What Is The Cheapest Way To Buy A Domain Name

Buying A Cheap Domain Name Doesn’t Mean Low Quality

Just because it will be a cheap domain doesnt mean it has to be a poor one. There are guidelines to follow when selecting a domain name. GoDaddy, Moz, and Entrepreneur all have lists to which you can refer. Here are a few of the major aspects to look at before rushing into buying a cheap domain:

The domain name should be easy to remember: This means choosing a domain name that is short, easy to pronounce, and easy to type. You should avoid things like hyphens and numbers. The easier it is for someone to say out loud, the easier it is for them to recall and type it in when they want to visit.

The domain name should be relevant: If theres a keyword that links to your business or service, try to incorporate it. If youre a local outfit, consider including your city in the name. Brand it to your organization if possible.

You dont want to step on anyones toes: This means no copyright infringement. Do your homework to see if what youve brainstormed is actually someone elses idea. You probably dont want to end up in any legal hot water, so this step is extra important.

Check WHOIS to see whats taken: The WHOIS database shows whats available and what isnt. Its essential to refer here to find out if you can use the killer domain name you devised.

You Are In Full Control

NameCheap provide you with full control of your domain name following purchase. Unfortunately, this is not the industry standard. Many domain name registration companies prevent you from being able to do this yourself.

With a lot of these companies, you will have to enter request via their support systems. It can take several days or even weeks to hear back. Simple things like changing name servers should always be possible to you via your Control panel.

NameCheap are one of those providers that give you the full control you need.

Cheapest Way To Buy Domain Names

If you are looking to buy a domain name, it can be hard to find the best deal and the cheapest offers.

Theres a lot of different Domain Registrars out there and many of them alternate their deals regularly.

With all the competition today, theres simply no need to be paying more for your Domain Name.

With that being said, you always want to take into consideration introductory offers, renewal fees and unexpected costs. This is where a lot of Domain Registrars make their money and pull you in.

Its also essential that you go with a reputable company. One that has the systems, processes, customer support and infrastructure in place.

So if for your looking to create your new website, or you are looking to buy a domain to Flip , then read on.

Id like to help save you the time researching across all of those different registrars.

Instead, you can quickly find where to go to ensure you are buying from a reputable and trustworthy Registrar.

Heres the quick version of this post: NameCheap, is my #1 recommended Domain Name Registrar . They offer the most competitive rates for both new time registrations and renewals. But not only this, they offer the cheapest Web Hosting plans and SSLs so you can purchase all of what you need in one place. If youre looking for just the domain, or if you are looking to start a new website, NameCheap will provide the best pricing and infrastructure for you.

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Heres the cost of the Hosting Packages per year.

Here is BlueHost

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How Do Domains Work

When you create a website, the files live on a server, a computer that is always online.

As with all devices on the internet, the server has an IP address usually a number. People can use the IP address to access your site. But numbers are difficult to remember. Therefore, website owners get a name, which, if searched, resolves to an IP address.

If someone wants to visit your website, they type the sites domain name in a search box. The browser sends the request to a server in the DNS . If the server finds the domain name in its database, it forwards the query to a nameserver. If it doesnt, it pushes the search to another DNS server.

The nameserver, a computer under your hosting companys management, forwards the request to a web server. Web servers run software that allows them to get all files associated with a domain name. Once they get a hold of the information, they return it to the browser, and a visitor enjoys a colorful, informative website. The entire process can take a few seconds, depending on a users internet speeds.

How To Create A Custom Domain Extension

There are 1,530 top-level domains according to Wikipedia. You can apply to create a domain extension, however, there are both benefits and risks in doing so. If your new TLD application is successful, you will have signed up to run a registry business and the registered domain names that use your own unique extension are your responsibility.

The benefits include setting the prices and rules, creating a community and enjoying a regular stream of revenue. The risks and responsibilities include the initial investment of $185,000, other ongoing costs, and competition from similar TLDs.

Moreover, when you create a TLD you are starting something completely brand new. There are no guarantees that it would become popular its a serious risk youd have to be willing to take.

Interestingly, it is possible to use your brand name instead of a more traditional .com or .biz, if your company can fulfill certain criteria dictated by ICANN. Apple, for example, may use iphone.apple, instead of iphone.com. The benefits to qualifying and registering a brand TLD include brand awareness and a diversified online presence.

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How To Buy A Premium Domain

Premium domains are a great way to stand out online. They are great for branding and marketing purposes as well.

What is a premium domain?

A premium domain is typically short, memorable, and easy to spell. High-quality domains have a high search volume and are closely associated with an industry, service, or topic. They also have TLDs like .com, .org, or .net.

Premium domains are in high demand. So theyll typically cost a bit more to register. The process of buying a premium domain can be different as well since its not always clear if the domain is actually for sale. Heres what I mean.

Lets say you try to register a premium domain from a domain registrar or hosting company. Just because it says unavailable, that doesnt necessarily mean that it cant be acquired. These are the steps for buying a premium domain:

Buy From An Established Registrar

While there are hundreds of places to buy a domain, dont buy from an unknown domain registrar. The odds of them going out of business is probably low – but why put yourself through that type of risk?

The reality is that anybody can start a domain registration and hosting company. It’s best to stay away from a smaller “mom and pop” type domain registration company and stick with a larger company – the primary reason being that the lack of customer support from a smaller operation can be ahuge problem – you want to opt for a company that offers 24/7 customer support. Some reputable domain name registrars include:

• 1and1.com
• BlueHost.com
• GoDaddy.com
• HostGator.com
• Namecheap.com

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How Long Should A Domain Name Be

You can choose any length of the domain name.

However, shorter is better than longer.

A good rule of thumb is to use something that your customers can easily remember.

Many people like to use meaningful words with fewer syllables.

For SEO purposes: Basically, you want your domain name to be understandable for customers and something that people can remember easily.

Superb Customer Support/help Articles

Registering, managing, setting up and transferring Domain Names can be difficult. Namecheap have a 24/7 dedicated support team that will provide you with all the help and assistance that you may need.

You can contact them via Email, Telephone, or Live Chat which ensures that you get your issue resolved quickly and effectively.

Whats more, there is a full library of Help Articles and Documentation that you provides step-by-step instructions on how to complete desired tasks. Like changing DNS records, changing a domain owner etc.

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Use A Discount Promo Code

Often times, domain registrars and web hosting companies will offer discounted prices on domain names for new customers. Usually, you can lock in a low price for at least 1-year of registration with a promo code.

In some cases, you can even lock in a discounted rate for the entire length or your initial registration. So for example, if you buy and register a cheap domain for 1 or more years at a time, you can apply the discount code for that entire first term with a multi-year registration.

This is a good idea to take advantage of because sometimes renewal rates go up after the first year if you only register a name for a 1-year period at a time. By applying a discount promo code for a period longer than 1 year helps you avoid increased renewal rates for the initial time period that your domain name is registered.

Tip: Currently, you can apply the discount code GDD1dom to get a discount on GoDaddy domain names on select names for at least the first year of registration.

Brainstorm Concepts And Ideas

If you already have a name you want to buy, awesome! Head on down to the next section.

If you want to see if your domain name is actually good , keep reading.

This is crucial. Its the name youll use for your business, or a campaign, or a blog. You want to try your best to nail this on the first try.

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How To Buy A Cheap Domain

When youre just starting out as a business and want to keep the costs down, a cheap domain looks attractive. Luckily, there are often promotions to take advantage of, so its a good idea to keep your eyes peeled and get a discount on your favorite unique domain. Here at Namecheap, we even offer domain names for just $0.99.

Just like sales in real life, deals appear throughout the year at specific times where you snag a great domain price, such as Hosting Black Friday, or when a new TLD is launched. For example, our current deals page regularly changes and often includes domains that you can buy cheap for a limited time.

You can read also our article How Much Does A Domain Name Cost?.

Why Do I Need A Domain Name

You need to register your domain name because its a key component of your website.

When you register your domain name, you are declaring that you own the domain name and it has become part of the DNS system.

Domain Name System is a system used for finding computer services or information on the Internet by using a unique type of name.

So once you registered your domain name it will create a unique record in DNS space that will point to your web hosting.

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More Naming Tools To Come Up With Concepts

Stuck? Dont worry. This is a tricky process.

My recommendation: Listen to this podcast episode with Anthony Shore from Operative Word, a company that specializes in naming things.

Hes named the on-demand fitness system Tonal and Virgin Voyages . He uses a variety of tools, too, which Ill list here:

OneLook.com This is like a thesaurus juiced up with killer capabilities and wildcarding options. Say you want a name that starts with Bl and ends with rd, and its seven letters long you can literally search for that.

RhymeZone Pretty self explanatory. Bet you didnt know that Quick Sprout rhymes with six out, big trout, this crowd, clear out, and sixth round. In addition to rhymes, you can also find synonyms and adjectives.

Sketch Engine This is very intense corpus linguistics database it uses a large body of real world language that it runs through a computer to organize and tag that language. Anthony sets his to all the news articles from 20142017. You can look up words that are used near or in relationship with other words. Basically, youre finding words that are already natural together. This makes your name more relatable, credible, and adoptable. He talks about it more on the How Brands Are Built podcast.

MRC Psycholinguistic Database He talks about this more in the podcast its a pretty advanced way to search for words with certain criteria. You can use it to find words that start or end a certain way for example.

Cheap Domain Names: What Qualifies As A Good Discount

Type Cheap Domain Names into a search engine, and youll see a range of prices without much context. Which of these is real, and what qualifies as cheap? To know that, you have to consider what goes into the price of a domain name.

Theres the initial registration, which is the price you pay upfront. This price usually covers the first year of your domain and can range from $0.99 to $13.00, on average.

The less expensive ones usually come by way of a coupon code or some behind the scenes trickery so you may need to read carefully before selecting one.

After that first year period is up, you will need to pay a renewal fee yearly to hold on to your domain name, usually less any discounts you got on the first year. This annual fee will range from $10.00 to $15.00 in most cases. You should expect to pay $9.00-$20.00 a year as the low end for your domain.

Bear in mind that this is just the price for name renewals. It doesnt cover hosting fees or additional overhead that comes with running a website.

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Dont Buy Auctioned Names

While many companies want single word, generic domains you should avoid these. There are two problems with these domains:

Customers relate to brands, not dictionary entries. When the internet was new, people would type a word into their browser and add “.com” to the end. We dont do that anymore. These generic domains have had their day. Unfortunately, big companies still dont get it and happily pay 6 or 7 figures for these low value domains.