How To Register A Domain Name For Free
Youve heard the rumor about free domain names. Is it true?
Yes! There are actually ways to get a free domain name for your website.
First, you can get a free domain name for a web hosting provider such as Bluehost.
They offer every new user a 1-year free domain with any of their hosting plans. You can either register a brand new domain name with them or transfer a domain name, registered with another company.
Some other hosting providers who also have a 1-year free domain policy:
- HostGator
- Dreamhost
- InMotion Hosting
Note: The downside of getting a domain name from a hosting provider is more expensive renewals. After a free year, most hosting providers will charge a higher renewal fee, compared to domain registrars.
How To Make A Website With Your Own Domain For Free
Author: Howard Steele
So, youve decided to create a website with own domain name for free. Someone may say that this is impossible as quality websites require deep web design expertise and application of professional web building tools. However, thats not quite so.
Creating a personal or a business website at no cost or using your own domain is possible, if you are aware of the most popular web design options and professional web building software you can use to complete the task.
When it comes to free website development, there are several things to consider. To start with, you should pick the right web building tool, many of which come with free subdomains or offer integrated free domain connection option.
If you already own a domain and wish to attach it to your website, you will have to take care of that during website setup. Mind that domain costs differ as well as the terms implied by their providers. Thus, the process of free website development is not that easy and it definitely requires certain web design background or awareness of coding nuances.
To simplify the task, we have singled out several must-have points that will help you cope with all the stages of the web design process successfully and with maximum benefit.
How To Buy Domain For 10 Years
Another way to having something close to a domain name for life is buying a domain name for a period of 10 years.
Yes, now ten years is nothing compared to a lifetime domain name, but thats the maximum you could actually get. ICANN only allows purchasing domain names for a period of no more than 10 years.
So, if auto renewals are not in your forte, you could register a domain name for 10 years and do keep track of emails from your hosting provider regarding its renewal.
Or best, you could activate auto renewal for this 10 year domain name and have a domain name virtually for life.
These are the only possibilities that would offer you something close to a domain name for life.
What method do you follow to renew your domain names on time? Share your thoughts and experiences below.
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The Problem With Registration Terms:
The problem with these terms is that they tend to be riddled with many legal technicalities, which can be disadvantageous to businesses.
Having a long-term lease isnt helpful in the long run.
For example, if you still have 12 years in your contract, and youre only halfway into the contract, you wont be able to change the registry and hosting without violating the contract.
Again, if the domain name shuts down in the middle of a long lease, you still lose the money you paid for in advance.
However, if you have only two years for your registry, this would mean easier losses if you decide to change services.
Increased Value Of Your Asset/brand
Depending on the current value of your asset or brand, having a forever domain name attached to it could help you stand out from the crowd should you choose to put it up for sale. Lets face it, one of the things that we look out for when buying or leasing real estate is the number of years left on the lease the more the number of years left to the next renewal, the more inclined we will be to make a purchase. So in your case as a seller, this translates into a higher sale price because you can confidently reassure the buyer that they will never have to incur any renewal costs.
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Why You Cant Buy A Domain Name Forever
When you purchase a domain from sites such as Godaddy, Namecheap you actually buy the right to use it and not the domain itself. It is some sort of license that you need to renew from time to time.
**Registrars are just the companies you interact with and the other 2 big players in the industry are the Registries and the nonprofits or the government-related entities that oversee both registrars and registries. This format is used for most popular domain name extensions but there are some exceptions too.
The policy of renting instead of buying a domain is in place for those reasons:
An Introduction To Domains
If youre looking for a good new domain name and sat wondering, What first? Do you purchase a website domain? then dont panic. If you want to get your public site on the World Wide Web , we can help you get started.
Domains help us to correctly identify and remember websites, and they are the second part of the URL, which starts after http:// in the address bar, and for us, its namecheap.com.
However, behind the scenes, its a little more complex.
Every domain is connected to a unique IP address, which is made up of a series of numbers. As the numbers are difficult to remember, we use words instead. The numbers are used by the computer as a link to the corresponding server that looks after website data. So, when we type a web address into the search bar, the correct data is shown to us.
They are made up of two parts, a top level and a second level. The top level domains will either be a country code top level domain like .US and .DE, or a generic top level domain like .CRICKET and .ACCOUNTANT.
To create a domain name yourself, you will need a unique name in other words, one that has not been acquired yet.
And thats where registrars like us come in. We can help you make a registration, find great domains to suit your needs, or make an offer on one that already exists in our .
Also Check: How To Transfer Domain Away From Godaddy
Forever: Domain Names You Can Own Forever
As of 04/08/2021
Impervious has brought a new domain name extension for us all: .forever. However, this isnt like any other extension. The company calls it the first truly decentralised domain names.
The domain names that you own has a problem. The problem is that, well, you dont actually own those domains. The domain names are only being leased to you. Thats why you have to continuously renew them. If you dont, your domain name will expire and someone else might claim it.
Also, there is another problem. You do not have absolute control over your domain names. There are a lot of entities that can cancel your domain name whenever they wish. The entities include ICANN, your registry and your registrar . Any of these can cancel your domain name.
Things are however changed with .forever domain names. First, as the name suggests, you can own these domain names forever. You dont have to renew the domain names. You actually own them. Second, no one can take your domain name from you. Once you buy the domain name, it is truly yours, forever.
There are a lot of Blockchain domain extensions like .eth and .crypto. However, none of them are truly decentralised. As they are all controlled by institutions like ICANN.
So what are you waiting for? Go register your .forever domain names now!
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Dreamhost Best WordPress Hosting
DreamHost is another web hosting service provider that offers a free domain name. Like some other web hosting companies, DreamHost also offers both regular shared web hosting and WordPress-specific hosting.
Regardless of which option you go for, youll receive a 97-day money back guarantee, along with unlimited storage and bandwidth.
The shared web hosting offerings are straightforward and easy to understand. You can pick from two packages: the shared starter and the shared unlimited.
Both packages come with a free domain as long as you sign up for a minimum of one year.
The starter package is $2.59 per month with a three-year web hosting plan and $3.95 per month with a one-year plan. If you need email, however, its an additional charge at $1.67 per month.
The unlimited package, which includes email, costs $4.95 per month for both the three-year and one-year plans.
If you prefer dedicated WordPress web hosting, there are three plans to choose from. The WordPress Basic plan is $2.59 per month with a three-year hosting sign up.
The DreamPress plan is $16.95 per month for a three-year term. The VPS for WordPress plan is $27.50 per month if you sign up for three years.
VPS stands for virtual private server. This means your site will be hosted on its own server rather than grouped with other sites. Because the site is managed on a single, dedicated server, it tends to be faster and more responsive.
Also Check: How To Setup Dmarc For A Domain
Get Started Online With The Right Domain Name
Your domain name sets the tone for your online presence, and finding the right one can take time and effort. But, with options ranging from entirely free to five figures or more, anyone on just about any budget can buy a domain name to launch a business or a brand.
Domain.com has the tools you need to continue building your business into a success.
Kristin Crabb
Content Marketing Strategist working in the digital marketing industry. Skilled in SEO-focused content creation, keyword research and competitive analysis, interactive content, web content optimization, and landing page creation.
Bluehost Best Shared Hosting
Bluehost is one of the most popular web hosting service providers on the market. Its known as being reliable, beginner-friendly, and affordable.
Plus, you can get a free domain name for the first year when you sign up for their web hosting services.
After the first year, you can expect to pay $12.99 per year for your domain.
Each domain name also comes with full control via an intuitive interface, DNS record access, auto-renewal options, domain locking, and 24/7 expert customer support.
Plus, Bluehosts web hosting plans are hard to beat if youre on a budget since they start at just $2.95 per month.
To get this price, however, you have to pay three years in advance. Which may sound scary at first, but building a profitable website takes time and youll save money by paying in advance.
If you decide to sign up for 12 months instead, its $5.95 per month.
However, this is still an affordable price, putting you at $71.40 for a years worth of web hosting.
You can also upgrade to a better plan as your website grows and you need more advanced hosting features.
Bluehost also offers VPS hosting, managed hosting, WordPress hosting, and dedicated hosting if you end up needing more than your shared hosting plan provides.
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Inmotion Hosting Best Vps Web Hosting
InMotion Hosting offers both shared hosting and VPS web hosting. Both types of hosting come with a free domain as long as you sign up for a minimum of 6 months.
VPS hosting is an excellent choice if youve outgrown shared hosting and are seeing considerable site performance issues.
Going with VPS ensures your site loads faster and efficiently handles dynamic resource demand. Plus, you get a lot more control over your hosting environment.
With that said, VPS hosting is a bit more expensive since youre getting more features and improved site performance.
InMotion Hostings three-year VPS plans include:
- 2 GB RAM $31.99 per month
- 4 GB RAM $41.99 per month
- 6 GB RAM $61.99 per month
- 8 GB RAM $77.99 per month
If youre switching from shared hosting, the introductory plan is more than enough and you can upgrade as you need more server resources.
You can choose from monthly, six-month, one-year, two-year, and three-year agreements. However, you have to opt for at least a six-month contract to get a free domain name. But signing up for three years in advance gives you the best deal.
InMotion Hosting also offers unmanaged VPS hosting options for developers and advanced website designers looking for even more flexibility with advanced command-line control.
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?
Read Also: What Are Valid Domain Extensions
Do You Own Your Domain Name Forever
The short answer is no. For brands having a website is a lot like having an online version of a physical business. But unlike a brick and mortar building, you can not opt to own your domain name outright. You have to keep registering it with your registrar.
Typically, it is possible to register your domain for a set period, such as one or two years. Frequently, it is possible to get deals with your registrar to get your first year free or even at a lower cost when you agree to register your domain for two years or more.
If you’re planning to register your domain name for more than one year, it pays to research which registrar will be the best fit for you. Some providers have better prices or offer special deals that can save money over time.
How To Register Your Domain Name For As Long As Possible
CEO, VPN.com: The $1M Domain Name – We help brands, entrepreneurs, politicians and athletes acquire premium domain names for their vision.
getty
A good domain name is a key element of any business’s marketing. However, there are many horror stories about registrants forgetting to renew their domain name and losing it. You might be wondering how to buy a domain name forever to sidestep this issue or, at least, to save money in the long-term. While it’s not possible to permanently buy a domain, there are leases for indefinite lengths. The reason for this lies in how domain registration works.
Domain Name Basics
Domains such as .com, .net and .co rely on registries to handle their core administrative needs. However, with well over one billion websites in the world, registries face an impossible administrative burden.
Since registries cannot possibly handle the administrative burdens involved with the millions of active registrants and billions of websites, they rely on other organizations. Registrars work as middlemen between people looking to buy domain names, the registrants and the registries that administer domains.
GoDaddy, Dreamhost and other businesses are registrars. They handle the marketing and business elements of domain registration and lease domain names out to the public. No registrant ever actually buys a domain name from the registry. Rather, members of the public pay a registrar to maintain a lease in their name.
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