Find A Credible Domain Registrar
A domain registrar is a company that is responsible for registering and managing domain names. Its accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers , a non-profit organization that controls the rules and regulations of website domain name registration.
Choosing a reliable domain registrar is crucial because it can impact a project or business for years. Pick the wrong one and you might end up paying hidden fees or even get scammed. For example, there have been cases where a domain registrar pressures users into purchasing domain names similar to the ones they hold under false pretenses.
It can be challenging to pick from hundreds of domain registrars out there as they all offer similar services. Therefore, consider the following when choosing a registrar:
As we mentioned earlier, people can also purchase a custom domain from a hosting company that offers domain registration services, like Hostinger.
In order to make a website, it may be more convenient to buy web hostingand domain name from the same provider.
Here at Hostinger, we offer low upfront and renewal costs for the most popular domain names and a dedicated 24/7 support team ready to assist you.
If you buy a domain name at Hostinger, it comes with free domain privacy protection. This feature can help hide specific details from being discovered through WHOIS domain lookup tools.
Whats more, we have a web domain checker the perfect tool to buy a domain.
How To Choose A Domain Name
You should choose a domain name that is unique, easy to remember, and relevant to your business. Ideally, your domain name and business name should be the same, but this isnt always possible. If the domain name you want has already been taken, you might consider shortening your business name to the first letter of each word, like using SBC in place of Small Business Computing.
Or, you could choose an alternative suffix to follow your desired domain name, known as the top level domain . TLDs like .net, .bix, or .co are common alternatives for .com URLs, so try those first if your first choice of domain is taken. You may run into some red tape if you want to use a TLD like .edu, .gov, or .mil because they are reserved for official entities like universities, US government agencies, and the US military.
How Much Does A Domain Name Cost
The exact cost of your new domain name will vary based on the registrar, the specific top-level domain you’ve chosen, and the quality of the domain name. Domain.com is proud to offer more than 300 unique TLDs to help your new website stand out. Some domains may be pricier due to their intrinsic benefits, like being short and memorable, or the use of very competitive keywords such as cars.com. Browse our premium domains to jumpstart your website performance.
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How To Register A Domain Name With Namecheap
As the name suggests, this Namecheap offers great value for money. Its .com domains start from $8.88/year, which is a low price compared to the rest of the market.
To buy a domain name on Namecheap, head over to the homepage and insert a name on the search field. Alternatively, head to the Bulk Domain Name Search tool and enter up to 5,000 keywords and find multiple domains at once.
The site will redirect you to the search results page. Feel free to sort the available domains by cost, extension, or alphabetical order. Click Add to Cart on the name you want to register and the Checkout button on the bottom-right corner to continue with the payment process.
The page will preview the order and suggest several add-ons to add to the cart, including PremiumDNS for a performance and security boost. This domain registrar also provides a free privacy and protection feature.
Confirm the order to move on to the next step creating a Namecheap account. Insert your contact information, including your name, phone number, email, and physical address. Enter a company name and tick the Im registering on behalf of a company box if applicable.
Press Continue to go to the Setup page. Here, specify the contact information for the domains registrant, administrator, technical support, and billings. If youre responsible for all these things, select User default account contact. Otherwise, choose to Add new contact where appropriate.
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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You’ll Need To Buy A Domain Name Before You Build Your Website
A domain name is what people enter into their web browser in order to access a website. Theyre a much faster and intuitive alternative than having to remember an entire IP address and have become one of the most crucial branding elements of a site.
Domain names typically consist of their name, separated by a dot from the TLD , such as .com or .xyz. Your choice of both of these elements will significantly impact how easily visitors can find, remember, and recommend your website to others.
With that in mind, there are currently over 350 million registered domains worldwide. This makes finding and buying the perfect domain name pretty challenging because you desired domain name could have already been purchased by someone else. Whats more, not every domain registrar offers the same prices and conditions.
If youre planning to purchase a domain for your site, this article is for you. Well show you how to buy a domain name from various registrars and web hosting providers, as well as showcase some domain name registration tips to keep in mind.
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.
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How To Register A Domain Name With Hostinger
Known for its fast and user-friendly web hosting, Hostinger also provides affordable domain registration services. This European company has .com domains starting from $8.99/year, which is one of the lowest prices offered on the market.
Hostinger offers alternative TLDs such as .online, .xyz, .tech, and .store, so there are more options to experiment with if the .com domain names are unavailable.
To buy a domain name with Hostinger, navigate to their domain checker page. Then enter your desired name on the field and press Search.
Below, the page will show whether the domain name is available, along with some alternative suggestions.
You can also use the Filter button on the search bar to customize the domain search results. Select which extensions to use and specify the maximum budget youre willing to spend.
After finding the right domain name, click Add to cart.
Hostinger offers to bundle the item with a shared web hosting plan, ranging from $1.39/month to $3.99/month. Purchasing the higher-tier subscriptions will make the first year of domain name registration free of charge.
Click Continue to cart or the shopping cart icon on the top right corner to proceed with payment. Here, its also possible to change the domain registration period to up to three years.
Press the Checkout Now button to finalize the payment and create a Hostinger account. Once thats done, the system will redirect you to the domain control panel to complete the domain registration process.
Buying Through A Backorder
What if you make a great offer, negotiate like a pro, and the owner of the domain still wont sell.
As a last resort, you can place a backorder for the domain.
Every day, thousands of perfectly good domains expire because their owners have stopped paying for them. When that happens, the domains move back into the marketplace, where other people can buy them.
You can place a backorder for the domain name you want. Its not a sure thing that youll ever get the domain, but if it expires, youll be notified instantly, and then youll be able to buy it.
Keep in mind, however, a domain stays with the owner for 90 days after they stop paying for it. You might wait quite a while before you receive a notification that the domain ownership has expired.
Again, this method should be the last resort. If you do it, you may need to settle for your second choice while you wait for the domain name you backordered.
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What Are The Benefits Of Shared Hosting
The four main benefits from shared hosting are:
Keep It Short And Simple
Its an obvious strategy, but registering a domain name that is short and memorable isnt as easy as you might think. The fewer words or characters your domain name has, the more likely your customers will spell your domain correctly and find your site. This method might require some creativity, but it will pay off.
On the simple front, make sure your domain name is easy to spell and avoid using numbers and hyphens.
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Find Out How To Contact The Owner Through Whois
If the domain isnt listed for sale on Namecheap.com and theres no link to contact the owner through the site, its time to turn to a domain search to find out who owns the domain.
WHOIS is a directory that tells you who owns a domain name. You can search for a domain on WHOIS and get the owners address, phone number and email address.
From there, the easiest way to contact a domain owner is through email. Just send them a friendly email asking if they are willing to sell their domain name and if so, for how much.>
Some domain name owners wont respond to emails about buying a domain because they get a lot of inquiries. Try calling the domain owner if you dont hear back a few days after sending the email. If all else fails, do it the old-fashioned way: write a letter and send it via snail mail. Youd be surprised how often this works!
What Are The Advantages Of Using The Domain Broker Service
Advantages of using the Domain Broker Service include:
- Using GoDaddys name creates trust with the potential seller
- You stay anonymous as the buyer
- GoDaddy’s experts are familiar with aftermarket pricing to get you the best price
- GoDaddy has a large network you might not have access to, with experience using the tools to make the sale
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Domain Name Shopping Tips
Before you even consider buying a domain name, you need to do some research to get the best option possible at a fair price.
Below are three tips you can use when shopping for a domain name.
- Do keyword research and find trendy topics. If you havent decided on a name yet, its a good idea to do keyword research for the most popular keywords in your industry. It will provide you with fresh ideas about the domain name you want.
- Dont be afraid of unique extensions and subdomains. Your domain name doesnt have to start with www. and end with .com. Instead, you can replace them with something unique and trendy, opting for a domain name like shop.mydomain.com or www.mydomain.store. This will make your domain more memorable and unique.
- If possible, purchase common typos of your domain:Did you know that people commonly misspell amazon.com as amazn.com? Or google.com as gogle.com? But it doesnt matter, because both companies have bought those incorrectly spelled domains and set them up to redirect to their correct domain. You can do that too. Its a small investment that may bring in valuable traffic.
Now, lets take a look at how you can buy a pre-owned domain name.
When Should I Buy A Domain Name
The best time to register a domain depends on your project and urgency. However, its better to purchase it right away before a competitor claims the web address.
According to Verisign, there were over 363 million website domain registrations across all TLDs at the end of the first quarter of 2021. This figure is likely to grow each year as the number of people and businesses that compete to get a great domain name is increasing.
Moreover, many entrepreneurs consider domain names to be digital assets they buy plenty of good URLs as investments and wait for their value to increase before reselling them further down the road.
If you want to start a new online business but have no time to build an eCommerce site, then register a domain now and make a website later to reserve your brand or business name for the future. A domain name will be yours as long as you keep paying for it. And do not worry, it will not break your bank. For instance, popular e-commerce domain .shop will cost you only $0.99/month.
Also, consider purchasing a domain that includes your name even if youre not ready to create a personal website or portfolio yet. Doing this can give you control of what potential clients, employers, and other people see when they search for you on search engines.
All in all, purchasing a domain name should be a priority for those who are serious about building an online presence or starting a new business. It will help protect a brands identity and future business ideas.
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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:
Pricing And Domain Options
Domain names arent generally going to be a huge expense. Most of the common domain extensions are available for in the ballpark of $10 to $20 per year. But something that you might want to consider are additional options for your domain, such as bulk registration, domain privacy, theft protection, etc.
But what do those options mean? Lets take privacy, for example. While privacy isnt required for your domain, it can go a long way in protecting your personal contact information.
Domain registrars are required to provide valid contact information for registered domains on WHOIS searches.
While there is a benefit to having valid contact information available there, the unfortunate downside is that spammers and scammers love to gather email contact information from WHOIS directories. In other words, privacy on your domain is a great way to protect your personal contact information. Make sure its available with your domain registrar before purchasing a domain.
What about additional extensions? While many businesses choose .com domains for their primary web address, there are tons of interest-, industry- and geo-specific domain extensions available that you might find more appealing.
Not all domain providers will have a wide selection of domain extensions, so if this option is important to you, make sure theyre available through your selected registrar.
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How To Register A Domain Name With Hostgator
Next, well explain how to get a domain name on HostGator . Part of the same group as Bluehost, it offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop website builder and feature-rich web hosting services.
The first step to buying a domain name on HostGator is to open the Domains page on their website. Insert a domain name and on the search field and press the Enterkey.
If the domain is unavailable, pick a recommended alternative with a different domain extension or name variation.
The cost for a .com domain at HostGator is similar to Bluehost, starting from $12.95/year. Bundling the item with a privacy and protection feature is also possible, costing $14.95/year. Pick between one, two, or a three-year registration period, then click Continue To Checkout.
Now, create a HostGator account and fill in your billing information. HostGator has two payment options credit card and PayPal.
Before finalizing the purchase, HostGator will preview the order. Here, you can set custom nameservers to point the domain name to a third-party hosting account if desired. Click Place Your Order once everything looks right.
Finally, HostGator will send a domain ownership validation request to your registered email address. Remember to click on the link within 15 days to prevent the domain from temporary suspension.
Besides the steps above, HostGator also offers a domain name registration service via their support team. However, this alternative method is only applicable to certain TLDs .