Are you tired of your current hosting and domain name provider? Or perhaps, are you probably searching for a reliable web hosting company where you can be assured that your website is going to attain 99.99% uptime? If yes to any of the questions above, then you are definitely reading the right article. Namecheap is a domain and hosting provider. They are one of the best hosting companies out there. Naijaknowhow is currently using this hosting company and I think it’s perfect for those having issues with their current host to know about this insanely cheap yet reliable hosting company. Before we get down to business, please ensure you have the following ready.
A fully funded master card. A fast internet. Use a reliable web browser (e.g Chrome, Opera and Mozilla) Technical website know-how.
So shall we begin?
Here is a quick step-by-step guide on how to buy/register a domain name and hosting using Namecheap.
Step 1: Visit Namecheap
Click the link to visit Namecheap.com
Step 2: Add your domain name
Choose a domain name.
You’ll need a domain name (e.g Naijaknowhow.com) if you don’t have one already. Search for the one you want and purchase it at the click of a button.
Once you ascertain its availability, proceed to checkout. Click the icon to add to cart and proceed to the next step.
COUPON CODE: MYDOMAIN15 Start your journey with Namecheap with 15% off your first domain name! Simply CLICK THIS LINK and apply the coupon code above when you check out. Although, if you have a domain name already with another hosting company, there are two things you could do…
Transfer your domain to Namecheap (Click here to see how) or Alter your DNS (Domain Name Server) to point to Namecheap’s DNS (Click here to see how).
In those exceptions, just proceed to the next step.
Step 3: View shopping cart
After adding to cart, the next is to click the big orange button to view what you have in your cart.
Here is a view of the shopping cart:
The shopping cart displays everything you have selected but you would realise we haven’t added a hosting plan, so you can just go ahead and add one.
Step 4: Add hosting plan
Namecheap shared hosting plans comes in 4 different packages with prices. So depending on your business needs, you can pick from the following.
The cheapest plans here is the VALUE plan. It costs $9.88/year (promo price) and $38.88 for the subsequent year. Select a hosting package by clicking the button (see screenshot below).
By default, you select the VALUE HOSTING PLAN that allows you 20GB of storage, unlimited bandwidth and can install up to three (3) websites on it. Next up, choose a data center (preferably a US data center, it comes for FREE).
Add to cart:
Here is our shopping cart now:
Now we have both the hosting and domain name in our shopping cart. But there are a few more features you might want to consider adding to your website to make it a more secure and safe.
Step 6: Adding SSL and Whois Protection
Namecheap offers Whois guard on your domain name — this features allows you to protect your domain and hosting information from potential hackers from hijacking them. By default, Namecheap adds it automatically and offers it for free the first year. But you have to pay $2.88 for it the subsequent year. However, if you are not interested, you can simply turn it off or leave it turned on using the switch.
SSL Certificates are small data files that digitally bind a cryptographic key to an organization’s details. When installed on a web server, it activates the padlock and the https protocol and allows secure connections from a web server to a browser. To add this, tap the add cart icon below.
For the first year, you will pay just $1.99 for PositiveSSL and $9.00 for subsequent ones.
There we have it. We have everything we need to get our website live and working securely. Next up…
Step 7: Preview and confirm the order
Before the final step, you will have to confirm everything you have selected to ensure you didn’t have more than the expected budget. I have people who have mistyped their domain names in the past, ensure that you have one last look at your domain name to make sure it correct before proceeding. Also, check the duration (number of years) selected, auto-renewal, hosting type and so on before confirming the order.
Make sure you look at the highlighted part in the picture above before moving on. Also, if you have a promo code, you can add it and activate a knockoff.
Don’t forget: You can get 15% off your first domain name! Simply CLICK THIS LINK and apply the coupon code (MYDOMAIN15) above when you check out. Next up, click the confirm order button to proceed to the next and final step.
Step 8: Register and payment
For a new Namecheap user, you will have to create an account to start using the platform.
Afterwards, you will need to include a billing information and your credit card (Master card) to make payment. That’s all. Goodluck building your website. Cheers! Remember, the comment box is open for questions. This article here will show you how to point a domain to blogger. You can always seek help from Namecheap’s customer support if you aren’t tech-savvy. Thanks for stopping by Melinda. PS: Namecheap offers FREE SSL too. Check this article out.
