Add The Domain To Your Cart And Complete The Registration Process
If your chosen domain is available, congrats! All you have to do now is add it to your cart and complete the registration process. If you dont yet have an account with the registrar, youll be prompted to sign up.
Be sure to follow the steps we outlined in the How to Register Your Domain Name section to ensure youve successfully registered your domain name.
Can You Get A Domain Name For Free
So far, weve covered two ways to buy a domain name. But can you get one for free? The answer is yes. There are three ways to get a free domain:
While you can get a good domain name for free, you should consider how professional your domain makes your website look. Your TLD conveys legitimacy, authority, and trustworthiness to visitors.
People trust familiar TLDs the most, and over 37% of domains currently have the TLD .com. So, while you might be able to get a .ml or .tumblr domain for free, investing in the .com domain may pay off better long term.
Get An Online Store Thats Attached To Your Domain
With a custom ecommerce site, you can sell your products, track your orders, collect payments, and manage your inventory all in one place.
Youre looking at basically the same options for creating an online store hire a pro or do it yourself with an easy-to-use online store builder or an ecommerce plugin for WordPress and the like. We like WooCommerce.
Since GoDaddys Online Store is built into the Websites + Marketing structure, you can build your store quickly and start receiving payments immediately. Youll have easy access to appointment setting, inventory management and more, all while staying mobile-friendly.
But, what if youve registered a domain name thats perfect and invested the effort into launching an online store and no one ever finds you?
An ecommerce solution like GoDaddy Online Store can help. How? It includes a built-in SEO wizard, smooth integration with Google My Business, and that enable you to easily sell products on marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Walmart and Etsy and manage your orders and inventory all from one place.
Nice!
Related: How to start an online store in 3 steps
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Can You Own A Domain Name
While you hear a lot about people buying, selling, and owning a domain name, the reality is that the registry owns all of its registered domain names.
When you “buy” a domain, you’re really leasing it or buying the right to reserve a domain name for your use for a certain amount of time â usually not more than 10 years. Still, it’s always possible to keep renewing a domain name, which means that people and companies can effectively control it indefinitely.
How To Register A Domain Name With Wix
Wix is one of the most widely-used website builders, having powered over 200 million users worldwide. While it allows creating a website for free, you will need a premium plan to connect a custom domain name.
The price for a .com domain name is $12.95/year. Note that Wixs list of extensions is not as vast as other registrars, as it doesnt support such TLDs as .io, .tech, or .live. However, more generic options are available.
Navigate to Wixs domains page to begin the domain name search. Then, enter a term using a domain extension and press Search. If someone else has taken the name, it will suggest other options with different TLDs.
After finding a domain name you like, click Get It Now. The next step is to choose between getting a premium website builder plan or simply buying a domain name. The first option will make the domain registration fee free of charge.
For illustration purposes, we will go with the latter route by clicking Get It Now. At this stage, you will have to sign up for a Wix account.
Now, pick whether to register the domain name for one, two, or three years. Wix offers a discount for longer registration periods.
Then fill in the contact information, including your name, phone number, email, address, and postal code.
If youre going to manage the domain and handle any tech-related issues it encounters, check the Tech Contact Info and Admin Contact Info boxes below. Otherwise, fill in the fields with the relevant contact details.
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Pay For And Transfer Ownership Of The Domain
Next, youll need to pay for the domain and transfer its ownership. I cannot stress enough the importance of using a third party to facilitate this process. You want to feel protected when you are paying for the domain and actually walk away with the domain you worked so hard to obtain. The seller wants to know they can trust your payment.
GoDaddy offers a trusted aftermarket platform for transacting domain name sales. You can also use alternative services such as Escrow.com, which hold the money until the name is accepted and confirmed to be in the buyers account, and clear the funds for the seller prior to authorizing the movement of the domain to the buyer.
Choose A Domain Name Suffix Such As Com Or Net
After settling on the domain name, consider the suffix. The most popular suffix is .com, although .net and .org are also popular. These are considered to be top-level domains, or the highest-level domain suffixes in the domain naming system.
There are also other varieties to consider, such as country code top-level domains. These domain names end in a suffix that is particular to a specific country. A website in Germany might end in .de, for example.
Finally, there is another class of domain name suffixes called “sponsored, top-level domains,” which are sponsored by a specific community related to the domain name. For example, .gov is for the U.S. government and .edu is for education organizations.
For most websites, .com is the best suffix for its ease of use, but if you have a specialized website, you might consider a country code or sponsored top-level domain.
Also Check: How To Purchase An Email Domain
Purchase The Best Web Hosting
After purchasing a domain name, the very first step on which you should focus is Web Hosting.
Firstly, you should choose a hosting provider, where you can host your website.
Now, there is a big question, which is the Best web Hosting and which Hosting should I purchase?
Dont worry, here I will also suggest to you the best hosting that you can go with.
So if you are a beginner and want to purchase the Best web hosting, then I will recommend you to go with Hostinger.
Why go with Hostinger?
As you can see below the page speed of my website, which is hosted on the Hostinger.
I know that there are many Best web hosting providers in this world, but if you are a beginner then you may have a low budget, then in this case you can go with Hostinger.
As it has very affordable plans and not only this it is also providing you with the best services and it is really experienced by me.
I have experience with Hostinger and I am very happy to say that my experience with Hostinger is very good. I would like to rate Hostinger 10/10 in the case of website speed, contact support and many more.
Visit Hostinger
So first you need to come to the Hostinger websiteand now as you can see there is a total of3 plans available under shared hosting.
So all you need to do is to choose a plan in which you are comfortable.
Recommended: If you want to get fast and better Hostinger service, then you should go with the Most Popular plan which is Premium Shared Hosting.
Choose the Hosting Period
Find Out Who Owns Your Dream Domain
The first step in buying a domain someone else owns is finding out who the other person is. You can do this by using WHOIS. This is like the white pages of a phone book. Many times the name, email and phone number of the person who owns the domain name is listed there.
There are times, however, when the person uses a privacy service or the information is out of date. Privacy on the WHOIS acts like an unlisted phone number it adds other information on the WHOIS to guard the owners personal information. The privacy email information almost always forwards to the real owners email address, so it is still possible to try and contact them through the private email listed in the WHOIS directory.
There is also a new law in Europe the EU General Data Protection Regulation that allows people to remain more or less anonymous on the WHOIS. You can still contact them if they have their domain name registered with GoDaddy by scrolling to the bottom of our WHOIS lookup and choosing the option to Contact Domain Holder.
Related: A latecomers guide to complying with the General Data Protection Regulation
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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.
Do It Yourself With A Content Management System
If youve got some skill, you can build a site using a popular CMS like WordPress.
Want to build a WordPress site but dont feel like handling all the technical stuff on your own? You might want to check out our easier way to get started with WordPress.
GoDaddys Managed WordPress Hosting features a Quick Start Wizard to get your new WordPress website up and running in a snap. Featuring eight pre-built customizable pages, easy drag-and-drop page building, and quick access to thousands of WordPress plugins, theres virtually no limit to what you can create.
Youll also get 24/7 support, core software updates and patches, free daily backups and one-click restore, a free domain with an annual plan and more.
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How Long Does My Domain Name Registration Last How Do I Renew My Domain
How long your domain registration lasts can vary depending on the domain you purchase. Many domain name registrars will allow customers to register domains for 10 years at a time, but typically customers will register domains for one to three years.If you want to extend your registration, its easy to renew your domain with GoDaddy. You can choose to manually renew or set up auto-renewal, so you ensure it stays registered to you.
Get Branded Email Based On Your Domain
Wondering I have a domain name, how do I get email?
If thats an yes, youre at the right place.
You can simply map your domain with your email address and get a new professional and branded email address.
Having a professional email address makes your contact information more credible, easy to remember and branded.
For example, instead of yourname8648@gmail.com or Sam.somestupidtext@hotmail.com you can easily get a professional yourname@yourdomain.com, contact@yourdomain.com, hello@yourdomain.com and even billgates@yourdomain.com seems to be a good email name idea :D.
You just need to signup for Gsuite . It just costs $7.5 per month.
Related: How to create a professional email address
Read Also: How To Create An Email For My Domain
Find Your Domain Name On Your Chosen Domain Registrar Website
Weve already covered choosing your domain registrar. Once you do, look up your chosen domain name to see if its already taken. If it is, the domain registrar will present alternatives either for the domain itself or for the TLD.
It may offer choices such as .net, .org, and .info. Generally, we recommend sticking with a .com TLD because its highly recognizable.
Start Promoting Your Website
Once your website is live, you need to promote it to let your customers know about your website.
Here are a few things you can do to promote your website.
- Hire an SEO expert to drive organic traffic. You can do it yourself if you have SEO knowledge.
- You can go DIY and use social media or try other paid advertising methods.
- If your business has a strong local flavor, you should also consider putting up flyers and posters and even the odd billboard if you have the budget for it.
- Order a set of business cards solely for your business which should have details of how clients and customers can get in touch with you.
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Godaddy: Domains And Hosting Higher Prices
GoDaddy is a great option if you want web hosting along with your domain, or want it all to be managed under the same umbrella. Generally, its ideal to keep your domain separate from your hosting provider in case youd like to switch to a different provider at some point. But GoDaddy is a domain registrar first and a web hosting company second, so you can always transfer the domain to a different registrar or change the DNS to point to a new host.
GoDaddy offers great hosting services, a custom website builder, and managed WordPress hosting, along with many templates to help you get started. Theyre a little pricey, and their web host can be a bit clunky for anything complex, but if youre building a simple website itll do the job.
GoDaddys prices seem low at first, but they go up after the first year. At full price, their .com domains are $15 per year, but its the price you pay for being on the largest domain registrar.
Choosing The Right Domain Name
When you choose a domain name, make sure its relevant to your business and also related to your target audience. You should pick a short and memorable domain that will be easy for people to remember or associate with your brand. Also, think about how people will search for your domain name.
If you are out of ideas about what domain name to pick for your business, you can try the following options:
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Check For Hidden Fees
Before buying a domain name, review the registrars Terms of Service for any hidden fees.
Here are a few sneaky costs to watch out for:
- Make sure there arent any transfer-out fees for moving your domain to another registrar.
- Be sure to check what the renewal rates will be for the domain, now and in the future.
- And watch out for the upsells! They may bundle in domain extras like website security or storage, be sure to read the fine print before buying a domain.
You should also be getting a domain name for free with the right domain registrar! Thats just a tip from your boy.
Lets do a little domain registrar homework.
Register Domain Name Variations
Even if your domain name is catchy and easy to remember, typos happen. The last thing you want is for a hiring manager or potential client to get an error message because they missed a letter when typing in your web address.
That’s why you should consider registering domain name variations that redirect people to your website, even if they’ve mistyped something. For example, a lot of people misread or mishear Codecademy as “Code Academy.” But, when they type in CodeAcademy.com, they’re automatically redirected to the correct domain, Codecademy.com.
Similarly, say your domain ends in “.org,” “.edu,” or “.net.” You might want to consider registering the “.com” variant as well to prevent competitors from doing the same.
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Buying Through Web Hosting Package
The second option is to buy a domain name through your web hosting package. This gives you more control over the domain and can be done quickly if you have someone on staff that knows how to do it. It also comes with some great support options for setting up, transferring, or even recovering the domain name.
The downside to this is that it can be a little more expensive, especially if you are using a package from the hosting companys website. However, there are still some great packages out there that offer support for domain names. Here are some good web hosting companies you can try on :
Bluehost
Bluehost is a great option for beginners who are just starting out with web hosting. They come bundled with free domain registration, a free SSL certificate, and a free domain transfer. They also have excellent support for setting up your website with WordPress or other CMS platforms. The pricing is competitive and they offer free migration for customers who are moving from another hosting company.
Add Pages To Your Website
To add a page on WordPress, go to Pages -> Add New. Every site requires a different set of pages, but generally, here are the five must-have pages:
Homepage
Whether you use a website builder or WordPress, the homepage provides the first impression about your business to visitors.
That said, you shouldnt add too much information to it. Cluttered and messy homepages will deter visitors from continuing to browse as its harder to find relevant information.
Instead, keep it organized and concise and put visuals to guide visitors to the section or page that contains the information they want.
About Page
This page should provide information about your company history, vision and mission, team members, and testimonials. It helps customers, investors, or potential new hires to know more about your business.
However, avoid overexplaining your products or services. You can provide contact information here, but we recommend using a dedicated page for it.
Product or Service Page
The product or service page is crucial and decisive to convert your visitors into new customers. Provide details like features, benefits, and prices.
Product photos or videos also help make the page more visually appealing.
Blog Page
Adding a blog to your site can help drive traffic and increase conversion rates.
When writing blog posts, use relevant keywords to help your site rank higher on search engines.
Contact Page
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