Choose A Domain Name And Make Sure Its Available
To see if your desired domain is available, youll need to conduct a simple search at your chosen registrar:
The registrar will show you if that domain is available, and which TLDs it recommends. In many cases, it will also list several alternative options:
In the event that your first choice for a domain isnt available, you may have to do a few searches. Once youve decided on which domain to purchase, there should be a button you can click on to add it to your cart.
How To Register A Domain Name With Bluehost
Bluehost is a web hosting company based in the United States. Like Hostinger, it also offers a domain registration service. It even includes a free domain name for one year in its most affordable subscription, which costs $3.95/month.
Besides the generic TLDs, this hosting company has a wide array of alternative extensions for various niches such as .ink, .photo, and .guru. While theyre not as popular as .com, they can be an excellent touch to make your website stand out.
To get a domain name from Bluehost, open the Domains page on the site. Then insert a keyword paired with your desired domain name extension on the search bar.
The page will reveal if the domain name is available. If not, choose one of the other options below.
A .com extension costs $12.99/year, which is the average price. On the other hand, the privacy and protection service is $11.88/year.
Click Proceed to start the checkout process. Bluehost will offer to bundle the domain name with a 30-day free trial for a shared web hosting service and a free SSL certificate. An email service plan with Microsoft 365 is also available, ranging between $2.99/month and $3.99/month.
Press one of the Proceed buttons to complete the order. Fill in the billing information and choose a method to pay for the domain name registration fee.
Once done, Bluehost will send a verification email to your inbox to validate the domain ownership. Click on the link, and the domain name should now be usable.
How To Acquire A Domain Name Thats Already Registered
Picking the right domain name is one of the key factors to unveil the full potential of your web presence. Unfortunately, most of the time, the domains that come to your mind are already registered. In that case, youll need to acquire the domain name and thats a bit harder than simply registering one.
Here is what you do:
SERVICES
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How To Backorder A Domain
The process outlined above is the easiest way to buy a domain name that is taken, but sometimes that isnt possible. If you still cant get the domain you want, your other option is to backorder it.
Backordering means that you wait for a domains ownership to expire and purchase it the moment it becomes available.
However, keeping track of a domains expiration date manually can be tricky, so youll want to use a backordering service.
Some of the popular options:
However, even if you use a backordering service, theres no guarantee that youll get the domain you want. The current owner still has to let their ownership of the domain expire, and many hosting services give owners an extra grace period where they can renew after the official expiration date. Typically, thats 75 extra days.
How Much Are Domain Names Worth
When it comes to domain names, its price depends on how much it is valued on the internet marketplace. Per Sedo, a marketplace where you can purchase secondary domains, the average cost of a secondary domain name is $1839.
However, if this sounds steep to you, know that most sales cost less than $500, which tells us the average cost is driven up by several outliers.
So what are the factors that influence how much a domain name is worth? In general, the higher its commercial value, the more youll have to pay to take possession of it. Things increasing a domains commercial value include:
- Its use of valuable search engines keywords
- Its ranking in search engines
- The amount of traffic the domain gets
However, dont just take the word of the seller regarding a domain names retail value. Before you commit to purchasing a domain name for a high price , we recommend that you check its historical sale prices using tools like NameBio.
Moreover, you should know about possible discounts or coupons some hosting providers offer along with their hosting services so that you dont miss a chance to buy a domain name for as little as $0.99, for example.
In general, we expect growth and the price of a domain name to increase over time, but you should be wary of any spikes in price that cannot be explained.
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Buy Domain That Is Already Registered
Domain names that are already taken may be highlighted as a premium domain name with a higher price. If you really want a domain that is already registered it s a great idea to visit the domain to see if it s being used for an actual website or is just parked. This is a great place to buy a domain that someone else already owns.
Pay For And Transfer Ownership Of The Domain
Next, youll need to pay for the domain and transfer its ownership. I cannot stress enough the importance of using a third party to facilitate this process. You want to feel protected when you are paying for the domain and actually walk away with the domain you worked so hard to obtain. The seller wants to know they can trust your payment.
GoDaddy offers a trusted aftermarket platform for transacting domain name sales. You can also use alternative services such as Escrow.com, which hold the money until the name is accepted and confirmed to be in the buyers account, and clear the funds for the seller prior to authorizing the movement of the domain to the buyer.
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Search On Namecheap To See If Its Listed For Sale
Many domain owners list domain names for sale with services linked to Namecheap. If the owner of the domain you want has done this, youll see that the domain is available for purchase at a premium:
You only pay the premium price once for .com domains. The domain renews for regular prices after that.
Buying a premium domain on Namecheap is secure and the domain name is transferred to your account almost instantaneously.
Should You Use Your Name As A Domain Name
The most suitable reason for using your own name as a business or domain name would be because you are trying to brand yourself as an expert in your field. Having your name as a business name lets people know that you are confident in your pursuits and want to be recognized as a subject matter expert in your niche.
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The Patient Way: Wait For It To Expire
If youre not comfortable contacting the domain owner directly, or you tried and didnt get a response, you can attempt to procure the domain when it expires.
This is anything but a guaranteed strategy, however. Most registrars remind their customers early and often prior to domains expiring. Many registrars also auto-renew domains by default as long as the customers payment details are accurate and up to date.
Even if a domains ownership does expire, many registrars give their customers a grace period after expiration so they can still renew it, sometimes at a considerably increased cost.
You could also try a domain monitoring service, which alerts you to status changes and expirations for your domains, or others that are of interest to you. Be aware though that this offering can be an upsell attempt by some registrars.
Backordering services are also popular, and if you want a maximum chance of getting the domain if/when it expires, we recommend using all of them. Most of these services will only charge you if they manage to procure the domain, but some charge in advance. Here are a few popular options:
Find A Marketplace Or Middleman To Facilitate Your Purchase
There are many different places from which you can purchase your desired domain name.
Owners whose domain names do not expire in the near future can sell their domain names on marketplace sites like Sedo, GoDaddy Auctions, or NameJet. More specifically, these options are auction sites you can think of them as the eBay of domain names.
Generally, you can search for a domain name which you are interested in. If available, you can place a bid, and if yours is the highest when the auction ends, you become the domain names newest owner.
Escrow.com
Escrow offers buyers and sellers a safe way to conduct domain name transfers. Escrow holds onto the funds until the transaction is complete, protecting both the buyer and the seller against fraud.
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If All Else Fails Try Registering A Different Extension Or Top
If you really need to use a specific domain because it matches your business or personal name, but you cant get the owner of the .com version to agree to sell it to you, consider a different top-level domain. For example, rather than fruitcobbler.com consider registering fruitcobbler.recipes or fruitcobbler.cooking. If you need help, you can read also how to register a domain or how much is a domain name.
How Can I Get A Free Com Domain
Blue Host is the best choice for getting free .com domain because of several reasons: Install WordPress at one click. It automatically takes backups of your website files and databases. Unlimited use of Bandwidth. Unlimited disk space. It offers you 30 days money-back guarantee. Offers you web hosting at rate $3.95/month.
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Considerations Before You Buy A Domain Through Shopify
Before you buy a domain through Shopify, review the following considerations:
- Email hosting services arent provided on Shopify. Instead, you can connect your Shopify-managed domain to a third-party email hosting service.
- Some domain extensions include WHOIS privacy, which is a service that keeps your personal contact information hidden from public domain registration records. If you want WHOIS privacy, then make sure that your domain extension isnt on the WHOIS exceptions list.
- Some domain extensions have specific residency or business registration requirements. Make sure that you can meet these requirements, because you might need to verify your registration information. If you cant meet these requirements, then your domain might be suspended.
- A new SSL certificate is created automatically when you buy a domain through Shopify. You dont need to buy SSL encryption for your domain.
- You need to pay the registration fee every year to renew your domain subscription. Domain renewals are charged separately from your monthly subscription charges. The exact pricing depends on which domain extension you choose.
- Domain hosting services are only available with a paid Shopify plan. If you want to close your store or your Shopify account, and you want to keep using your domain, then you need to transfer your domain before you close your store. You can transfer your domain to one of the following:
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Protecting Your Domains Privacy
Domain names are part of the public record. That means anyone can look up who owns a particular domain. This can be problematic, as those records often contain sensitive information.
What you can do to protect your information is sign up for domain privacy while buying your domain. Every reputable registrar will offer this option to protect your information from prying eyes.
If you use Whois privacy, when someone tries to look up your domain theyll just see some proxy information:
Some people try to circumvent this by using fake information when registering domain names. This is against most registrar policies, however, so we dont recommend it. However, it is worth mentioning that most hosts will charge you a small additional fee for Whois protection.
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Find A Domain Name Registrar
The non-profit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers oversees the entire system of domain names, and it allows outside companies, called domain registrars, to sell and manage domain names. You will need to register your domain name through a registrar.
Some of the most popular domain registrars include GoDaddy, Bluehost, and Domain.com, although there are many more to choose from. Be sure to carefully consider pricing and policies for each one before choosing your domain registrar, as it will be managing your domain name.
How To Register A Domain Name With Godaddy
With over 20 million customers, GoDaddy is both a domain registrar and web hosting powerhouse. It has a wide array of domain extensions ranging from .com and .org to newer selections like .fun or .law. The company plans to add even more TLDs to its collection in the future.
To buy a domain on GoDaddy, start with a domain name search on their homepage. The system will reveal whether the name is available for purchase using your desired extension.
If the .com version is taken, GoDaddy offers a domain broker service, where a representative will negotiate with the owner to purchase the name for you. You will pay $119.99 and a 20% commission to hire the agent in addition to the domain registration fee.
Click Add to Cart on a domain name and continue to checkout. On the next page, GoDaddy will offer several add-ons to bundle the order with.
GoDaddy has two privacy and protection options Full and Ultimate . The first protects the domain from hijacking, malicious transfer, and loss of ownership due to billing failures.
On the other hand, the second offers malware detection and search engine blacklist monitoring features to uphold your domain security and reputation.
Additionally, GoDaddy offers a custom business email plan with the domain. The pricing ranges between $1.99/month and $8.99/month.
The next step is to create a GoDaddy account and fill in the billing information. There are three payment methods available credit card, PayPal, and check.
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