Can You Own A Domain Name Outright

How To Buy A Domain Name In 5 Steps

How To Get Free Domain For Your Website 2021

Before we go any further, its worth noting that its only possible to register an existing domain name with a valid domain extension that other people or businesses dont already own.

Were going to dive deeper into the steps to register a domain name from finding a trusted registrar through which to buy a websites address to finally getting into the registration process.

Here are the five steps to buy a domain:

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Who Owns Your Website Domain

Because its so valuable, we cannot stress enough the need to OWN YOUR OWN DOMAIN. This is a mistake we see hoteliers make all too often they entrust someone else to purchase their domain name for them, and wind up in a pickle.

For example, they may inherit a website domain through the acquisition of a hotel. Or ask their agency or web developer to purchase a domain name for them while building a new website.

This raises a number of issues around domain ownership. If a third-party purchases your domain name, then you technically dont own it. So if you were ever to leave your agency, switch website providers, or lose touch with the previous hotel owner, you might lose access to your website domain as well.

This has actually happened to one of our customers, a Comfort Suites property in Utah. The owner purchased the property, but the domain name still technically belongs to the previous owner. She now finds herself in a holding pen, unable to launch her new Vizlly website until the previous owner contacts the domain registrar and transfers ownership, which is proving to be a very slow process.

You can see how this scenario could be even worse if your website provider or web designer owned your domain name. If the relationship soured, they could essentially hold you captive for fear of losing access to your website.

Who Actually Owns A Domain Name

No one. Its all very tricky. Just as you registering the name is basically leasing it from the domain company, so the domain company leases it, i.e. pays for the right to lease it from ICANN. But it doesnt stop there the domain name company also has to pay a fee for the different domain extensions that they use. So for instance, the Donuts startup has been given the rights to administer the .rocks top-level domain by ICANN. Each TLD is given to a certain registry operator, and then a domain company also has to pay a fee for the TLDs they want to offer to their clients.

So, you pay your registrar to lease the domain name for a period of up to 10 years. The registrar, in turn, pays charges to ICANN and to registry operators that work with specific TLDs. In the end no one actually owns a domain name.

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Best Tips Before Buying A Domain Name

Having a good domain name is essential since it can add extra credibility to a website, spread brand awareness, and ensure that users can find you on the internet. Thats why its crucial to dedicate some time to research before choosing the right domain name for your site.

Here are 15 tips to review before deciding on a domain name:

Should You Add Domain Privacy

Another consideration to keep in mind is to decide whether you want to add domain privacy or not. Domain privacy allows you to hide your private information so nobody can see it when they perform a WHOIS lookup. This is useful as it protects your information from getting scraped and used by online scammers and spammers.

You can easily add domain privacy during the domain registration process.

GoDaddy offers full domain privacy and protection packages for both individuals and businesses. This service protects your private information, prevents domain-related spam, and it can also safeguard your website from accidental loss of domain due to expired credit card, potential hacking attempts, and deter domain hijackers.

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How To Buy A Domain Name: Domain Registration Guide

What you need to know about domain names, how to choose the right one, and the steps to take to check if a domain name is available and to register your domain.

If you want to start a blog or a new online business, youll need to register a domain name, the name for your website. Getting the right domain for your needs might sound technical at first, but the process is pretty simple.

This domain registration guide will tell you what you need to know about domain name extensions, how to choose the right one for your needs, and the steps youll need to take to check if a domain name is available and to register your domain.

Buying An Existing Domain Name: Benefits But Also Baggage

In some cases, buying an existing domain name can be a better option than creating a new one. A domain name thats been in circulation for some time can have more traction with search engines than a brand new one serving a website with no content or backlinks from other sites. Some domains that are up for purchase may already have content such as a complete homepage or an established blog, which saves the buyer the time and expense of building a new site from the ground up. These sites may also be making money or getting traffic, which gives the new owner an immediate boost.

Domain names become available for sale for a variety of reasons. Some may have been purchased as original names but never used, while others may represent websites that were developed but abandoned when a business closed, or a user stopped maintaining the site and renewing the domain name. Some become available because of a practice called cybersquatting, in which marketers buy up large numbers of available domain names to take them out of circulation and then resell them for higher prices.

Buying an existing domain name brings benefits, but these domains may also come with baggage. Potential buyers need to do their due diligence to make sure that theyre buying a name thats not associated with a website that has a dubious reputation, or one thats infected with malware or filled with backlinks to bad sites.

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How Long Should I Register My Domain Name For

When it comes to how long you should register a domain name for, it all depends on your own personal goals.

Say you are just getting interested in web design want to make a website for fun. In this instance, registering a domain name for 1-2 years will give you plenty of time to become familiar with WordPress and other CRMs.

As another example, say you want to make a travel blog of your upcoming round the world trip. In this instance, a time frame of 2-3 years might be best as it takes some time to build an audience and following for a blog.

Lastly, if you have grand visions and want to make the next Facebook or Google. Then a long time frame of 5-10 years might be more appropriate as it will take some time to build out the platform.

No matter how long you plan to registrar a domain name, you should also check out my guides on how to register a domain and how to pick a good domain name for your website!

Choose The Best Domain Name Option

How To Create A Free Website – with Free Domain & Hosting

When youre checking for available domain names, youll often find that your first, second, and tenth choices are already taken. Some of the different approaches you can take when this happens are:

Keep searching. Let your creative juices flow, and continue to search until you find something you love or at least like.
Choose another extension. If the .com isnt available and youre set on a certain name, consider the .net or .org if you think it will work.
Reach out to the owner. Maybe the domain is already owned, but its not being put to much use. You could reach out to the owner with an offer.

Do You Own Your Domain Name Forever

The short answer is no. For brands having a website is a lot like having an online version of a physical business. But unlike a brick and mortar building, you can not opt to own your domain name outright. You have to keep registering it with your registrar.

Typically, it is possible to register your domain for a set period, such as one or two years. Frequently, it is possible to get deals with your registrar to get your first year free or even at a lower cost when you agree to register your domain for two years or more.

If youâre planning to register your domain name for more than one year, it pays to research which registrar will be the best fit for you. Some providers have better prices or offer special deals that can save money over time.

Also Check: How Much Does A Domain Name Cost On Shopify

How To Search For Domains At Godaddy

The worlds biggest registrar, GoDaddy has searching for domains down to a science. GoDaddy has an easy to use domain name search tool for mobile and desktop users, as well as a few other options for securing just the right domain name.

Simply follow these steps to register a domain name with GoDaddy:

1. Visit GoDaddy.com

Open up your preferred browser and go to GoDaddy.com. Once the home page loads, youll see a search bar where you can begin your domain search.

2. Enter your domain in the search bar

Enter your preferred domain name, and click Search. At this point, one of two things will happen:

If your domain name is available, great! Youll be presented with the opportunity to add it to the cart.

If your domain name isnt available, youll be prompted to search for a new domain name or select a different variation.

The good news? Even if your domain name is already taken, GoDaddys suggestion tool will list new ideas, with different extensions or variations, that you can review.

If you like one of the options, great! If not, enter a few of your other domain options into the search bar until you land on one thats available.

Pro tip: Dont shy away from different domain extensions. While .com is still one of the most widely registered domain endings, the availability of hundreds of new domain extensions gives you the opportunity to register a domain that perfectly represents who you are and what you do.

Go ahead, give it a try:

Other ways to search for domain names

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Getting A Domain Name Purely For Email

As you can see, itâs entirely possible to get a domain name so that you have one or more custom email addresseswithout having to start or run a website. An email address on your own domain lets you have the ideal emailaddress you want, without having that name conflict with those created by others . In fact, with your own domain, you have potentially an infinite number ofemail addresses to play with.

Be Aware Of Previously Registered Domains

If Google haspenalised a registered name in the past and you purchase the name, you may findthat it becomes impossible to rank. This may be because the spammer allowed theregistration lapse and it appears on the market again. To check if it has beenregistered previously go to archive.org and itwill show on their interactive timeline whether the site was previouslyregistered.

It is doubtfulthat you would discover if the site had a previous penalty until you found itimpossible to rank.

If you are starting a new business and want to discuss domain names and branding, please dont hesitate to give us a call on 01403 292 120 or 07572 422 303. Wed be happy to help and give you the benefit of our advice.

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Can You Buyout A Domain Name

If youve ever been interested in purchasing a domain name, you may have wondered if its possible to buyout a domain name thats already owned by someone else. The answer is yes, you can buyout a domain name, but there are a few things to keep in mind before doing so. When you buyout a domain name, youre essentially purchasing the rights to that domain from the current owner.

What Do I Do Once I Have Bought My Domain Name

After buying a domain name, you can connect your domain name to a website to publish it to the world. When people type in your connected domain name, theyll see the website youve built. Of course, youll also need a server to host your website on.

First, make sure you write down your login information for your domain registrar of choice. This login information is important when it comes time to connect your domain to your website or renew your domain registration. You can always contact your registrar for help logging in to manage your domain, but its easier to store your login information somewhere safe. You can use a secure password manager if you want to store this information on your phone or computer, or you can simply write it down on a piece of paper and keep it somewhere safe.

When you use a website builder like Mailchimp, you can easily connect your domain name in just a few minutes. Youll also need to choose a web hosting provider, which essentially acts as a server to store the files that make your website work. You can purchase both your hosting package and your domain name separately and connect them to your website using a website builder. However, you also have the option of purchasing a domain name directly through Mailchimp when you build your website.

Bring your brand to life with your own website. Design from scratch, connect a domain, analyze traffic, and optimize for SEO.

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Change Your Domain Name To Suit Business Needs

Having a domain name is important if you want to establish credibility with customers in the online space. Its an easy way to signal to shoppers what youre selling and to gain a foothold in your market. The edge you gain through landing that perfect domain name is well worth the time and money investments required.

Unfortunately, some people wind up with a domain name that accomplishes none of those things. As a result, they are forced to change the name. Fortunately, this process is simple: follow the steps listed above to land the perfect domain name.

Kristin Crabb

Content Marketing Strategist working in the digital marketing industry. Skilled in SEO-focused content creation, keyword research and competitive analysis, interactive content, web content optimization, and landing page creation.

It’s A Common Practice

How to Register a Domain Name (+ simple tip to get it for FREE)

Reserving domain names is actuallya more common practice than you may think. Many experienced webmasters do it automatically long before they start a website.Most even register multiple variations of a name for a single idea, since at that early stage in the planning process, it’shard to be sure which name they might finally settle on. And as everyone knows, domain names sell like hot cakes, so a namethey think of today might not be available tomorrow.

What I’m trying to say is that you’re not alone in reserving domain names that you might want to use. Like many otherwebmasters, I too believe that it’s a good idea to do it. It’s just too easy for someone to beat you to adomain name, even if that name is some weird made-up word that doesn’t occur in the dictionary. If you want tobe sure that a name is available for you to use in the future, the only way is to get it while you can.And as you can see, it’s actually quite aneasy process, since you don’t really need to do anything else, other than getting the name from the registrar.

This article can be found at

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How Web Hosting Works

Once you find the right Web Host, the next step is pointing the domain name to your hosting service. For this purpose, you should first obtain the Nameserver addresses for your hosting account from your Web Host.

Then revisit your domain registrar and log into your account in their system. You will need the login name and password you first created when registering your domain name. When you access your account, you will be able to find the list of domains you own. Select the ones that you wish to direct to your website. Change their DNS settings to the nameserver addresses from your Web Host and save.

Your domain name is now pointing to your Web Host. Anyone can now find your website by simply typing in the domain name into their internet browser.

Feeling overwhelmed?

What Should You Look For In Registrar When Buying Domain Names

Even if you only have plans to register a single domain for the time being, choosing a quality registrar can still pay off. After all, you will have to renew that domain at some point, and you may wish to register others down the line. Plus, transferring a domain from one registrar to another can be a pain, so youll want to avoid going down that road if possible.

With that in mind, heres what you should be on the lookout for when choosing where to register your domain:

An easy-to-use interface. This is vital for any online service youre going to use regularly.
Low prices for domain registrations and renewals. Shop around before you settle on a registrar, and see how much it costs to get the same domain from multiple places. Chances are the difference wont be that much, but saving a few dollars never hurt anyone.
Advanced domain management features. At the very least, any registrar you choose should provide you with the option to hide your information from people who want to peek at your domains records.
Web hosting plans. This one isnt a deal breaker, since a lot of people prefer to keep their hosting and domains separate. However, if youd rather have everything under one roof, you should opt for a provider that offers both services.

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