Registering a domain name is independent of hosting a web site. You may register and park a domain name to preserve it for your exclusive use. Some people register domain names that are likely to be in future demand so they can sell them for a profit. Although numerous domain names have been sequestered for profit, highly personal names are unlikely to be in that group. It is virtually certain that one or more forms of a personal name are available for initial registration: e.g., PaulaSmith, Paula_Smith or paula-smith may be paired with .com .org .art, or .bus to find an available domain name. (Capitalization is irrelevant as domain names are not case sensitive.) An artist might choose to use an attribution name - e.g. the name used to sign artwork, or a studio name.
Once registered, the domain name is yours for as long as you want to pay an annual registration fee, which will vary with suffix and registrar (typically $10 – 30). The .art suffix is new and currently tends to be inexpensive. Optional domain privacy can also be purchased for $5 - 10 annually. This keeps your contact info private and avoids receiving email ads for web site development and other services. A parked URL can be redirected or forwarded to a website by setting the URL for that website in the domain account. You could forward paulasmith.art to your personal portfolio hosted on the Easy Entry Online site.
When you sign up for a personal portfolio with Easy Entry Online, you will receive a URL that looks exactly like the following sample URL except that the number at the end will be your unique portfolio ID:
http://easyentryonline.com/mysite/index.php?portfolio=62
To bring visitors to your self-curated portfolio, you can distribute this URL or link to it. Or, if you have a registered domain name, you can redirect it to this URL and it will appear as your own personal website. Example: assume our sample artist registered myownsite.org as his domain name. Type myownsite.org into your web browser to visit his portfolio.
GoDaddy is only one of many registrars but it is one we are most familiar with. You can explore domain names at GoDaddy. If you need assistance with purchase, parking or forwarding to your portfolio, just call the number at the top of their domain page. You’ll need your unique Easy Entry URL to complete the forwarding setup.
Note: We have heard reports that some registrars will not allow forwarding unless you also pay for a hosting account but we do not know of any specific registrars in that category. Before you register, it might pay to ask whether you are able to park the domain name and forward it to your Easy Entry URL.
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