I Bought A Domain Name Now What? Must Do Steps In 2024

Q: How to buy an expired domain?

Check out this guide about buying expired domains .

Wondering, “I Bought A Domain Name Now What“?

First, congrats for buying a domain name.

So what’s next?

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I Bought A Domain Name Now What? Exact Steps To Do

In this article, I will show things you can do with your newly registered domain name.

You don’t have to be a techie or spend a lot of money to hire someone to try and do something useful in your domain.

The best thing to do is start a blog about it.

Check out my in-depth guide on how to start a blog easily.

When you purchase a domain name, it will have a unique address through which the users will be able to access it.

A registered domain can help you create your online business, and build your brand, and even if you are not ready for such a thing, it can help you organize your social profile.

Yes, you heard right.

Let’s take a look at the things you can do with your domain name.

Get Web Hosting

The first thing you need to do after getting a domain name is to build your blog or website. To do that you need to buy the right web hosting.

There are many web hosting providers available in the market. Most domain name providers also sell web hosting services.

It is recommended to choose a different provider for your domain name and web hosting service.

Though there are many free web hosting providers, I would recommend staying away from them.

I recommend Bluehost as it is a reliable and WordPress.org recommended hosting.

Why Bluehost?

Bluehost is one of the most reliable hosting providers at an affordable rate. Here are its best features:

Affordable Price
Officially recommended by WordPress
30 days money back guarantee
One-click WordPress installation
Easy to use
Endorsed by top industry players Like Neil Patel, and others
24/7 Support
Excellent uptime
And so on…

If you are looking for its review, check out this post about the complete Bluehost review.

Connect your Domain Name with your Web Hosting

If you have bought a domain name from Godaddy or Namecheap and web hosting from Bluehost, then you need to connect the domain name with your web hosting.

Here are the steps you need to follow:

Step 1: Find the DNS information of your web hosting. You will find it in the confirmation email from the hosting company. For Bluehost, it will be like this:

ns1. bluehost.com

ns2.bluehost.com

Step 2: Log in to your domain name account.

Step 3: Go to “Manage my domains” and select the domain name.

Step 4: Under DNS management, update the name servers.

That’s it. Generally, it may take around 24 hours to take effect. However, sometimes it will be updated in a few minutes.

In the meantime, you can try getting social media names for your blog/website.

After buying a domain name, you would need to secure the social media names.

If your domain name does not match the name with your social media profiles, it will cause great confusion.

For example, if you have bought a domain name onlinedecoded.com, then would need to get the same name for all the social media profiles like Facebook, Twitter, etc.

If your domain name is not available with the social network and it is registered already, then check whether that owner is ready to sell that account.

If they are willing, then you can purchase it. Otherwise, choose a name that is similar to your domain.

For example, the Facebook profile for this domain is Facebook.com/Onlinedecoded and the Twitter profile is Twitter.com/Onlinedecoded.

Install WordPress

It is time to install WordPress software to manage your site.

WordPress is the most popular CMS software. Login to the cPanel of your web hosting provider and you can install WordPress with just one click.

On the cPanel, on the list of softaculous apps, choose WordPress.

Select the domain name, and enter the admin user, password, and email that will need you at the time of logging into your WordPress dashboard. Then click on “Install WordPress“.

Once WordPress is installed, you will get a confirmation message. You will also receive an email with the WordPress admin username and password to log in to your website.

Install a Theme and Customize it

When you install WordPress, it will provide a couple of free themes. There are plenty of free themes available in the WordPress repository.

I would suggest you install the GeneratePress or Astra Theme. Both are fast-loading themes.

Personally, I would recommend you to use GeneratePress. Here are the reasons for it:

Lightweight
Mobile friendly
SEO Friendly
24/7 Support
Simple and beautiful design
And many more.

To enjoy all the features of the GeneratePress theme, you would need to buy the GeneratePress Premium.

Setup a Professional Email Address

After installing the theme, it is recommended to create a professional email address for your site.

A professional email address will look like [info @domain.com]

You do not need to spend any money to create an email address for your website. Your hosting provider will allow you to create unlimited emails for your website.

In the case of Bluehost, you can follow the steps below:

Step 1: Log in to the cPanel of your hosting account.

Step 2: Go to the email section and click on “Add Email Account“.

Step 3: Enter the name for your email (admin or info @domain.com)

Step 4: Type the password and click on “Create Account”.

You have now created a custom professional email address. If you wish, you can forward emails from this email to your Gmail address. Else, you can leave it.

Install the Essential Plugins

Plugins help your website in many ways. Here is the list of essential plugins you must have installed on your WordPress website.

RankMath – RankMath is the best SEO plugin that helps you to optimize the On-Page SEO.

WPForms – WPForms is the best plugin to create beautiful forms within a few seconds.

Smush it – It is the best plugin to optimize the images on your website.

WPRocket – WPRocket is the best plugin to improve the performance of your WordPress site.

Write your First Blog Post

After customizing all the things, it is time to write your first blog post and publish it.

Make sure that your blog post is both user and SEO-friendly.

Add your Website to the Google Search Console

Google Web Master is now known as Search Console. It is one of the highly recommended free SEO tools that help to improve your performance on Google searches.

This tool will help you with metrics such as Organic CTR, click impressions, mobile friendliness, number of links, etc.

It will also tell you whether there are any penalties or malware issues on the website.

In the search console, you can easily submit your sitemap or request to index an individual URL.

Include Email Opt-in

This is another important item on the list. An email list will allow you to keep engaged with your readers.

Email opt-in forms will help you grow your blog. You need to add an email opt-in form from day one. It also helps you to increase traffic to your website.

I would recommend using ConvertKit for email marketing.

It is very easy to get started and maintain things with them.

If you do not want to create a blog and are still wondering “I bought a domain name now what?”, we have a few more options for you!

Create a Standalone Landing Page

A static landing page is like a digital gesture that welcomes visitors into your digital world.

This targeted one-page website serves as a teaser for your brand or upcoming project.

Here’s why it’s important:

Capture Attention: Hook your audience with a compelling headline, engaging visuals, and concise content that highlights your value proposition.
Collect Leads: Use a lead capture form to gather email addresses or other contact information. This builds a valuable subscriber list for future marketing efforts.
Generate Buzz: Tease upcoming products, services, or events. A well-crafted landing page can create anticipation and buzz among your target audience.

Create an Online Store for Your Offline Business

If you run a brick-and-mortar business, your domain can be the bridge that connects your physical presence to the digital world. Here’s how:

Showcase Your Offerings: Develop a full-fledged website that highlights your products, services, and values. This helps potential customers understand what you’re all about.
Enhance Customer Experience: Provide essential information like business hours, contact details, and location. Make it easy for customers to find and engage with you.
Implement E-Commerce: If applicable, integrate an online store to tap into the growing world of e-commerce. Sell products and services directly to your online audience.

For those who are active on social media, redirecting your domain to your profiles can streamline your online branding:

Consistent Branding: Use your domain as a central hub that redirects visitors to your social media platforms. This maintains a consistent brand image across different channels.
Simplify Sharing: Instead of sharing lengthy social media links, you can share your domain name. It’s easier to remember and promotes a professional image.
Enhance Discoverability: Having a dedicated domain for your social profiles can improve your search engine visibility and help people find you online.

Try Domain Flipping

If you’re interested in exploring the world of online investments, domain flipping could be intriguing:

Buy and Sell Domains: Invest in domain names that have potential value. Research trends, keywords, and popular phrases to identify valuable domains.
Patience and Timing: Similar to real estate, domain flipping requires patience. Wait for the right buyer, and time your sales strategically.
Monetize Your Skills: If you have an eye for domain names that align with trends, you can turn this hobby into a profitable venture.

Can I own a domain name forever?

Domain names are bought for a particular period. You need to renew it before it expires.

Where is the best place to buy a domain name?

You can get domain names from leading providers like GoDaddy, and Namecheap.

What Happens to My Domain When I Change My Web Host?

Considering you have bought a domain name separately from your hosting company, you just have to update the DNS of the domain from the old web hosting provider to the new one.

How to buy an expired domain?

Check out this guide about buying expired domains.

I bought a domain name and hosting now what?

If you have bought your domain name and hosting, then you can easily set up a WordPress blog in it.

I Bought a Domain Now What?

That’s all about the things to do after buying a domain name.

You can either start a blog or flip it for easy money. An important thing to keep in mind is that you need to register the domain name in other top-level extensions.

I hope I have answered the question, ” I bought a domain name now what“?. If you are aware of any other way to use your domain name, you can comment below.

I Bought A Domain Name Now What? Must Do Steps in 2024