Dont Place Your Faith In Exact Match
So a lot of people dont care about building a brand or a business right now they just want the perceived SEO value for keywordkeywordexample.com. After all who cares about the brand when you can get traffic from search engines!
The idea behind this idea is that you could buy a domain name with your target keywords in it and you would rank better in search results for cooking recipesjust because your domain name has cooking recipes in it.
Well it turns out that the search engineers at Google actually already know about this game and strive to even the playing field. They even released an update in September 2012 that explicitly devalues domains with exact match domain names.
So even beyond building a brand you shouldnt choose a domain name simply for its perceived SEO value. Heres Googles Head of Web Spam & SEO Liaison Matt Cutts on the topic
Before We Begin Dont Just Go And Get A Different Tld
If your desired domain name is taken, you might be thinking that theres a third option worth considering: getting the same domain but with a different TLD, like .net or .org instead of .com.
However, this is not a good idea. First off, people will never remember what your correct TLD was, so they will usually go for .com anyway ending up at the wrong website.
Additionally, registering existing names can also result in legal trouble. The owner of the original .com might argue that youre trying to infringe on their brand name by registering a similar domain name.
At the end of the day, youre really better off either trying to get the original domain name that you wanted from the start, or changing your focus to a different name entirely.
With that said, lets talk business:
Tips Before You Buy A Domain Name
When it comes to picking a domain name, its important to help clients look beyond a mere web address for their sites. A domain name will become the anchor of a brand for years to come. Before registering a domain name, its essential to do the work up front to ensure it meets a clients needs over the long run.
And to help you out, here are 10 tips to consider before you buy a domain name.
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Have Your Domain Good Heres Whats Next
With your domain name registered, the next natural step to take is getting a good hosting setup, so that your future website is off to a great start.
- Heres our in-depth comparison of the best hosting options available for WordPress.
- If youre on the lookout for a cheap host, read this.
Lastly, if your ultimate goal is to start a blog, read this guide of ours. It covers all the steps to building a successful blog from 0 experience to 150,000+ readers every month.
I hope this guide on how to buy a domain that is taken has been helpful.
If any of the steps described above arent clear, feel free to ask away in the comments.
How Do I Know If My Domain Is Propagating
Use one of these three sites to check the status of your sites DNS propagation.
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Consider Buying All Your Domain Extensions
Ever since ICANN opened up the world of gTLDs, theres been massive confusion about whether to buy up all the various domain extensions to protect your trademark from cybersquatting.
In other words, do you need to buy trademark.us and trademark.blog and trademark.org, etc, etc.
The short answer is that gTLDs are a bit of a mess for everybody. You generally have protection from all forms of cybersquatting under US law. And internationally, you can pay for inclusion in ICANNstrademark clearinghouse.
But the better answer is to buy what you think might be most vulnerable, set a for your brand name. Create a for your brand name. For example: site:larryludwig.com inurl:shivarweb -intitle:shivarweb
And then set aside a budget for a business lawyer if something ever happens.
Where To Buy A Domain Name
When you buy a domain name, you do so through a Domain Registrar that manages the registration of that domain name. For most registrars, youll buy the domain from them and then use a hosting provider to manage the website. Some companies provide both services.
is a great tool for finding domains and integrates well with Googles mail services. Namecheap and Hover are other great options and offer good DNS support and mail hosting in addition to low prices on domains.
You can also buy directly from your hosting provider , but if you want to switch providers, its generally more difficult as youll usually have to transfer the domain to another registrar, sometimes even having it locked down to that specific host.
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Well Cover Cost Hidden Fees The Best Domain Registrars And More
Your domain name functions as your websites address in Internet-land, so having one thats simple and relevant will make it much easier for people to find you. If youve ever misspelled a long location name on Google Maps and ended up in the middle of nowhere, then you can probably appreciate the beauty of straightforward place names.
Its easy to see why people are willing to break the bank to secure a snappy domain name it increases site traffic pretty much by design. Some of the most popular domains, like hotels.com or business.com, have literally sold for millions of dollars. But resist the urge to stock up on lottery tickets million-dollar domain names are not the norm. In fact, for most of our plebeian purposes, registration cost wont come to more than $20 annually, max.
Find Your Domain Name A Home Aka Find A Web Host
First things first youve bought a domain, and now you need someplace for it to live. In other words, you need to choose a host and a hosting plan.
You have two options. Look for a stand-alone web hosting service or use a domain registry and web hosting combo service.
Odds are you purchased your domain name from a service that also offers hosting plans. There are a lot of companies that offer combined web hosting and domain name purchase. Buying both from the same service offers a lot of advantages.
First, you wont have to worry about connecting your domain and your hosting service theyll sync from the get-go. Second, a business that offers combined domain and hosting services will often include extra package perks that will make your life easier in the long run.
For example, Namecheap is a popular web hosting and domain registry service.
You can register or transfer a domain name, host your website, and even create business cards all on a single platform.
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Web Hosts And Domain Names
You needn’t go to a dedicated registration service to buy a domain name, though. The best web hosting services, such as DreamHost, HostGator, and Hostwinds routinely offer a registration mechanism as part of the sign-up process. Hosting services typically offer a free domain name when you sign up for a web hosting package.
Keep in mind, however, that free domain names are usually free only for one or two years, after which the registrar will bill you for the annual or biennial fee. In other words, the provider of the free domain name pays only for the first billing from the registrar. Also take note of whether or not the provider charges a fee for setting up a domain name. Most services offer to transfer an existing domain name to their servers at no cost, but sometimes you’ll find a setup fee over and above the registrar’s fee.
Please note that not all web hosts give you the option to register a domain name. Cloudways, for example, is a solid web host that requires you to purchase a domain name from elsewhere.
Registrars offer a wide variety of registration durationsone year, three, five, and even ten. Be careful about registering for more than a year, though. First, there might be restrictions on your ability to transfer the domain name should the registrar give poor service. Second, the registrar could go out of business, leaving your domain name without a host. Check the policies closely.
Determine What Youre Willing To Pay
Now lets come to the point of buying a domain name that is taken. It would help determine how much you will pay for the domain. The amount might represent how important the domain to you is. However, it is better to be aware of the market prices of domain names. Websites such as Flippa will assist you with determining the market prices of domain names.There are a few other factors that you can use to determine the price of a domain name. They include the length of the domain name, age, ability to brand, generic value, and keywords. Based on these factors, you can get a high-level understanding of the value of a domain name.
If you are looking for what is domain name? This article can guide you!
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What To Do After Buying A Domain Name: 6 Key Actions
Moving is so relaxing said no one ever. On top of having to physically move all your stuff, theres a ton of admin tasks to handle like changing your address, forwarding your mail, setting up your home phone, letting your friends and family know your new address, changing your address on all of your essential documentsthe list goes on.
Buying and setting up a domain can feel eerily similar to buying a house and moving all your stuff. Once youve finally chosen your domain name and purchased it, it may feel like the hard part is over, but theres still a lot of setup and admin that needs to be done.
If youre feeling overwhelmed, dont worry. This post will cover the six key actions you need to focus on once youve bought your domain. This list will guide you through the most important steps, like figuring out a domain-specific email address and setting up a dedicated business phone system.
Lets get started!
Why Is My Domain Taken
What to do if your domain is taken? It would be best not to panic or give up your hopes. Certain people make a living out of domain reselling businesses. Such people tend to go ahead and buy domain names available out there. They follow current habits, interests, and trends for purchasing domain names. You will not get your domain name when someone else has purchased it. Thats where you will come across the need to figure out what to do if your domain name is taken.When purchasing a domain name like that, the person would be taking a risk. Thats because he doesnt have an assurance that another person will go ahead and buy that domain in the future. However, it is still a profitable business, and some people can make millions of dollars by just purchasing domain names.
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How To Point A Domain Name To Your Website
Following my article on What Does It Mean toPark a Domain Name? Domain Name Parking Explained, I received a few queries from visitors on how they can associate their newly acquireddomain name with their website. The visitors haven’t actually designed any website yet, but they have already signed up with a web host andare ready to “transfer” their domain there. This article describes how you canpoint that new domain name to your website.
How To Buy A Domain Name When Yours Is Already Taken
IntroductionWhen you start a new website, you will need to buy a domain name. However, this can be a time-consuming process because you will notice that almost all good domain names are taken. Even if a domain name is accepted, you should not give up your hopes on it. Instead, there are a few things that you can do to get back the domain name. Continue to read this article, and we will share details on what to do if your domain name is taken. We will share how to buy a domain name that is taken most effectively.
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Design And Build Your Website
With everything else in place, it is time to look at building your online identity. Having a website is like having a shop front on the Internet. It becomes the hub of your business and all your marketing efforts. Websites are used by different businesses in different ways, you have to figure out how you will use yours:
- As a brochure site
- Lead generation
- An online blog
There are many different platforms available for you to build a website on, some DIY and some that require experts. We recommend that you consider the following when deciding:
- Ensure that your site has a Responsive design.
- Build your website on a content management platform like WordPress.
- Ensure you have a bespoke design for your business.
- The website should also have a well-thought-out UX, to enhance the customer experience.
- It should be SEO optimised Keywords relevant to your business, landing pages built with SEO in mind, great coding, call-to-actions, etc.
Check If Your Desired Domain Name Is Available
There are 1.74 billion websites, according to Website Hosting Rating, so there is a good chance your preferred URL is already taken. After youve identified the URL you would like to use, you should run it through a domain vacancy checkers, such as Instant Domain Search and WHOis.net. Be sure to check that the extension you want is available. Always check if .com is available first before moving on to other extensions.
If your .com URL is available, you may want to consider buying the URL in adjacent extensions, like .net, .info and .org. Failing to do so can lead to problems down the road, according to Bede Fahey, co-founder of Kiwi Marketing Group.
Purchasing the .net and .org versions of a domain is also important, as it protects you from squatters and, more importantly, confusion among clients, Fahey told business.com.
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