Choosing The Right Domain Registrar To Purchase Your Domain Name
Once youve made up your mind about which domain name you want, its time to buy it. To do so, youll need to visit a domain registrar.
There are plenty of popular registrars that simply sell domains. However, web hosting companies also offer domain registration services, which can simplify things for you. Youll be able to pick up a domain name and a hosting plan at the same time, and keep tabs on both using the same user portal or dashboard.
For example, our annual Shared Hosting and DreamPress plans come with a free domain. Thats on top of everything else we offer the data and bandwidth you need to handle your sites traffic, a secure certificate for increased security, varying backup options to protect your content, and much more.
Quick And Easy Domain Transfers
Domain transfers are a sneakily important aspect of a good registrar. This is especially true if you have chosen to bundle your services.
Why? Its simple: youre likely going to transfer your domain, especially if youve chosen to bundle it with a place like Bluehost. While we highly recommend bundling with Bluehost for beginners, its definitely not the last place your website will live if you want to really get serious about growing your traffic and web presence.
You also might end up finding a better deal with a different domain registrar later on. Or you might just not gel with the current domain registrar.
Whatever your reason, youre going to want to find a domain registrar with a clear and straightforward transfer policy. It shouldnt cost you a bunch of money and time on the phone with a customer support rep just to get your domain to a new registrar.
As you research, see what it takes to transfer a domain from their platform. Make sure its spelled out in clear and plain language. If not, you might end up kicking yourself down the road.
Whats The Difference Between Domain Extensions
Arguably, the most popular domain extension is .com, but other TLDs include .net, .org, .edu and .gov. There are literally hundreds more from which you can choose, and the less popular extensions are usually less expensive, with a few exceptions. The popularity of .io and .co has skyrocketed recently, so theyre pricier.
Some extensions are restricted and you cant purchase them unless you meet certain requirements. Restricted extensions include .edu and .gov. Overall, all extensions work the same. The .com extension is preferable because its easy to remember.
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Best Domain Hosting Companies In 2021
Want to find the best domain name hosting for your website?
Here we evaluate all top domain name hosts to list out the best based on our comprehensive evaluation methodology.
Pick one and start your online presence!
Our Evaluation Methodology:
Keen to choose the best domain hosting provider? We have it covered here.
Porkbun Review The Best Renewal Pricing On The Market
What good is a cherry domain name if you cant keep it? Weve all heard the horror stories of losing prime URL real estate on expiration. You spend the time brainstorming ideas, find an available domain, and buy it only to have all your hard work wiped away after a year.
There are two options for avoiding thisbuy a domain for as long as possible upfront or find a registrar with affordable, predictable renewal pricing.
For the latter, I recommend Porkbun.
They offer a killer combination of some of the best first-year price deals on new, trending, and alternative extensions as well as the best renewal rates nearly across the board. They beat the market on renewal pricing for over 200 domain extensions.
Look, its going to be ridiculously hard to find an available .com for your keywords at this point in the game. Unless youve gone the startup route of naming your company a cheeky misspelling of a real word, .com URLs are rare to find. Even if you do, youre going to have to pay out the nose for it.
But you dont need a .com or even a .net to have a memorable, easy-to-type web address. Think about the array of extensions that roll off the tongue and make sense for the purpose of your site, the industry you inhabit, or the type of people you want to visit.
Here are a few examples and the excellent rates you can find on Porkbun for them:
Heck, take a look at their renewal pricing on .com extensions against some of the big names:
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Stay Unique And Brandable
There are nearly 2 billion websites online. Thats a lot of competition. It also means your domain name can be crucial for helping you stand out.
To do that, your domain has to be unique and brandable. Otherwise, your website could quickly become a pebble in an endless online ocean, and you might have to invest more into your .
Staying on-brand is mostly a matter of choosing a memorable domain name that is catchy and also accurately reflects your business. Think along the lines of tripadvisor.com, investopedia.com, and techradar.com.
In each case, these domains stay on brand while serving to descriptively demonstrate the sites purpose. Through following this principle, you can encourage a strong first impression and encourage click-throughs.
Registering A Country Code Tld
For local businesses and websites with no international ambitions, a country code TLD would be the best choice. If you want to target multiple countries that speak the same language, you could also choose a country code TLD, but it would be better to pick a generic TLD. Important to remember: some country code TLDs can only be registered if you or your business can prove that you are located in that country.
Also Check: What Is The Io Domain
Be Careful When Buying Existing Domain Names
As I mentioned a couple of points above, buying an existing domain name is a bit different from buying a new one. First of all, since its not new, this means it already has a history. And you can never be entirely sure what that history is.
- On the bright side, the domains history may give you a boost in Google since youre not starting from scratch Google already knows the domain.
- But, on the flip side, if the domain has featured any kind of non-kosher stuff , then it may be banned from Google entirely.
Buying your domain from a marketplace such as Flippa gives you some safety, since every domain is validated at least in the most basic way. However, to make things a bit safer, you should also perform checks of your own.
First, do a manual check by going to Google and searching for:
site:YOURDOMAIN.com
This will tell you whether Google has any pages indexed from that domain. Finding anything is a good sign. It means the domain isnt banned. Not finding anything doesnt have to be a deal-breaker, though.
- If the domain is blank no website then theres nothing for Google to find in the first place.
- However, if there is a website but Google cant see it , this is a red flag.
You can also do checks via tools such as bannedcheck.com and ismywebsitepenalized.com. But also keep in mind that these things are not foolproof. Consider them helpers.
But we can still do more:
What Are The Five Most Common Domain Extensions
When it comes to choosing the right domain, you should start with familiarity. Look for what domain extensions are most prevalent in your space and choose one that aligns with your brand and consumer expectations.
This typically means selecting a TLD that is popular. Here are five of the most common domain extensions to consider.
The domain extension you select has a much more important role than you might think. Lets explore the five most common domain extensions and why you should consider that extension for your new domain.
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Do I Need An Ssl Certificate For My Website
In short, definitely yes! SSL, also known as a Secure Sockets Layer is a moderately new protocol in which it adds an encrypted version of data to the website.
So instead of a website being http://, it will change to https:// which indicated that an SSL certificate is active and running.
Having this certificate is also a signal to visitors that their personal information is secure and private and is less prone to be phished by unwanted persons.
Even Google has stated that websites without an SSL certificate may get penalized, especially for websites that take personal information such as online stores, e-commerce stores, subscription services, and more.
So are these certificates free?
Well, yes and no.
Usually, when you buy a domain name, they wont be provided. However, when you go to host a website, the host will typically include them for free for an unlimited amounted of domains and subdomains.
Consider Enabling Domain Id Protection
In simple terms, domain ID protection masks your personal contact information from anyone performing a whois lookup on your domain name.
Let me say this again, by default, all of this is visible to anyone who puts your domain name through a tool such as the aforementioned who.is.
This is not perfect. First, anyone can see this info, which means your personal details are exposed. Youre basically sacrificing part of your privacy for nothing in exchange.
So, the way to solve this is to set domain ID protection with your domain registrar . This is usually a paid feature, though. The price tag can be around $1 a month. Heres how to do this with Namecheap:
Once under domain ID protection, the whois details of your domain get replaced with your registrars information.
Read Also: How Much Is It To Buy A Domain Name
The Top Domain Registrars In Summary
Bluehost and Domain.com are the best domain registrars on the market. If youre starting a new site from scratch, Bluehostss free domain name with web hosting is the best option for beginners. Domain.com is an affordable way to purchase multiple domains.
Buying a domain name can be intimidating if youve never done it before. Finding a reliable domain registrar will make your life much easier.
Domain Names And Search Engine Optimization
Finally, as mentioned above, your domain name will have an impact on your search results to a certain extent. If you are a New York sandwich shop and you can secure newyorksandwichshop.com that will play a factor into people searching for New York sandwich shops. If newyorksandwichshop.com is already taken, maybe consider newyorksandwiches.com and if thats taken, try newyorksandwich.com.
If all those are taken and you still want New York Sandwiches to be in your name, then explore a domain like newyorksandwichshop.us. The SEO juice isnt in the .com or .us, it is found in the newyorksandwichshop.
Then there are instances when your domain name itself will not help your business. For instance, if you like Johnny Cupcakes and your domain has nothing to do with cupcakes, you wont find yourself ranking for cupcake searches because your site wont talk about cupcakes.
Check out JohnnyCupcakes.com to see what I mean.
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Network Solutions Review The Best For Long
Network Solutions offers the full range of services a company needs to establish and maintain a professional presence online. That doesnt separate the company from other domain registrars like Namecheap and Domain.com, but Ill tell you what does.
You can register your domain for a century with Network Solutions. Im not kidding. If you want, the company will let you sign up for 100 years.
Let your great-grandkids worry about the renewal.
I understand that option is not for everyone, but Network Solutions also offers 20-year registrations. This is twice as long as you can get with other vendors.
Every day, hundreds if not thousands of domains fail to get renewed. For companies with a brand or identity tied to their domain, this is a nightmare. Best case scenario, they are able to buy their domain out of redemption, which can be like $200 or more.
But if their registration is expired for long enough, they might lose their domain altogether. This is bad news, especially if they have sunk a ton of time and energy into building their site and online presence.
So if you are looking for a long-term domain registration to avoid these type of headaches and hassles altogether, Network Solutions offers you peace of mind like no one else.
One potential downside to Network Solutions is that there is not much more than your domain included. Whereas other vendors throw in domain forwarding, SSL certificates, and such, Network Solutions does not.
Best Places To Buy A Domain Name
Getting the perfect domain name for your website is as essential as creating a content-rich, user-friendly site.
The domain name is the first thing your visitors see about your site. Therefore, it should capture what your blog or website is all about.
There are hundreds of domain registrars from where you can buy a domain name. They all offer different features and prices, and it makes the process of settling on one a little tricky.
Read on to better grasp what domain names are, how they work, and the best places to buy them.
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Does Domain Extension Affect Seo
Its always beneficial to think about SEO when creating or changing a website. Your sites generic top-level domain will not affect its performance in search engines. Your top-level domain influences brand perception and trust more than anything, but s it does not take TLD into account when listing search results. Youre better off implementing other SEO best practices to climb the rankings.
There is one caveat here. If two or more websites share the same name and implement the same SEO practice, but have different extensions, the website with the .com domain extension will rank highest in most results. This is because people tend to trust .com websites and will generally choose them over .net or .biz alternatives, and websites with more traffic perform better in search engines.
Unlike the TLD, the name component of your domain does affect SEO. Your sites name tells people and search engines what your organization is and/or does.
Domaincom Review The Best Total Package Of Domain Services
Domain.com has been around for a long time, holding on to perhaps the most coveted web address for domain registrars. Over the years, they have grown considerably by offering the best array of domains, extensions, and adjacent services.
Lets start with the fundamentals.
Domain.com has you covered on both the most recognizable domain extensions as well as new and emergent top-level domains . Prices and renewal rates for either are easy to find and, generally, quite affordable.
Seriously, a .com from Domain.com can be registered for $9.99 per year for your initial commitment. Lock it up for up to five years at checkout and rest assured youre getting predictable renewal price of $15.99 after that term.
Better still, you can use my exclusive offer code for 25% off any purchase on Domain.com. Just enter NEILPATEL in the discount code box at checkout.
Now, granted, unclaimed .com domains are scarce. If your keywords arent available for that $9.99 .com rate, you have two options through Domain.com
First, you could opt to pony up for a premium domain. You can search for one the same way as any other TLD on Domain.com. Or, if this sticker shock is real, you can reach out to Domain.coms team and they can help you find the right digital real estate at the right price.
Second, you could investigate less common extensions for your same keywords. Browse or search among hundreds of extensions, from .tech and .design to .help, .win, .dev, and tons more.
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