Domain + host like mcrackan.com
This can only be done after purchasing a domain name and a hosting package. See Buy domain and Buy hosting for details.
I'm only putting step-by-step instructions for GoDaddy + 1&1 but the fundamentals are the same with any domain registrar* + host.
* The domain registrar is the company from which you buy/register your domain. Here, we're talking about GoDaddy. Wikipedia has a list of the top ranking domain registrars.
- Login to admin.1and1.com
- Click Manage domains
- Click New
- Type in your domain (eg: example.com) and click Check Domain
- Select Point DNS to 1&1. Next
- Copy down these 2 "name server" names. You'll need them for the next section.
- Login to GoDaddy
- Mouse-over Domains. Click My Domains
- Click on your domain name
- Click on name servers
- Paste in the 2 name server names provided by 1&1
It could take a day or so for everything to work correctly after this is all set up but it may be as little as a few minutes. To test: open a browser and type in your domain. See if it points to 1&1's holding page. Putting your own stuff on your host is just a matter of using FTP. If you don't know how, to use FTP, search Google for a beginner's guide or tutorial.