The process of moving into a new home is never fun. On top of having to physically move all of your stuff, there are several other admin tasks to handle like changing your address, forwarding your mail, setting up your new home phone and internet, and many others. Buying and setting up a new domain name can feel somewhat similar to buying a house and moving all of your stuff in. Once you’ve finally chosen your desired domain and registered it, it might feel like the hard part is over, but there is still a lot of setup and admin work that needs to be done.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry. This blog post will cover six key steps you need to focus on once you’ve bought your desired domain name. This list will guide you through the most important steps, like figuring out a domain-specific email address and setting up a dedicated business phone system. Let’s begin!
What To Do After Buying a Domain Name
1. Purchase Web Hosting – First things first – you’ve just purchased a domain, and now you need to give it someplace to live. When it comes to web hosting you have two options, look for a stand-alone web hosting service or use a domain registry and web hosting combo service. Odds are you purchased your domain name from a website that also offers web hosting plans. By purchasing both from the same place, you shouldn’t have to worry about connecting your domain and hosting service – they’ll sync with each other automatically. You will also be making all payments to the same company which can make writing those services off at the end of the year a bit easier.
2. Create a Domain-Specific Email Address – When you move into a new home, you get a new address. Getting a domain-specific email address is kind of like getting a new postal address. People need to know where you are and where they can reach you. Creating a custom email address that matches your domain gives you a professional polish that gmail or hotmail just can’t muster. Most web hosting and domain registry services offer domain-specific email addresses as part of their plans. Many plans will even come with one free email and the option to add more as needed.
3. Match Social Media To Everything Else – Now that you’ve purchased your domain, got web hosting and created your domain-specific email address, the next step is to make sure your social media presence syncs up with your new website and email address. Check all your existing accounts, create new ones, and see if your exact business name, or something close to it, is available. You’ll want to make sure that the identity and tone of your business brand on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other networks sync up to your website. Try your best to use the same name across your social media profiles, so people don’t confuse your business with another account.
4. Register And Trademark Your Business – Let’s say you just started a new customer engagement software company. You’ve got a great company name, a website under construction, a domain-specific email address, and matching social media profile. Before you pat yourself on the back, one of the most important things you still have to do is register your business and trademark your business name. Statistically, more than one million people filed trademark applications back in 2021, and that number has been rising steadily since 2003.
5. Get Dedicated Phone And Fax Numbers – Don’t make the mistake of using a personal cell phone number for business calls. Not only is this unprofessional, but do you want to send out your personal number to everyone? Invest in a small business phone system and fax line to streamline your operations and cement your brand across communications. Choosing a cloud based system is your best bet, as they often include additional features. Dedicated business phone systems let you bring phone and fax capabilities into the 21st century so you can make the most of your new business, saving your personal phone number for friends and family only.
6. Design And Develop Your Website – You’re now ready for the final step: designing and developing your website. Once you’ve completed all of your website admin, you can start to work on design and development. Having a clear idea of your business and brand will help you design your website. The idea of creating a new website might sound overwhelming, but you can always hire a web developer to do the work for you. If you think you can handle the work, there are plenty of online platforms which make the process easier, such as WordPress. Once you settle on the design and content, don’t forget to develop your website as your business grows. Create engaging content to attract customers and create leads. Develop an SEO strategy to make sure you’re optimizing keywords and links to generate traffic to your site.
Now you have six easy-to-follow steps to get started and make the most of your new domain. Once you have these key actions established, you’ll have a solid foundation to build on as your business grows. In the end, setting up your domain will be a lot easier than moving — a real win for everyone.
