How Much Is A Com Domain Name

What Affects Domain Name Costs

So, detailed in full below are the typical costs and fees associated with buying a domain name and what you need to know to better help you in estimating just how much you can expect to pay for yours.

Domain Registrar Pricing Structures and Deals

There are typical deals that domain registrars offer when youre looking to buy a domain name, and heres an incomplete list:

• A discount for the first year, then higher renewal rate.
• Free domain with website hosting purchase.
• If you also get email hosting, you can register a domain for free.
• Or the other way around, where you get free email hosting after buying a domain.
• Free WHOIS privacy with domain name.
• A discount for locking your name in for multiple years.
• Various free services with domain.

It may also be important to note that you should check the fine print with any deals you see as there may be extra hidden fees or additional domain name costs associated with any add-ons you purchase.

For example, domain name privacy is usually around seven to ten dollars per domain if its not free.

Domain Name Costs: Type of Domain

As previously touched upon, there are also two types of domains that will affect the domain name cost: Premium domains and the type of TLD.

Premium domains can range from a few hundred dollars to thousands or millions.

There are different prices for TLDs and ccTLDs that range from 99 cents to around $10 or $25 yearly, and there are also many others that come to more than a hundred dollars a year.

ICANN Fee

How Much Does A Domain Name Cost Per Year

Its hard figuring exactly how much domain names cost . On average, if you intend to purchase a new domain, it should cost you anywhere between $10 to $15 a year depending on the TLD and the registrar.

When searching for a new website name you will run into dozens of domain registrars, each with their own set of packages and perks.

When considering domain name costs, dont always fall for the cheap packages. Keep in mind that sometimes cheap is really expensive.

You can also check out our post on cheap domain registration to find out if it is worth it for you, but oftentimes, the packages that are slightly higher priced pack additional tools and other bonuses that will help build your website quickly and easily.

What Should You Look For In A Domain Registrar

We discussed this in-depth in our How to Select the Best Domain Registrar article.

Here are the most important things that you should look for:

• Low pricing. You dont want to spend more money than you have to. Fortunately, the competition in this industry is fierce, so all major companies offer affordable pricing.

• Free WHOIS protection. People can look up the details of any domain name and find out who owns it. This might present privacy issues. Its best to use WHOIS protection which prevents snoopers from seeing this information.

• Auto-renewals. If you dont renew a domain name it eventually goes back on the market. This might cause serious problems if some enterprising individual snatches your domain name and then offers to sell it back to you for a substantial amount of money. Thats why its best to go with a domain registrar that automatically renews your domain name.

Also, if a domain registrar is not transparent about their pricing, you should see that as a red flag and stay away.

Another thing to watch out for is a bad user interface. You shouldnt need a computer science Ph.D. to figure out how to do basic tasks such as parking or transferring domains.

Finally, if a domain registrar doesnt offer 24/7 customer support, it might be too risky to use their services. What if something goes wrong and you need immediate assistance? You can lose a lot of money in potential revenue if the problem isnt solved right away.

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Why Do You Need A Domain Name

Whether you have a one-page website or an online empire your domain name will help people find you. And choosing it carefully could hugely increase your web traffic!

If you want to create a website most web hosting sites will provide you with a free temporary domain name. This will often contain the name of the host site. But you can usually alter this at a price to make it specific to your company.

Having a specific domain name makes your website easier to find. This is a great way to increase traffic to your website and promote its content.

Having your own domain name also protects your website. This means no one else can use your domain name. So anyone looking you up will find you rather than someone pretending to be you!

Picking the right domain name could also help increase traffic to your website. This is why a lot of generic domain names that already exist are worth thousands of euros!

Hidden Fees On Website Name Price

If you comb through the dozens of complaints raised against domain registrars and website name price, the first thing that jumps out is that almost 60% touch on billing and collection issues with the companies.

Auto-renew and transfer out fees are some of the most common ills. Many times, such elements are hidden within the lengthy Terms of Service which few of us ever bother to read. Some domain registrars will charge you a transfer out fee when you transfer your domain to another registrar. Sucks, right?

Should that ever happen to you, give your credit card company a call and put in a complaint. If luck falls on your side, the transaction the web hosting/domain registrar will be reversed. More importantly, take note of domain registrars who practice this so as not to become the next victim.

Read Also: How Much Does A Domain Name Cost Per Year

How Long Will The Domain Transfer Take

Domain transfers can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 6 days to complete. The exact time-frame depends on the domains TLD and the time required for your current registrar to complete the process.

If youre looking to switch registrars for any reason, Namecheap is the best place to transfer a domain.

Why Do People Transfer Domains

People move domains for different reasons. If cost is a concern, they may transfer a domain to a cheaper registrar to take advantage of a low price or the best deals. Sometimes they may just prefer the services another company has on offer.

If youre looking for a cheap domain transfer service thats fast and safe, choose Namecheap – our average pricing for transfers is usually the lower cost of renewing elsewhere.

Recommended Reading: How To Transfer Squarespace Domain To Godaddy

What Makes A Domain Name Premium

There are no clear rules which domain will be a premium one. This is decided solely by the registry, at their own discretion. Whether an existing domain will be premium depends on its owner and the price that potential buyers are willing to pay. Yet, there are a few characteristics that differentiate a premium domain name from the pool of all names. They can give you an idea whether the price you have to pay is justified.

Bluehost $999 Free With Hosting Plan

If you are using WordPress as your website platform , Bluehost is far and way the cheapest domain name registrar. Though BH customer support isnt quite up to par with SiteGround , they offer cheap hosting starting from $2.95 per month or as low as $12.99 per year.

On top of that, Bluehost also offers Domain Privacy Protection and a custom email with G suite. Like SiteGround, the most affordable hosting packages all come with a free domain bringing the cost down to effectively nil.

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What To Consider When Buying A Domain

Besides domain name costs and other factors already mentioned, there are additional points worth considering when youre buying a domain:

• Search to see if competitors are using a similar name already.
• Check social media to see if you can get the name there as well.
• Search the domain and see if there are related unsavory hashtags in use.
• Check your domain against existing trademarks.
• Consider not using hyphens since theyre not easily remembered.
• For new businesses, avoid naming your company with punctuation.

What If You Cant Find Your Desired Domain Name?

If you run some searches and find your name is already in use or trademarked, its a good idea to brainstorm new ideas to prevent possible legal issues down the road.

Avoiding punctuation in your businesss name, as well as in your domain, also helps to prevent confusion for users if they need to guess what your domain name is at some point.

If you keep trying to find a domain name that isnt taken and youre not having any luck, try misspellings or adding extra letters if it fits your sites branding. You can use sites such as Reddit, Dribbble or Scribd as inspiration, and dont be afraid to get creative.

What Domain Name Should You Get?

With all of this in mind, what domain name and TLD should you get? Well, it all depends on your branding, needs, projected value of your site or business, budget, and what youre willing to spend.

How Do I Know If My Desired Domain Is Available

Easy! You can check if your name is yours for the taking by using a domain name availability tool, like Wix.com. Heres how you can check if your dream domain name is available: Choose a domain check service, we recommend this powerful domain name search, that lets you try as many options as you want, for free. Alternatively, you can use one of the multiple domain name generators available online to find more ideas. Then, pick an extension and buy your domain using a domain registrar, like Wix.com.

Is your domain name already taken? Not to worry – there are options! Most probably, your domain will be available with a different extension . You can also play with variations of your name. Try an abbreviated version of your domain, or add a keyword related to your location or profession. Alternatively, you can use one of the many tools online to find more ideas for a new domain name.

Also Check: How To Access Google Domain

How Much Does A Premium Domain Cost

There is no definitive answer to this question. The price to register a premium domain is set directly by the registry based on the estimated value of the domain. Why they put a particular price on a given name is not public information. Existing domains that are considered to be premium are priced solely by their owners. Regardless of the type of domain you want to buy, registry or aftermarket, the initial price will often be quite high â either to register, or to acquire and transfer the domain. The renewal price is usually the standard one for the particular extension, but this is not always the case. Registries sometimes set a renewal price that can be equal or close to the registration price. If you decide to buy a premium domain, you should check how much you will have to pay the following year as well, not just for the initial purchase.

Which Factors Contribute To The Cost Of A Domain Name

The registration fee isnt the only charge to consider when calculating your overall domain name cost. Pay attention to any hidden or extra fees, including:

Renewal fees

Domain names are purchased for a set period of time, e.g. one year, three years etc. When the term length finishes, youll be required to pay a domain name renewal cost. While this is usually similar to the initial registration cost, some providers renewal charges can be a lot higher than the initial payment.

For example, A2 Hostings pricing offers registrations and renewals for the same amount.

By contrast, with Domain.com, a .com registration costs $9.99 per year, whereas renewal costs $13.99 per year.

As well as this, many providers offer auto-renewals, taking the stress out of having to do it yourself. But if youre uncertain about a domain name, then assess if auto-renewal is the best option for you. Also, auto-renewal can be an unwelcome surprise, particularly if the charges are considerably higher than the first year fees.

Privacy protection

If you own a domain name, the registrar must provide the owners contact information including name, address , and phone number to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers . This information is stored in the WHOIS database, which is a publicly available resource.

Transfer costs

Extension type

• gTLDs include general, popular extensions like .com or .org
• ccTLDs are country-specific, such as .co.uk for the UK, or .ie for Ireland

Term length

Also Check: Where To Sell Domain Names For Profit

Buying A New Domain Name

For most people, they go with the option of purchasing a new domain name. Its the quickest and cheapest option, and with a little creativity, you can find a solid domain.

First, youll need to choose a domain registrar. For the sake of example, lets say youre going to register your domain with HostGator.

Why Do I Need A Domain

Your domain name is your unique identity. Domain names are used by businesses and individuals who plan on having an online presence. If you want to have a website or even a business email address, you need to have a domain name. This offers you the perfect stepping stone to start promoting yourself online and also protects you if you have a registered business and want to avoid anyone buying your matching domain.

Read Also: How To Transfer Squarespace Domain To Godaddy

How Are Domain Names And Search Engine Optimization Related

Its important to start thinking of ways to make your site search engine-ready from the outset. Since keywords are used by search engines for ranking your content, you might want to consider including a relevant keyword in your domain name.

Keep in mind that Googles algorithm is resistant to keyword-stuffing: the practice of cramming your domain name with keywords so as to rank higher than other websites. So dont try to include multiple keywords in your domain as this can have a detrimental effect.

The good news is . The search engines algorithm treats new TLDs and legacy TLDs equally.

Related: The Top 11 SEO Best Practices for Domains

How Do You Buy A Domain Name

Buying a domain name online is relatively straight forward.

The easiest way to do this is through domain registrar services or web hosting sites. They will let you search for possible domains and tell you what is available.

Then you simply purchase it. You can choose to pay on an annual basis or as a monthly subscription.

Different services will also offer you different options for cancellation. Its worth checking these out before you buy so you know what youre tied into.

A web hosting service is usually a good option if youre just setting your website up as well. This is because they also offer website creation services. So, it is easy to connect your domain name to your website through these sites.

You can also buy premium domain names for a lump sum. This is usually much greater than the cost of a monthly subscription. This is because the demand for these domain names is already high.

Another place to buy your domain names is at domain auction sites. These work like other online auction sites just with domain names. Sellers put up their domain names for set prices and buyers bid on them.

These sites only work for registered domain names. If youre looking to create a domain name then you wont be able to do it at an auction site.

If youre buying from an auction site make sure they offer buyer protection. This could save you from losing out on thousands of euros!

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