Have you ever thought about buying a domain name? You can purchase a domain name and put it to good use for many different purposes. For example, you can buy a domain name for your company or business and use it to direct people to your website, blog, or social media accounts. Or, you can buy a domain name that is relevant to your industry or niche and use it as the brand for your products. In this article, we will go over the basics of buying a domain name and why it is important. We will also show you how to buy a domain name in various ways so that you can purchase the right one for your business or personal needs.
What Is A Domain Name?
A domain name is an address for a website. For example, if you are interested in buying .com domains, then your domain name would be “mybusinessdomainname.com” or “thisismybusinessdomainname.com”. A lot of people use their name or a brand as their domain name, but this is not the best option. You should use your business’s official company name as your domain because it will make it easier for people to find you on search engines and social media platforms.
Why Should I Buy A Domain Name?
The most important reason to buy a domain name is that it will make your business more professional. Having a professional website and social media accounts can help you sell more products or services, as well as grow your brand. A good domain name also allows people to find you on search engines and social media platforms. For example, when you buy a domain name that is relevant to your industry or niche, people will be able to find your website or social media accounts on search engines and social media platforms more easily.
Before Buying – What to Consider?
1. Choosing The Right Domain Name
When you choose a domain name, make sure it’s relevant to your business and also related to your target audience. You should pick a short and memorable domain that will be easy for people to remember or associate with your brand. Also, think about how people will search for your domain name.
If you are out of ideas about what domain name to pick for your business, you can try the following options:
2. Choosing The Right Domain Extension (suffix)
In the old day, the popular domain includes .com, .net, .org and this is the top choice of most business owners. But fast forward today, we are having 1500+ domain extensions up to date and it continues to ever increase.
How to pick the right domain extension
If .com is available, definitely go for this before other domain extensions. This is because the .com domain is the most popular and valuable option among the lists, and therefore it is very difficult to find a good domain name with .com. SEO experts also believe the .com extension has a better ranking than other extensions. However, some people are against this saying that the .com extension can be very difficult to remember for the search engines, and also it is not so creative as other domain extensions.
If you can’t get .com for your website and you are aiming for global audiences, do consider the following:
- .net (network) – second most popular domain extension after .com,
- .org (organization) – .org is a good option if you are a charity or nonprofit company
- .co (columbia) – trending in popularity due to it’s similar to .com, widely used by the startup or new business when the .com is taken
- .io (indian ocean) – the most unique extension, .io is the best for your startup company or online store
.me – a very popular domain name option as many people want to personalize their websites
If your business is targetting regional audiences, go for the country-level domain:
- us (united states) – a good option for a US-based business
- uk (united kingdom) – a good option for UK-based businesses
- au (australia) – another good choice if you are targeting Australia-based companies.
Another option when .com is taken, you can choose a domain extension that is closely related to the category of business. Such as:
- .shop – for e-commerce or online shopping
- .design – for design-related business
- .media – for media-related businesses
You can also check your favorite keyword in different extension options, to see which one fits best with your site content and audience.
How Do I Buy A Domain Name?
There are many different ways that you can buy a domain name. We will go over the different options below.
1. Buying Through Registrar
The first option is to buy a domain name through your website’s registrar. This is usually the cheapest way to buy a domain name and gives you the most control. The only drawback would be you need to figure out how to point your domain to your website. However, most registrar comes with good documentation and you should be able to get it done in no time.
Most domain registrars also come with good support with live chat and phone support. Let them know about your issue with setting up, I believe a handful of them are willing to help you out on configuring the domain. Here are some good domain registrars you can try on:
Namecheap
Our favorite registrar is Namecheap. They are reliable, easy to use, and have great customer support. Plus, they are the cheapest option for new domain registrations with no hidden fees or renewal costs. Comes with great support and documentation.
GoDaddy
GoDaddy is also a good option for domain registration and comes with great support and documentation. They are more expensive than Namecheap but still cheaper than most registrars on the market today. Also, they have an easy-to-use interface that allows you to add multiple domains to your account.
Google Domains
Comes with 300 domain extensions. They are very easy to use and have great documentation that will help you get your domains set up quickly. They are not as cheap as Namecheap but they do come with the Google Apps suite of products which includes email, web hosting, and more.
2. Buying Through Web Hosting Package
The second option is to buy a domain name through your web hosting package. This gives you more control over the domain and can be done quickly if you have someone on staff that knows how to do it. It also comes with some great support options for setting up, transferring, or even recovering the domain name.
The downside to this is that it can be a little more expensive, especially if you are using a package from the hosting company’s website. However, there are still some great packages out there that offer support for domain names. Here are some good web hosting companies you can try on :
Bluehost
Bluehost is a great option for beginners who are just starting out with web hosting. They come bundled with free domain registration, a free SSL certificate, and a free domain transfer. They also have excellent support for setting up your website with WordPress or other CMS platforms. The pricing is competitive and they offer free migration for customers who are moving from another hosting company.
3. Buying Through Website Builder
The third option is to buy a domain name through your website builder like Wix or Weebly. This is a great option if you don’t have any knowledge of setting up the domain and would like to use someone else’s service for hosting. However, these companies do not offer support for domain names and will require that you pay extra fees if something goes wrong.
Here are some good website builders you can try on :
Wix.com
Wix is a great option for beginners because it allows you to set up your website in less than 5 minutes. It comes with all the features you need, including free domain registration and an SSL certificate. The only downside is that they do not offer support for setting up or transferring domains if you are moving from another hosting company.
Weebly
Weebly is similar to Wix in that it offers free domain registration and SSL certificates, but it also allows you to upload your own website templates. It also comes with a simple dashboard where you can easily manage your content and contact the support team if you need assistance.
Things to Take Note When You Buy Domain Name
When you buy a domain name, there are a few things to take note of. These will help you out in the future if anything goes wrong with your domain name. Here are some tips:
1. Review the renewal price and hidden fees
When you are looking at the price of a domain name, take note of any hidden fees. These can include things like maintenance fees, renewal charges, and so on. Take care to read the fine print before purchasing your domain name because some domains will have these extra costs that you may not be aware of.
2. Review your domain privacy protection
Another thing to check is the domain privacy protection. If you are purchasing a domain name that does not have any, then make sure you purchase one with this feature as it will protect your information from being hacked and give extra security to your website. Registrars like Namecheap come together with privacy protection, no cost at your end.
3. Be sure to read the TOS of your domain registrar
Most registrars have a set of terms and conditions that you must agree to before they will allow you to register a domain name. Make sure you understand these terms as it will help protect your business from any potential legal issues.
4. Make sure you use the right email address
When registering a domain name, make sure that you are using the correct email address for your business. This is because if an email gets forwarded to another person’s account, it can lead to all sorts of problems.
It is best to make sure that you are using your own email address for your domain name.
5. Review the expiration date of your domain name
Another thing to check out is the expiration date of your domain name. This will help ensure that you have enough time before it expires so that you can decide if it is the right domain name for your business. Some domain registrar comes with a grace period for domain redemption with a small fee, while some will not let you redeem it after it expired.
FAQ
1. Can I get a domain name for free?
No, it is not possible to get a domain name for free. You will have to pay some money when you purchase the domain name. However, if you are buying it from someone else, then there may be an option of getting it for free.
2. How long does it take to register a domain name?
The process of registering a domain name takes around 5 minutes to an hour. Some registrars will take more time as they may require some additional information from you, such as the physical address of your business.
3. How long can I use the domain name?
You can use your domain as long as you renew it before it expired, if you are worried about losing the domain you can renew it up to 5 years before it expires and set up a domain name expiry notification.
4. What is the cost of a domain name?
The cost of registering a domain name varies from one registrar to another, but you can expect that it will be around $10-$15 per year for most registrars.
5. How do I transfer my domain name?
If you already have a website and want to transfer your domain name to another registrar or hosting company, then there is no need for you to transfer it again. You can just contact the registrar and ask them to transfer your domain name for you.