You have a great name for your website. Now, there are two relatively easy steps before website development begins.  You will need to register a domain name and sign-up for an account with a web hosting service provider.

Registering a domain name is very similar to a yearly lease and is done through a registrar.  Because the domain is the way readers will find your site, it is very important that you retain control of it through time.  As your web site grows, gains links and readers, the value of the domain increases.  Lose your domain and a key element of your internet presence is shattered.

Choosing the right registrar is key. I recommend selecting an established company other than your webhost and, similarly, not using your registrar to host your site.  The reason is that if a dispute arises or if you decide to switch hosts it is much better for the domain to be your control and not the other party’s. Your registrar should be approved by Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Many unapproved registrars offer deeply discounted domain names.  Don’t be swayed.  Each domain costs the registrars $6.25 so if you’re paying below this amount there is probably a catch.  Besides, the $2-$4 you might save this one year is meaningless compared to the investment you’ll make in your web site through time. Finally, do your own homework.  I’m not going to recommend one company but rather list several I’ve had a positive experiences with.

	Enom is an ICANN-accredited registrar and has been a Better Business Bureau (BBB) Accredited Business since 2002.  Their interface is straight-forward, fast and reliable and I’ve never experienced a problem.  All of my business domains are registered through them. However, if you do not have the discounted reseller account, which I do, it can be very expensive to maintain your domain names.
	GoDaddy is currently the largest ICANN-accredited registrar in the world and, in 2009 was voted “Best Registrar” for the 4th consecutive year.  I’ve had good experience with Godaddy although their interface is slow and check-outs have an annoying number of advertisements to click through.  However, their service is solid and they frequently send out coupons for discounts of up to 30%.
	1and1 provides discounted domain names and includes privacy guard free of charge ($8.99 per .com domain).  The latter add-on protects your name, address and phone number from being access through the public directory of domain names and costs up to $8.99/year at other registrars (such as Godaddy).  I find the control panel cumbersome and have found the turn-around time when changes are made fairly slow.  Consequently, I tend to register only personal domains with the company.
	Namecheap is an enom reseller with a solid interface and a decent reputation.  My experience with the company has been limited but they have a reputation for reasonable prices ($9.60 per .com domain) and an easy interface.
	Although more expensive ($15.95 per .com domain), I found the companies interface and service to be reliable.