Get A Free Domain From A Domain Name Registrar
You can obtain a free domain through a domain name registrar specializing in free accounts. While this method is not ideal, its still a viable solution.
Note that its best to exhaust all the other options before settling for a free domain registrar, because theyll make your website appear untrustworthy and/or unprofessional.
The domains you get this way are usually lower-quality and less popular ones, such as .tk, .ml, or .cf. Most of these platforms will give you a free domain name in exchange for placing ads on your site.
Research Social Media Handles
If you have plans to engage with your visitors or customers, chances are youll want to create social media accounts that are linked to your domain name and website. Therefore, its wise to check your preferred social media sites to see if your domain name is available in handle form.
Alternatively, you can check to see if a variation of your domain name is available. This is a common practice.
If youre not planning to use too many different social media networks, you can easily do this manually. However, if you want a bit of help, is a great way to see all available social media handles at a glance.
This handy tool can provide you with useful information about trademarks. It can also help you manage dozens of social media accounts.
How To Register A Domain Name For Your Website
If you want to build a website, you need to buy a domain name. Registering one can be a daunting task for newcomers, but our helpful guide walks you through the process.
Since 2004, I’ve penned gadget- and video game-related nerd-copy for a variety of publications, including the late, great 1UP Laptop Parenting Sync Wise Bread and WWE. I now apply that knowledge and skillset as the Managing Editor of PCMag‘s Apps & Gaming team.
My career has taken me through an eclectic assortment of fields, and connected me with people from all walks of life. This experience includes construction, professional cooking, podcasting, and, of course, writing. Ive been typing up geeky takes since 2009, ultimately landing a freelancing position at PCMag. This blossomed into a full-time tech analyst position in 2021, where I lend my personal insight on the matters of web hosting, streaming music, mobile apps, and video games.
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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.
Purchase Your Domain Name And Complete Its Registration
Once you settle on a domain name, its time to purchase it. When you buy through Mailchimp, well let you know the annual cost of the domain name as well as any available discounts.
During the checkout process, youll be required to enter your contact information, including an email address, to register the domain.
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Disadvantages Of Having Free Domain
Other websites may make a free domain guarantee, but they usually include conditions. We must take into consideration a fully qualified domain name with two components in order to completely see why it would not be appropriate for a company website.
The top-level domain comes first, and the accompanying subdomains follow. How can you tell if the website you are visiting is a top-level domain?
Youll know youve reached the top level if there are letters included after the dot. For websites based in Germany, you could see extensions like.com,.net, or even.de, whereas websites based in Georgia might have the .ge extension. When you see.com and.net, these are instances of your top-level domains.
Check For Trademark Infringement
Both major and minor brands alike take issue with others using their trademarked names. Even if youve just made an innocent mistake, the legal hassle involved in a lawsuit and having to rearrange your web presence could be costly.
You can avoid these situations by using a trademark lookup tool before you finalize your choice.
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The Domain Name I Want To Register Shows As Unavailable Is There Anything I Can Do To Get It
If the domain you want is unavailable it probably means that someone else registered it first. You can try reaching out to the email address published in the sponsoring registrarâs WHOIS to see if the registrant is willing to sell the domain. In some cases, unregistered domains may be reserved from registration pursuant to ICANN policies or registry processes–these domains will not be made available for registration.
Find Your Domain Name On Your Chosen Domain Registrar Website
Weve already covered choosing your domain registrar. Once you do, look up your chosen domain name to see if its already taken. If it is, the domain registrar will present alternatives either for the domain itself or for the TLD.
It may offer choices such as .net, .org, and .info. Generally, we recommend sticking with a .com TLD because its highly recognizable.
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How Much Does A Domain Name Cost
When you buy a domain name through domain registrars, you register it for one year with the option of a multi-year registration. You will be able to renew your domain name registration when the initial period finishes, and will usually be alerted by the registrar to do so. Domain names are also sometimes included in your web hosting plan and if not, usually offered by your hosting company.
Domains purchased through Mailchimp are priced based on the TLD you choose, such as .com or .net.
A domain name with a common top-level domain, such as .com, can be had for as low as $12.99 per year, and promotions are often available. Internet domains purchased through Mailchimp also come with free WHOIS privacy protection and a Secure Sockets Layer certificate to provide your website with free verification and encryption.
You do need to have a web hosting plan to put your site online, but you dont need to have hosting to purchase a domain. Assuming you have a business or blog name in mind, its possible to reserve your brands name for the future by purchasing and registering your domain name now. Then youll have plenty of time to consider how to build your website.
How Can Hostinger Offer Domains At No Cost
Hostinger has been recognized as an ICANN-accredited domain registrar for years. We partner with well-known registrars and have a huge user base.
At Hostinger, we believe that everyone globally should be able to access the power of the internet. So, we offer affordable hosting options and a domain at zero cost for any type of website.
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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.
Holding Your Domain Name Hostage
The domain name registrant can do anything they want with it, so if you allow someone else to register your domain name for you, they can sell it without your knowledge or consent, fail to renew it, or hold it hostage.
Sometimes unscrupulous website designers will hold your domain name hostage if you decide you want to go with a different web designer. Or if youre unhappy with their services and refuse to continue paying, they may justify holding your domain name hostage as a way to get you to pay what they think you owe.
Your web designer, however, may hold onto your domain name for less nefarious reasons
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What Is Domain Privacy And Do I Need It
Domain privacy and security is as important to us as it is to you. Without domain privacy, your private and sensitive information may be collected and displayed in ICANN’s WHOIS database when you register your domain. Domain privacy ensures that these details are hidden from the public view. Our Domain Privacy + Protection package will make ICANN display our contact information in lieu of yours.
Understand Traditional Tlds New Tlds And Cctlds
TLD, or top-level domain extensions, are the most sought after domains online
Traditional top-level domain extensions like .com, .net, and .org have always been considered the gold standard. Unfortunately, domain names containing common dictionary words with traditional TLDs are usually taken. Sometimes you have the option of registering them for a premium price, but that can run into hundreds of dollars.
Its easier, however, to find traditional TLDs for domains based on unusual and unique brand names. In any case, if your chosen domain name happens to be available with a .com or .net extension, you should consider snapping it up.
If your business and most of your customers are based in a country that uses country code top-level domains like .co.uk, .ca, or .com.au, its best to stick with those extensions as locals are used to them. Registration of ccTLDs is often restricted to people living in those particular countries and ensures that you wont be competing for domain names with the rest of the world.
Although old-school TLDs are still considered superior, you should also explore several newer and more descriptive extensions like .tattoo, .studio, .tech, .yoga, etc. These domain extensions are cheaper to acquire in many cases, and Google has stated that traditional TLDs have no ranking or SEO benefit over newer TLDs.
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How To Get A Domain Name From Namecheapcom
Namecheap is another popular website for buying domain names and getting website hosting. As their domain name prompts, they often have a lot of good deals and somewhat lower annular prices than GoDaddy, for example.
So if you love a good bargain, heres how to buy a domain name via Namecheap.
Step 1: Run your desired domain name search first and review available options. Namecheap has a really huge collection of new TLDs such as .art .digital, .luxury among 400+ other options.
Also, if your name isnt available or youd like to get some more ideas, switch to their advanced search view aka the Beast Mode:
As you can see from above, you have a lot more features to play with such as price range, suffix/prefix, and so on. This can help you drill down to that perfect domain name that is short, memorable, available, and yet cheap!
Step 2: After youve chosen the best contenders, proceed to your cart to start the checkout process. At this point, you can also add some extras and customize your order:
With Namecheap, you get a lifetime free WHOIS protection for every domain name, plus they recently added a bonus premium DNS offer . When you enable it, your domain gets yearly protection against DNS/DDoS attacks , plus ultra-fast global DNS response. This gives you some extra leverage in terms of your website speed.
On top of that, you can select some affordable up-sells such as:
Also, you can play around with your renewal. Namecheap provides a small discount for 2+ years.
The Total Package For Starting Your Website
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Once I Register A Domain Name How Long Does It Last Can It Be Renewed
When you register a domain name, youre able to use it for the period of time you registered it for, which is typically between one to ten years. If you want to keep using the domain name and any of the services associated with it you need to renew the domain name registration prior to its expiration.
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What If The Domain You Want Is Already Taken
Even if the domain name of your choice is already taken, we will display other variations of the domain name that are available. You can check out the multiple options for top-level domains and pick one that is most suited for your business. Think outside the .com TLD and consider .online, .tech, .store, or .site TLDs, where you can find the name that best represents your business.
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Find A Custom Domain For Your Site
Whether youre working on a blog, an online portfolio, or an online shop, Mailchimp offers custom domains that can make all the difference to your online presence. And theres no reason to stop there. Use Mailchimp to build your website and connect it to our all-in-one marketing platform to really make your offerings stand out from the rest.
Learn more about how to get a free domain name from Mailchimp and how our offer compares to the competition.
What Happens If I Want To Switch Hosting Providers Can I Still Keep My Domain Name
Absolutely. Once you have registered your domain with a hosting service or website builder you can transfer that domain to a new hosting service or website builder. Transferred domains are often free for one year. However, it is important to note that the ICANN requires domain providers to lock most domains for 60 days after registration so you will not be able to transfer your domain within its first 60 days.
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How Will Having A Custom Email Address Benefit My Business
Having business email addresses with your domain name attached is important for building your brand. This will establish your identity with customers. The more you communicate with them using your custom email address, it strengthens their trust, and demonstrates your professionalism. Additionally, buying a domain and configuring custom email addresses also increases the reputation of your domain and reduces the risk of your emails getting marked as spam at the recipient’s end.
What Happens To My Domain Name After It Expires
renewedremain in your Namecheap account for 30 days after the initial expiration dateDomain ListGrace Expired reactivate themRedemption Grace Period24/7 Customer Support Teamadditional redemption feeNOTEthis articleparking pageNOTE30-day Grace PeriodDNS propagation information for expired domain names cannot be changedEdit Domain Contactsrenewed privacy protection subscriptionNOTEfor freeGDPR implementationemail reminderson the expiration dateautomatic renewal
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Pick A Domain Name Thats Flexible
Your domain name is one area where you dont want to put yourself into a box. While you should be specific enough to attract an audience, you dont want to be so precise that theres no room for your website to grow.
For example, shutter.photography might be perfect for a photography blog. However, if you decide to write about other art forms in the future, youll be stuck with an inaccurate domain name.
Therefore, its smart to consider how your site or business may expand over time. Youll want to make this decision with a long-term vision.
Run A Domain Name Search
Now that you have found a registrar through which to register your domain, the next step is to perform a domain name search.
When choosing a domain name, make sure to pick the right domain extension as well its the suffix at the end of a web address. Domain name extensions are also referred to as top-level domains .
There are different types of domain extensions available, such as:
- Country Code Top-Level Domain . This kind of TLD represents a specific country, letting both users and search engines know that a site is designed for visitors from a particular region. An example of this is the .us domain, which is the ccTLD for the United States.
- Sponsored Top-Level Domain . Its a type of TLD restricted to certain types of groups and organizations. Some of sTLD examples include .mil, .gov, and .edu.
- Generic Top-Level Domain . Its the most common type of TLD it doesnt rely on a country code and can be used for general purposes. A few examples of gTLDs include .com, .org, and .net. This category also includes new extensions, such as .xyz, .club, and .online.
When deciding on the extension that is suitable for your domain, look for a TLD that represents the purpose of your website. Choosing the wrong suffix can confuse visitors and make your brand name prone to being misinterpreted.
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