Why Do You Need A Personal Domain Name
If youre new to the world of domains, you may be wondering, what does having your own domain name do? Well, for starters it gives you a place on the Internet to call your own, a blank slate to build your dream online. Pretty exciting, right?
There are many benefits of buying your own domain name, so lets take a look at some of the reasons you need to grab one.
How Much Does A Website Cost
Get a quick summary of how much it costs to build a website, plus maintain and market it in this table. Keep reading to learn about the different expenses that come with web design and website maintenance, as well as the price differences between agencies, freelancers, and platforms like WordPress and Wix!
How To Find The Best Domain Extension For A Personal Website
Choosing a domain extension for a personal site can seem overwhelming at first. There are so many available, from generic top-level domains like .com and .org to country code top-level domains like .us or .ca.
Luckily for you there are many domain extensions for personal use to choose from. There may be a suitable domain for your industry, like .law or .accountant, or your personal interests like .cooking or .photography.
Check out the How to choose the right TLD article for more helpful advice.
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A Domain Name For Personal Branding
Everyone has a story to tell, whether it’s your business, your day-to-day life or your passion. Take a domain thats as unique as you are, to tell your story. A unique URL with personal branding shows interested parties that youre running a professional outfit.
Trailblazers like Laura Roeder branded their entire business and web strategy around their persona. With her signature domain, shes created a page that reflects her love of videos, and the branding that goes into her products.
Keep your digital profile up to date with your latest work, so your older clients and people that may have heard of you in the past can be impressed with what you’re doing now. They may keep you in mind for future projects.
What To Do If The Domain Name You Want Is Already Taken
If your desired domain name is unavailable, youll need to decide how much using it is worth to you. Youll likely have to spend a lot of money if youre determined to buy it from the current owner.
Because of the California Consumer Privacy Act and GDPR regulations from the European Union, its not quite as easy as it used to be to look up a domain owners contact information on the WHOIS directory. However, you can still use the directory to see the organization name related to the domain.
Even if the owner has opted for full domain name privacy protection, their domain registrar should be able to help you connect with the domain owner via a third-party company, such as Tiered Access. This helps to ensure privacy for the domain owner. You should expect the process to take several days.
Once youve made contact, the next step is to make an offer, either directly or through a domain name broker. For a fee of 1520% of the transaction cost, a broker can assist in managing the negotiation process and provides protection for your money.
Of course, you have other alternatives as well.
You could use a different TLD, set up a domain lease, or search for a very similar name that is available. Well discuss some tips for doing that next!
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Tips To Help Choose Your Personal Domain Name
If you want to choose a personal domain name, it isnt simply a matter of taking whats available, or picking a name at random. There are some rules to stick to have the best chance of being successful online, whilst equipping yourself with a domain name thats appealing to you.
After seeing some of the examples above I think you will agree that using your FirstNameLastName.com or a variation to brand yourself with an online calling card should definitely be at the top of your to-do list. Location Business domains are also worth getting hold of.
How Much Is A Domain Name
So, youve decided to venture into online business, yes? Before you get everything in place its important to set first things first.
Come up with a great domain name!
Im just going to come out and say it
Finding and buying the perfect domain name of the struggle of running a business in this digital age. Before registering a domain, you have to come up with a great name if you are serious about having an online presence. Coming up with a great domain is hard work which is why a lot of people rely on domain name generators.
Quite frankly, however, getting your domain name nailed is not exactly the easiest of things to do. In many cases, youre probably going to pick a domain name thats already taken.
So, what gives?
Youll have to buy then register a domain name. But then heres another question: how much is a domain name?
Well, that depends on a bunch of factors. But lets take a step back and get to know a little bit more about what a domain name is before we get into domain registration.
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How To Reduce The Cost Of Hiring A Web Designer
Okay, you might be thinking you cant afford to spend over $6,000 for a web designer to create your site. What you mustnt do is find a designer with dirt-cheap prices to save funds you wont get value for your money this way.
If youre super tight for cash, the reality is you should probably head to either the website builder or WordPress section of this article, because a web designer is supposed to cost thousands of dollars. You usually get what you pay for when it comes to hiring a designer!
However, there is a way to slightly lower the cost of hiring a designer to create your site. And thats to buy a premade WordPress theme, and ask a designer to customize it for you.
This option is in-between a DIY website and a fully custom built website design.
You can hire a designer to help customize a premade template into something unique just for you.
This is a good option if you are not ready for an entirely custom website, and if pre-made templates are not exactly what you want.
You can pay by the hour or by the project for design customizations.
Expect to pay between $300 and $1,000 for template customization the average is around $600 for this sort of service.
The cost varies depending on how much work you want to be done, such as adding a header image, moving the logo, creating a fixed navigation bar, changing the overall layout design etc.
However, for a full, custom job from a capable designer, youre looking at at least $10,000.
How To Use Gmail With Your Own Domain Name
So can you use Gmail with your own domain name? And if so, can you do it for free? The answers to those questions are yes and yes. And in this post, youll learn how to do it.
Specifically, Im going to show you two ways to use Gmail with your own custom domain name:
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How Much Should You Spend On A Domain 3 Examples
Depending on your goals and budget, you should budget different amounts of money for your domain purchase. The following examples are all from different professions. For hobby projects that do not rely on traffic and a good Google ranking, on the other hand, you should simply look for the cheapest offer.
3 ways to be present and grow online
Get found with your own domain. Build trust with your own email address. Reach visitors with your own website.
Where Can I Buy A Domain Name
There are plenty of domain name registrars out there, but only a few are worth your consideration:
- Domain.com offers a huge range of TLDs and ccTLDs
- HostGator is both a domain registrar and a hosting company, and allows you to purchase these services together as a bundle
- GoDaddy one of the best-known domain registrars around, plus its also a hosting provider
You can also buy a domain name through a website builder. Website builders are platforms that help beginners set up professional websites, without having to know any code. When you sign up with a website builder, the domain registration process is integrated as part of that sign up making it a perfect option for beginners!
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Why Are There Price Differences When It Comes To Domains
While the Domain Name System like the Internets phonebook is endlessly big, no one wants to have a cryptic sequence of numbers and letters as their web address. In additional, many top-level domains or domain extensions have different levels of prestige. This, in turn, is mirrored in the price. While traditional endings like .com or .org are among the most popular domain endings, new TLDs are only slowly gaining in popularity.
There are also many different domain providers. Their price differences are usually not obvious, but some providers have special offers every now and then. While price should not be the only factor in choosing a domain provider, it is definitely worth comparing several providers.
To help you understand what youre actually paying for, well briefly explain the structure of a domain. Every domain is made up of various building blocks, that together technically speaking make up the fully qualified domain name . If you look at your browsers address bar, the domain starts after the protocol specification ” rel=”nofollow”> ). This is followed by:
- Third-level domain: Sub-domain for websites this is usually www
- Second-level domain: Domain name freely selectable often contains the brand name or the name of the web project
- Top-level domain: Domain ending TLDs are limited differentiated between two types:
| $2040 | Generic |
What Is Web Hosting
In order to have a fully professional website, you need a domain name, but you also need a web host – which is the service, offered by a company, of storing your website on a server. Thanks to the web host, your website exists and is made visible somewhere on the Internet – meaning that your website is displayed every time a visitor types in your address in their browser.
Most website builders will charge you a fee to host your website, as well as additional fees to register your domain and connect it to your site. Some companies offer more flexible options, like Wix. It gives each one of its users free web hosting from the second they hit the Publish button, and with no time limit. The best part: When you publish your site with Wix, your web content is stored on secure servers that are located around the world, making your website accessible in a safe and fast manner for each and every one of your visitors.
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$10 Or $10 Million The Choice Is Yours
At the end of the day, your new website will need a domain. There are different types of domains and price points associated with each. As a business owner, you will have to weigh your options and purchase a domain that both fits within your budget and is easy for your customers to remember. When in doubt, start with an unregistered domain name to keep your cost low. You can always upgrade to a premium domain name in a few years when your business is more established and can responsibly afford the cost.
The Cost Of A Domain Depends On What You Need
Is it without a doubt that domain names are important to your businesss success on the internet . In todays digital landscape, unless you are looking for an aftermarket domain and have zero flexibility in your name choice, then there is no reason the cost of your domain should drain your wallet. For a select few customers, the price is going to be high. For most of us, we should not expect to pay more than $20 annually.
With that being said, remember to look for hidden fees, discount scams, and ensure that there is no sneaky language in the terms of the agreement.
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What Factors Should You Consider When Buying A Domain
How do you buy a domain? First, select the provider from which you want to buy your domain. Here you have the choice between different domain types. The domain providers then contact the TLD holders ICANN, DENIC and others, to register the domain in your name. Here is a small selection of providers:
Our in-depth article offers additional tips for registering a domain.
While planning your budget, dont forget that beyond domain fees, setting up a website will also cost you a little!
How Much Does It Cost To Renew A Domain Name
Depending on the length of time you purchased your domain name for, youll eventually have to go through the renewal process.
The price youll pay will depend upon the domain name registrar you choose, the length of your renewal, and if any existing coupons are available.
Below we look at why renewing your domain is important, some tips to get the best deal, and how much itll cost to renew a domain name.
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A Great Domain Name Provides Value To Your Business
Long story short, if youre looking to build your brand and are planning on having a presence online, be that a website or a unique branded email address, investing in a domain name is the way to go.
Not only is your domain name your unique identity, itll also help you find customers and make sales.
Search for an available .CA domain name to get started today:
Here are some suggested alternatives. Just click on your favourite one.