development, make sure you have a clear idea of your brand identity and the purpose of your website. Are you setting up an e-commerce site? A portfolio? A blog? Knowing the purpose will guide your design choices. You can use DIY website builders to create websites. BigRock has a website builder that allows you to create a professional and mobile-ready website in minutes without any coding skills. Once your website is live, focus on creating engaging content, optimizing it for search engines (SEO), and continually updating it as your business grows.

Summing Up 

In conclusion, purchasing a domain is just the first step in building your online presence. After that, there are several essential tasks that will help set you up for success. You can create a strong and professional online identity by following the steps outlined above. These steps might seem like a lot at first, but they’re manageable when broken down into smaller actions. And as you continue to grow your business or personal brand, your domain will become the foundation for all your online endeavors.

Still confused? Check out our FAQs for clarity! 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1.How do you activate a domain?

Your domain activates as soon as your payment is complete. If you pay via credit card, your domain activates instantly. Meanwhile, payments via bank transfer may delay activation until the payment is received. 

2.Is domain ownership permanent?

No, domains require renewal every 1 to 10 years based on your selected registration period. 

3.How can I check if my domain is active?

Here are some ways to check if your domain name is active: 

• Perform a WHOIS lookup 
• Visit the domain in a browser 
• Use an online domain checker

4.How long does domain activation take?-H3

It can take up to 24 hours for activation and DNS propagation.

We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts or questions in the comments below!