How To Buy A Domain And Keep It Forever
If you want to buy a domain and keep it forever, the first thing you need is a domain that actually has value. You’ll also need to be sure that your domain will be unique enough so that it doesn’t get bought up. The next step is to find an online service provider who will help you with buying the domain.
A good place to start is Google Trends as this can show you how often certain keywords are searched for and if they’re trending up or down. If the keyword is trending up, then it’s probably a good time to buy the website now before someone else does!
Another option would be doing some research on which domains expire in which years. If you know what years the domains expire, then this will help you decide when to buy them. For example, if your domain expires in 2016, then this could make sense because there are not many other people trying to buy it at that time.
Uncertainty For Future Costs
Registries and their overseeing organizations set up some fixed costs for each domain registrations. Registrars add their profit and they compete on a free market. The whole system might be different in decades from now and the costs can increase .
It is difficult for a company to sell this kind of registration service for a lifetime since they cant predict future prices.
Pick A Domain Name Registrar
The first step to purchasing a domain is to pick a domain name registrar. We will continue our blog showing the process with Namecheap, but you can pick other domain registrars as well. In fact, we have listed some of the top domain registrars at the end of the article to make it easier for you to choose.
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Learn How To Buy A Domain Name Forever
Before we answer the question of can you buy a domain name forever? lets answer the questions that we initiated in the intro.
ICANN, the internet corporation that oversees domain names, allows a domain to be assigned for 10 years at max. So when it comes to the domain name, Forever and Lifetime only mean as many as 10 years.
So just like Google, the same incident can happen to everyone. And if you purchase a domain name, and keep renewing it for every subsequent year, chances are more that you will face this type of situation even more frequently.
Now that the questions are answered, lets show you the way to purchase a domain name forever, 10 years to be more exact.
How Can You Avoid Losing Your Valued Domain Due To Its Expiration
Before delving into this topic, we should perhaps point out why used domains sell like hotcake and why losing your old domain might be a big blow to you. Old domains that have content associated to it are good for SEO due to the traffic they pull based on their keywords rankings on SERPs. So, can you now imagine losing a domain name that already has a high-flying website behind it just because you failed to renew your domain on time? Thats what you gift whoever buys that particular domain including the traffic your site has been commanding on SERPs. Sounds awful, right?
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Are You Actually Buying Or Leasing A Domain Name
Technically when you purchase a domain youre not buying it, youre leasing exclusive rights from the registrar. This is a company like GoDaddy or NameCheap that customers interact with directly.
This is only one part of the hierarchy. To understand how the full process, it looks like this:
- ICANN sets the governing rules enforced by a registry
- A registry overlooks one or more TLDs
- The registry does business with registrars, which offer domains to the general public
- A registrant is a person who buys a domain from those registrar companies
This GoDaddy article goes into this system more in-depth and in detail.
The question of owning a domain name or leasing a domain name isnt helped by unclear language. Some registrars discuss selling a domain as transferring ownership which while true from a practical standpoint, is not from a technical one.
In short, youre leasing exclusive rights to use a domain name from a registrar. Once you have made that transaction you can continue to renew the domain but you dont own it. Although for all practical purposes, you have control as if you do.
Connecting Your Domain Name To Mailchimp
Whether youve bought your domain through Mailchimp or a third party, you can transfer your domain name and connect it to your Mailchimp account. Once connected, you can use that domain with a custom landing page or Mailchimp-hosted website. If you dont already have a website, Mailchimp offers a free website builder that you can use to make your brand stand out with no coding skills required.
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Complete The Domain Registration
As soon as you have completed the payment, youll be redirected to the control panel. Inside, there will be a setup box that youll need to fill out to complete the domain name registration.
Youll need to fill in all the fields with the correct details, such as your name, address, andcontact information. This data will be stored on WHOIS, the official domain ownership database.
After submitting your details, the domain registration will be processed.
Its possible to modify the domain ownership details using the domain management section within the control panel. Once the changes are made, you will have to confirm them via email.
Choose The Right Domain Extension
When picking the extension or TLD for your domain name, .com is still the best choice unless you have a reason to choose something else. Roughly 43% of all domains have a .com extension, making it what people expect to see the most.
While Google confirms that your choice of TLD will not impact rankings, it does affect consumer perception. Many people view other TLDs as less trustworthy.
That said, .net or .org extensions are not uncommon, so they can be good secondary options if you find the perfect name and the coveted .com isnt available.
But if you do decide to go with an extension other than a .com, make sure you take a look at what type of website is currently on the .com extension. Someone is bound to go there accidentally while looking for your brand. If the site holds fishy or offensive content, you might want to steer clear of that name altogether.
Finally, avoid those niche domain name extensions like .space, .club, .pizza, unless you really think theyll enhance your brand.
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Buying A Domain Name Permanently
Securing your domain name is important for businesses.
Much like the trade name that you register with regulatory bodies, securing a domain name is important because someone else might beat you to it.
Domain names are easy to get but need periodic maintenance, such as the renewal of the annual lease.
But your domain name is your identity, isnt it yours for good?
What Is A Domain Name
In the same way that no two people are alike, computers each have their own identity. The internet is essentially a giant network of computers linked together. Your computers identity in that network is encapsulated in its IP address.
When you register a website and make it available for public use, your IP address is tied to a domain name: your websites’ signifier as an individual in that network.
You typically get a domain name by buying it from a registrar. You can also use a web hosting service that will provide you with a domain name, along with a suite of tools to make your website usable and secure.
However, you cant just buy any domain name. It needs to be currently available – not taken or currently in use by anyone else.
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How Can I Get A Free Website
There are many ways to get a free website, from site builders such as Weebly, Wix, or GoDaddy to an open-source content management system like WordPress.org. However, while free website builder plans are 100% free, there are other costs when using WordPress, such as hosting, a domain, an SSL certificate, and the cost of any plugins or premium themes you want to use.
How To Register A Domain In The Usa
Need to reach an online audience in the USA? There are a set of requirements that must be fulfilled to register a .us domain:
- You must be a citizen or permanent resident and your primary residence in the USA.
- Or, you run an organization within one of the 50 US states, or the District of Columbia, or any of the United States possessions.
- Or, your organization has a genuine presence in the USA.
Find out more on this subject by checking out our Knowledgebase page about .us registration requirements.
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Two Methods For Buying A Domain Name
Fortunately, it doesnt really matter where you buy your domain. At the end of the day, a domain is a domain, and you wont find any variations in quality based on where you buy one.
The biggest difference from one domain registrar to the next is the pricesome offer domains for just a few dollars a year and others can go as high as $20 per year or more. There are two ways to get a domain name, one of which is free for the first year and the other is not.
Option D: How To Get A Domain Free Through A Domain Name Registrar
If youre only interested in a domain name registrar that offers a 100% free domain, you can opt for a free domain name registrar. However, it can result in untrustworthy-looking domain extensions, such as .tk, as opposed to a standard .com. Before using one of these alternative domain extensions for your business, consider whether saving $12 a year is worth the risk of not presenting your brand in the best way to prospects and customers.
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If you need a domain for your business website or professional email, dont use a free one. Its not credible for businesses and may even pose security issues to your online operations. Instead, get a free domain with other services you need, such as WordPress web hosting through Bluehost, a site builder plan like Squarespace or Weebly, or dedicated email hosting through IONOS. Alternatively, purchase your domain from any of the best domain registrars.
If youre running on a truly tight budget, we suggest that you build your business website on a subdomain through a free website builder, such as yourbusiness.weebly.com. It looks more credible as people are far more familiar with Weebly, and its 100% free to use. As you grow, you can get a free domain through a Weebly paid plan, which is the cheapest on the market with ad-free plans starting at $12 per month.
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How To Get A Domain For Free
If you already have hosting services, you wont be able to use this method unless youre ready to upgrade to a better plan or switch to a new host. As such, timing is an important consideration if youre set on getting a domain name for free for the next year.
But if youre starting a website from scratch, you need web hosting services in addition to a domain name.
So, it makes sense to bundle them together. Its an easy and affordable way to get everything you need in one transaction while saving a bit of money.
The biggest consideration is choosing the right host for your website. So, lets talk about how to do that.
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How To Get A Free Domain
This article was written by Travis Boylls. Travis Boylls is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. Travis has experience writing technology-related articles, providing software customer service, and in graphic design. He specializes in Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux platforms. He studied graphic design at Pikes Peak Community College. This article has been viewed 66,018 times.
While a free domain may be sufficient for a personal website, professional businesses should look into web hosting plans that come with a safer, more secure domain. This wikiHow article teaches you how to get a free domain name.XResearch source
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How You Can Get As Close As Possible To Owning A Domain Name For Life
If youre worried about the price of your domain skyrocketing or others beating you to the punch and buying it from under your nose just as youre about to renew it, dont worry theres a way to make sure none of this happens.
It may dawn on you to become a domain registrar yourself so the domain remains your own for as long as you wish. However, this is not a great solution as its a lot of work and very costly. Youd need to pay an annual accreditation fee to ICANN, a yearly fee for each domain you run , and also a commercial insurance policy which costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. And of course youll also need to pay a fee to the administrator of each domain extension you have in your arsenal. Google is its own registry, for instance, but Google is also one of the biggest, richest companies in the world.
Luckily, you dont have to do any of that. If you want to avoid a rising recurring fee and protect your brand, heres what you can do:
Choose The Best Domain Name Option
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.
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Set Your Calendar To Remind You Annually Of Your Domains Renewal
Consider putting a month or six weeks notice to go over your existing terms with the domain registry.
Take the time to discuss with your current domain registry on pricing and other possible packages you can avail when you renew.
Should you need to find another registry, having, a few weeks of buffer should give you enough time to transfer your credentials without having to deactivate your website during the transition.
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Making Sure That You Get The Domain Name You Really Want
This case alone should make anyone seriously think about buying a domain name for more than the regular period. In fact, lots of people accidentally let their domain ownership lapse, and this is when it can be snapped up by someone else for unscrupulous reasons.
This is definitely a good enough reason to buy a domain name for 10 years. And the other thing is that catchy domain names arent always that easy to come by these days either.
The early days of the web are far behind us now, and its no longer like the digital wild west. Everyone is tech-savvy these days, and buying a domain name is no longer a huge deal. Lots of people have them, but this also means that lots of other good domain names are already gone.
If youve been watching a domain name for a while and it has finally expired, then its a good idea to snatch it up. You should get it registered so that no one else can get it.
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Endless Top Level Domains
The entire root domain system where Top-Level Domain ownership is stored is controlled by a single entity – ICANN. The root zone is where all information regarding Top-Level Domain ownership is recorded. This artificially restricts the availability of domains for website owners.
Not so with Handshake domains, which allow you to make your domain name literally anything. That includes domain names made from Chinese or Cyrillic characters.
EnCirca supports a number of Handshake domains including .CONSULTANCY, .ECONOMY, .HIRE and .STARTUP. Get creative. Find a TLD and domain name combination that works best for you and your business.
Web Servers And The Internet
The Internet is nothing more than a large collection of computers attached to a telecommunications network and a set of protocols that establishes the rules for data to be sent and received by them. Most computers are linked to the Internet through a modem that directs traffic to and from a local phone or cable company. An Internet service provider directs the incoming and outgoing data through a local hub to regional hubs.
All the data that makes up a website is located on one or more specialized computers known as servers. Servers can be expensive to purchase and maintain, so companies, known as domain hosts or website hosts, lease server resources to subscribers in return for monthly fees. This allows most anyone to create a website that is available to the public on the World Wide Web , which is the collective network of all websites in the world that can be accessed through the internet.
In order for computers to understand each other, universal codes and protocols have been established. One of the most important of these protocols for websites and domain hosting is hypertext transfer protocol . It is this protocol that allows queries to be sent to specific servers so that the websites on those servers can be accessed.
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