Domain registration is important for anyone looking to establish an online presence in Kenya. Normally, the first step before your can set up your website either for your business, organization or personal brand is to register a domain name. This step-by-step guide outlines the procedure of registering a domain name in Kenya whether you are interested in registering a .ke extension or a global extension like .com.

What is a domain name?

A domain name is an easy to remember address which you can use to access a website for example quincycreative.co.ke is the domain name for Quincy Creative LTD.  facebook.com is the domain name for Facebook, the social platform. In literal English, a domain name can be said to be the text which a user types into their browser to access the desired website.

Benefits of registering a domain name and why it is important.

Registering and owning a domain name comes with multiple advantages. While domain names are not outrightly owned instead they are leased for the period they are registered with the registrar usually one year and they are renewed periodically.

The advantages your benefits your business /brand or organization can enjoy as a result of registering a domain in Kenya include:

• Professionalism and credibility – Having a custom domain makes your business look more trustworthy than using a free subdomain such as yourbusiness.wordpress.com.
• Brand Identity & Recognition – Having a unique domain reinforces your brand and makes it easy for customers to find you online.
• Email Customization – Having a custom domain name allows you to create professional business emails (e.g., info@yourbusiness.co.ke), which enhances your brand credibility.
• Scalability for Business Growth – When your business expands, your custom domain name can still support multiple services, such as blogs, eCommerce, and customer
• Better Control & Ownership – Different from the social media pages, a domain name gives you full ownership of your online presence.

Step 1: Choose Your Domain Name

With the understanding of domain names and their benefits, lets dive into the step-by-step guide of how to register a domain name in Kenya. The first step to registering a domain name is ensuring you select the perfect domain name to register. Consider a domain name which is:

• Short and memorable as it enables your website visitors to recall it.
• Relevant to your brand – the domain name should reflect your business or the niche you operate in
• Unique – your domain name should not already be in use by other businesses or organizations
• SEO optimized – including relevant keywords in your domain name such as location or the industry can help boost your search engine rankings.   

Read More: Search Engine Optimization: 7 Proven Ways to Revive Your Website’s Visibility

Step 2: Check Your Domain Name Availability

To check if your selected domain name is available for registration, use the domain research tool from a trusted registrar. You can search using Quincy Creative’s domain registration tool accessible here. You will be able to establish whether the website is available for registration. See below for the domain registration tool. Simply type in your domain name and click search.

Once you click search you will be notified whether the domain name is available for registration.

Other reputable domain registrars you can register your domain with are:

• Truehost Kenya
• Hostpinnacle Limited
• Kenya Website Experts
• Safaricom Limited.

Step 3: Choose a domain Extension

From the search results, choose a domain extension which best represents your brand. The most common domain extensions in Kenya are:

• .co.ke – Best for local businesses and companies
• .ke – Shorter, more general option
• .org.ke – Ideal for non-profits and organizations
• .ac.ke – Educational institutions
• .sc.ke – Schools and colleges
• .com, .net, .biz – Suitable for global reach

Select your desired extension and add to cart. If you are a local company, you might want to register a .co.ke domain name since you get benefits such as:

Boosted Local SEO – Search engines prioritize local domains for Kenyan searches.

Enhanced Business Credibility – Customers trust businesses with a local presence.

Availability – More domain name options compared to global extensions.

Legal Protection – Helps protect your brand name in Kenya where your operations are.

Read more: Domain Pricing for various domain name extensions

Step 4: Secure Hosting and Email Services

For your website to go live, you will need web hosting in Kenya. As part of the domain registration, you can choose to also secure for hosting and email services.  Quincy Creative offers feature rich web hosting packages to suit your different email hosting or web hosting needs.  

Step 5: Add to Cart and Pay for your domain name

Once the domain name is added to your cart, please proceed to fill the required details and check out using your most preferred payment gateway. Our plartforms are automated, once you make the payments with Lipa na Mpesa, your order will automatically be processed and set up.

Next Steps: Set Up Your Website

Now that you have your domain and web hosting,  it’s time to create your website! Options include:

• Using WordPress for easy website building. See our guide on the 10 Untold benefits of using WordPress that you need to know.
• Hiring a web developer for a custom website
• Setting up an eCommerce store with Shopify or WooCommerce

Remember to always renew your domain name. Remember domain names are not outrightly owned instead they are leased for the period they are registered with the registrar usually one year and they are renewed periodically. You will always receive notifications from your registrar whenever your domain name expires.