Purchase The Domain Name
When you have settled on the domain name and a suffix, you will pay to register the domain name with the domain registrar. This is not a one-time purchase, however. Typically, you will pay to own the domain name for one year, after which you can renew your registration for a fee. You can expect a registration fee of about $10 to $15.
Domain Name Registrars And Registries
We’ve gone over what domain names are, how they work, and why you should have one, but how do you actually get your own domain name? If you think of a catchy name for your personal site or business, how do you get it recorded in the DNS so that people can start using your domain name to access your website?
The truth is that having your own domain name is easier than ever before. Registration fees are only $10â$15 a year, and the registration process is quick and simple. And once you have your own domain name, you have immediate access to all the advantages that come with it.
To understand that better, let’s first go over domain name registrars and registries.
Select The Best Domain Name Based On Some Simple Criteria
At this point, youre ready to narrow down your shortlist and finish out the process of how to choose a domain name. Part of this process is subjective after all, its important to choose a domain name you like. However, there are also some simple criteria you can use to make the decision easier.
For best results, youll want to pick a domain name that is:
- Concise and clear. Long and confusing names are harder to remember and easier to mistype.
- Creative and memorable. The more unique you can make your domain name , the more memorable it will be.
- Easy to read and pronounce. Avoid numbers and special characters because theyre confusing when spoken aloud. Its also worth asking your friends to pronounce it as well, so you avoid accidentally ending up on this list.
Finally, its also important to carefully consider your domain names Top-Level Domain .
In simple terms, this is the part at the end .com, .org, .net, and so on. For many sites, .com is the best choice, since its what most visitors will expect and is easiest to remember. However, its getting harder and harder to find quality .com domain names, and users are becoming more accustomed to other extensions. So if you absolutely love a non-.com name, go ahead and buy it.
The only thing to be careful with is TLDs that apply to a specific region . to help goetarget websites, so only pick those extensions if you really do want Google to geotarget your site.
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Do A Domain Name Search
The first thing you should do after coming up with a domain name is checking that no one else is using it. While you could do this manually by checking whether or not your address is taken, this could take a long time if it turns out your original idea belongs to someone else.
This is why you should be using a domain name search platform to check the availability of your choice. Not only does this tool tell you whether or not a certain domain is in use, it also offers you a list of alternatives to purchase. Furthermore, youll be able to easily see the cost of each domain name and compare them to ensure you picked the best choice.
Importance Of A Domain Name For Your Small Business
A domain name is the starting point of building an online presence for your company. It will help to set the tone for how your customers find your website, think of your business, and engage with your brand.
How can you put a domain name to work for your business and stand out in a crowded online market? Lets take a closer look at what a domain name is, how it works, and how you can select and register the one that’s right for your business and brand.
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A Guide To Domain Names For Small Businesses
As a small business owner, a website is no longer just an option its a virtual necessity. More people than ever are looking for businesses in online directories and making purchases using the internet. In fact, shoppers have spent $52 billion more online since the beginning of 2020 as compared to the same timeframe the previous year. While online shopping has been trending upward for years, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a dramatic increase in internet purchases.
While you may be ready to build a website and establish an online presence for your business, you might not know where to begin. After helping over 3 million small businesses get up and running online, we’re here to offer some friendly guidance. Your online journey begins with a domain name. Lets take a closer look at what a domain name is, how you use it, and why it is an important element of your business and brand.
Does It Matter If Your Domain Name Is Different From Your Business Name
With just about every business worldwide boasting a website these days, it’s gotten a lot more difficult than it used to be to find the website domain name you want. Does it matter if your domain name is different than your business name?
Of course, the ideal situation is to have your domain name match your business name. If you’re just starting your business and haven’t yet decided on a business name, you may even want to adjust your business name to match available domains. For example, suppose you were planning to name your business Rinaldi Pizza, but the domain name RinaldiPizza.com is taken. If RinaldiPizzeria.com is available, you could change your business name to Rinaldi Pizzeria.
The situation is a little trickier if youre the owner of an established business but are just now getting around to creating a website. When you start your search for domain names, there are a couple of situations you may run across:
- YourBusinessName.com is taken, but the owner of the domain is not currently using it. You may be able to buy it from them. Do a WHOIS lookup to find contact information for the owner of the domain and/or for their domain registrar. Contact the person and see if they are interested in selling the domain.
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What Is An Icann Accredited Domain Registrar
ICANN accredited domain registrar means domain registrars that are accredited by ICANN organization, the organization that manages the international domain name system.
To be ICANN accredited registrar, the domain registrar must adhere to the terms and conditions of this accreditation.
ICANN terms and conditions include maintaining a high level of the quality of services, protection of customer privacy, keeping the registry clean by protecting from cyber-squatting, and more.
How Does Domain Name Hosting Work
To understand how domain name hosting works, it is essential to understand how a domain name actually works. When you enter a domain name into your internet browser, it sends a request to the Domain Name System.
The Domain Name System then looks up the name servers associated with that domain name. It communicates your request to the name servers, which then forward that request to the web server hosting the site. The web server then relays the information associated with that site back to the browser.
The name servers are managed by the domain web host, and the web server is managed by your website host. The domain name hosts responsibility is to register your domain name with the DNS and maintain the name servers so that your domain name remains active online.
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What Are The Parts Of A Domain Name
Domain names are typically broken up into two or three parts, each separated by a dot. When read right-to-left, the identifiers in domain names go from most general to most specific. The section to the right of the last dot in a domain name is the . These include the generic TLDs such as .com, .net, and .org, as well as country-specific TLDs like .uk and .jp.
To the left of the TLD is the second-level domain and if there is anything to the left of the 2LD, it is called the third-level domain . Lets look at a couple of examples:
For Googles US domain name, google.com:
- .com is the TLD
- google is the 2LD
But for Google UKs domain name, google.co.uk:
- .com is the TLD
- .co* is the 2LD
- google is the 3LD
*In this case, the 2LD indicates the type of organization that registered the domain .
Use In Web Site Hosting
The domain name is a component of a uniform resource locator used to access web sites, for example:
- URL: http://www.example.net/index.html
- Second-level domain: example
- Hostname: www
A domain name may point to multiple IP addresses to provide server redundancy for the services offered, a feature that is used to manage the traffic of large, popular web sites.
Web hosting services, on the other hand, run servers that are typically assigned only one or a few addresses while serving websites for many domains, a technique referred to as virtual web hosting. Such IP address overloading requires that each request identifies the domain name being referenced, for instance by using the HTTP request header fieldHost:, or Server Name Indication.
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Domain Registration Scams And Traps
Unfortunately, during your search for the lowest price for domains, youll encounter companies that care more about money than providing quality service. There are several scams and pitfall that novice website owners experience. These issues can end up costing you more money in the long run, so you need to be careful. As if that wasnt enough, some of these traps are perfectly legal due to the fine print.
Some of the most common problems come from the WHOIS database. Some companies will charge you to make changes to your personal information in the database after the registration process is finished. Even if the error is not due to a fault of your own, youll have to pay extra.
Some registrars also do some shady things if you purchase a private domain. Instead of registering your private information, theyll attach the domain to the company. So, if you try to transfer the domain to another service or get involved with any legal issues, the paper trail says that they own your domain.
Registrar locks can lead to some issues as well. Locks were developed to reduce your risks of domain slamming, which is a fraudulent attempt to get you to accidentally transfer your domain to a more expensive registrar. Unfortunately, that lock can also prevent you from legitimately transferring your domain to another registrar without paying a hefty fee.
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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.
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Connecting Your Domain Name To Mailchimp
Whether youve bought your domain through Mailchimp or a third party, you can transfer your domain name and connect it to your Mailchimp account. Once connected, you can use that domain with a custom landing page or Mailchimp-hosted website. If you dont already have a website, Mailchimp offers a free website builder that you can use to make your brand stand out with no coding skills required.
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.
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Why Register A Domain Name
Domain names have been around since the advent of the web. The first domain name in history was Symbolics.com, which was registered on March 15, 1985. Today, there are more than 300 million domain names, with millions more added each year.
Your domain name is an important part of establishing your brand. No two domain names can be exactly alike, although they can be similar. Ideally, your custom domain name will be unique and distinctive, so users don’t confuse it with other domain names or different businesses.
In addition, domain names allow users to easily connect to other computer IP addresses. For example, you can type in an address like “Google.com” instead of Google’s numerical IP address of “172.217.13.78.” In other words, domain names make our lives a lot easier.
You might be wondering isn’t a domain name, then, simply a website? Although they are similar, domain names and websites have important differences. Your domain name is the address for your website it is what people use to find your website, which consists of pages, images, and other files.
Choosing a domain name is often the first step when building a website. Read on to learn how to register and buy a domain name.
While a website domain can be an investment, you can also find one for free, especially if you purchase it with hosting.
My Domain Name Was Transferred Without My Authorization
Act immediately and contact your registrar. If you believe your domain name was transferred to a new registrar or registrant or if your account information was modified without your consent, immediately contact your registrar. Don’t delay! The sooner you contact your registrar, the better. If you wait, your domain name may be transferred again and again, further complicating the process and making it harder to retrieve your domain.
Trust the process. Act quickly to inform your registrar, but don’t panic! There are specific rules that govern the transfer of domains that are designed to protect you. A registrar may only initiate a transfer if it has obtained a completed Form of Authorization from either the registrant or the administrative contact for the domain. Ask your registrar to request a copy of the form used for authorizing the transfer. The registrar that the domain name was transferred to must be able to produce a copy of this documentation when it is requested. Failure to do so is grounds for reversal of a transfer in the event that a complaint is filed under the Transfer Dispute Resolution Policy. If you’ve contacted your registrar and they are unable or unwilling to assist you, submit an Unauthorized Transfer Complaint with ICANN. We will review your situation to see if we can assist you in recovering your domain.
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What Factors Make A Domain Name Valuable
Knowing whether you have a valuable domain on your hands doesnt require a ton of work, but it does require that you understand the factors that lead to a domain being valuable.
Often, the value that a domain holds will be determined by how desirable the domain name is. The list of factors below can help to illuminate whether or not your domain is valuable, but its not a science or always right.
Theres always the chance that your strange and unique domain could align with a phrase from another country, or be the ideal name for a new startup.
Overall, the conditions below will be a good indicator of how valuable a domain actually is.
Start The Migration From One Domain To The Other
If youre coming to WordPress from another platform or already using WordPress, transferring all of your blog and website content could be as simple as using a migration plugin. For example, the All-In-One WP Migration plugin was created to help users migrate a website to WordPress with little technical knowledge and little to no downtime.
Similar plugins include Duplicator, Migrate Guru, and Super Backup & Clone .
Truth be told, when youre trying to transfer all of your website data from one domain to another, things can get technical. How much control you want will determine how complicated the process will be.
And, if your website is self-hosted, or on a platform like Wix, Squarespace, Blogger, or the like, it might not be as easy as moving to WordPress or from one WordPress website to another.
Id recommend looking into the knowledge base articles of your hosting platform and watching YouTube tutorials for best results. The more you can learn ahead of time, the better. This extra step could be all you need to give you the confidence to proceed or to convince yourself to bring a pro on board for help with the change in domain.
After migrating, the next step, and perhaps the most critical to avoid losing traffic or all your SEO work, is using 301 redirects for your old content.
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