Last updated on November 4th, 2022 at 07:01 am
Congratulations on taking the first step in creating a website. I can’t tell you how many people out there are spinning their wheels and procrastinating to create a website. But for you, you are one in a million. For this reason, in this guide, you will not only learn where to get the cheapest domain names in Nigeria but also
- How to choose the best name for your website
- A step by step domain name registration process in Nigeria
- Tips on how to run a successful blog in Nigeria
So, if you are looking for answers to the above questions, you are in the right place.
First things first:
What is a domain name?
I will answer this question using an example.
Whenever you want to access a website in Nigeria, say the Uche Eze’s site, what would you do?
Of course, you would go to your Smartphone’s browser and type into the search bar, www.bellanaija.com
Isn’t that right?
Well, from the example above there are two things:
- BellaNaija and
- .com at the end
The first one is the domain name.
The second part is called domain extension and there are wide varieties of them as we shall see later.
In a nutshell, a domain name is the address of your website. It is that URL people type into the browser to find your website. Additionally, every website around the web has a unique domain name/URL. Meaning, you will never find two websites sharing the same domain name/URL.
Where do you get them?
Domain names can be purchased through a domain registrar like GoDaddy or through web hosting providers like Truehost Nigeria. In fact, in some instances, the latter can give you free domain names in Nigeria. And I will show you how to get that.
Moving on, before you purchase a domain name with a registrar or hosting provider in Nigeria, you first have to do two things:
- Brainstorm possible website names. Generate at least 10 names
- Check if they are available. Remember I told you no sharing domain names. You have to pick a unique one.
Once you’ve accomplished all that, go ahead and register your website name.
But before you do that, let’s briefly discuss types of domain names in Nigeria
Types of domain names in Nigeria
I’m sure you have seen some websites with URLs ending with .com others ending with .org and others with .io
What is the difference between these websites?
While these are just domain extensions, there is so much going on under the veil. To solve this mystery, let’s dive deep into types of domain names.
Top-Level Domain (TLD)
As its name suggests, TLDs are generic domain extensions that are listed at the highest level in the domain name system.
In fact, there are thousands of such domains, but the most popular ones are .com, .org, and .net
Others are lesser-known. And that’s why we do not recommend using them. For example, .biz, .agency, .info etc.
Country Code Top Level Domain (ccTLD)
These are domains reserved for specific countries. They end with country code extension like .ng for Nigeria, .uk for the United Kingdom, .in for India.
This type of domain is popular with those who want to target audiences from specific countries.
For example:
If you want to start an eCommerce business targeting Cameroon, you can create a website with a .cm
Sponsored Top Level Domain (sTLD)
sTLD are domain restricted to special groups. It represents a specific community.
For example:
.edu is reserved for education-related-organizations, .gov for the United States government, .mil for the United States military, and much more.
Remember, you are not allowed to register a domain name using these extensions unless you provide additional information.
Now that you know the types of domains, how do you pick the best website name in Nigeria?
Continue reading to find out.
How to choose the best domain name in Nigeria
As we’ve already seen, your website’s name is kind of a big deal. It is what people will remember about your business and whether you like it or not, how they will perceive your business.
As a result, you need to sit down and think through the domain name picking process because there’s a lot riding on it. Additionally, if you get it wrong, you are stuck with it for a very long time.
As much as bagging the cheapest domain names in Nigeria is important, you need to pick the right name. And there are over 350 million registered domain names with thousands coming up daily.
This means that all the best ones are taken or will be soon if you do not pick a name now.
To help you out, here are some tips you need to follow when choosing a website name.
- Stick with known domain extensions like .com, .org, .ng, or .net
- Use brandable name
- Make sure it is easy to read and remember
- Avoid the use of hyphens e.g. domain-name.com
- When stuck, use domain name generators to come up with ideas
Once you have a list of ideas, you should move to the next step.
Cheapest domain names in Nigeria: how to register a website name
To register your website name, follow these steps.
Step #1: search for the name
Go to https//www.truehost.com.ng
One by one, type the names in your list to see the available ones
If it’s available (not taken by anyone), you will get this message
But if it is taken, you will see this
Once you’ve exhausted searching through your list of domain name ideas
Step #2: decide on one and click on Order Now
Step #3: Domain name configuration
This is where you review your domain name selections
And add-ons if you want
Also, you can review the name servers. If you want to customize them, by all means, go ahead
Finish by clicking on Continue button
Step #4: Review and checkout
Review your shopping cart and choose payment duration depending on your needs
Choose the currency
If you have a promotion code, put it here to receive a discount
Billing details: if you already have an account with Truehost Nigeria, click on Existing customer
But if you are new, proceed and create a new account
Provide the billing address
Answer this question
Choose a strong password for your new Truehost account
Do you wish to use the information you provided above to register your domain name or wish to provide an alternative? Choose here
Step #5: Payment Method
This is where you now pay for your cheapest domain names in Nigeria. Go ahead and choose the preferred method of payment. There are three, PayPal, Bank deposit, and Bank cards
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You are almost done. If you have any additional information you’d like to be included in your order, put them here and remember to tick the Terms of Service box
Review all the information you’ve provided. If everything looks good, finish by clicking Checkout.
On the next page, you will be guided on how you will complete the payment of your domain name. The instructions will vary depending on the method of payment you chose in step #5.
Wrapping up
That’s how you register domain names in Nigeria.
Once you have acquired your domain, you need a web hosting service. Go through our cheapest web hosting packages to decide on one that suits your needs. This is because without hosting, your domain name is useless.
Finally, start building your website. This is something you can do by yourself or hire professionals from our marketplace.