Tips For Choosing A Domain Name
Finding a domain thats available, valuable and relevant is important to online success, which is why registering a domain name requires strategy.
Choosing a domain name that points out your value proposition , vertical , or geographic area can help you drive business and stand out from the competition.
Verify Your Site With Google Search Console / Webmaster Tools
Google, as you may know, isnt actually the internet, nor does Google actually search the entire World Wide Web.
What Google actually does is search their index of the internet. This index is created by relentlessly scanning the web for new sites, pages and content. This is how Google can provide search results so quickly.
This makes Search Console an absolute necessity for any website looking to get found online via search.
Not only does it help Google find your site in the first place , but it also helps them keep track of changes and updates to your site, such as new pages and content.
Since Search Console spots any errors Googlebot may find with your web pages, you can easily identify and fix common problems including
- Penalty notices
You dont need to use Search Console in order to be included in Google search results, but you get a heck of a lot more control over how Google processes and views your site and its content so why wouldnt you use it?
Setting up Search Console is pretty straight-forward, and it wont take you long to get to grips with the basics either.
Things To Know When You Buy A Domain
Few things compare to the heady rush of registering your first domain name. That might explain why so many people rush into buying a domain name, then end up stuck with one they regret, or worse, with a great domain name at a terrible domain name registrar. If youre mindful of the following ten things, you can avoid some dangerous traps and keep your domain name thriving.
Also Check: What Are The 5 Top Level Domains
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.
Use Content To Draw People To Your Website
The benefits of a full website are vast, but one of the major benefits is that you can create a stockpile of valuable content that keeps people coming back to your site again and again. No matter your industry, you can use your knowledge to create content that helps customers and also points them to your products or services.
The primary goal of your content should be to help solve the problems of your customers as they relate to your products and services. Once customers see that youre intentions are good, they are more likely to buy from your business. If you own a landscaping company, for example, you can use content to help people maintain their yard between appointments, or outline creative yard designs. When they see how much is involved in a project, and see you as the expert, theres a good chance theyll hire you to realize the design.
Recommended Reading: How To Find Out When A Domain Was Purchased
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.
How Much Does A Domain Name Cost
The cost of your domain name will depend on a couple of factors:
- The extension you use.
- Where you buy the domain name a reputable registrar, a private seller or an aftermarket service?
- The length of time youre registering the domain for as well as additional options chosen such as domain privacy, etc.
In general, regular domain names range between $10 and $20 per year, depending on the extension and available discounts or special promos that registrars have active.
If youre looking into buying a premium domain, you can expect to pay upwards of hundreds of dollars. However, there is no definitive answer nor a minimum range for premium domains.
The best way to get a feel for the domain cost is to enter the potential domain name in GoDaddys Domain Appraisals tool and to browse sites like Afternic and GoDaddys Domain Name Aftermarket.
Recommended Reading: Can You Use Your Own Domain Name With Wix
Check Social Media Handles
Before registering your great idea, take a few minutes to see its already in use as a handle on social media platforms. Its ideal to have a clients domain and social media handles match in order to create a stronger brand. Visitors will feel more confident finding your client online, and theyll have more credibility when you share all the cool stuff youre doing.
Complete Control Over Your Domain
There are some registrars that only provide partial control over your domain.
This could include the registrar adding their own contact information to portions of your domain details , or even preventing you from making critical updates to your domain settings .
Your potential domain provider should be able to tell you their policies on this before you register your domain name, so dont be afraid to ask if youre going to have full control of your own domain before you register it.
You May Like: Who Makes Nature’s Domain Dog Food
How Do I Buy A Domain Secretly
If you purchase a domain from a registrar like NameCheap, your personal information can be kept private and you dont have to pay much for it. Privacy protection can be added after your purchase to make sure that your name and information cant be found.
Contents
Dont Stunt Your Growth
When choosing a domain name, it pays to think ahead.
For example, you might want to avoid including the one product you sell now in your domain name if you plan to expand your product line in the future. Likewise, including a location is your domain name is a smart move if youre planning to do business locally but could stunt your online growth if youre planning to expand to new areas.
Give yourself room to grow.
Read Also: Can I Buy A Domain Through Shopify
What Do I Do Once I Have Bought My Domain Name
After buying a domain name, you can connect your domain name to a website to publish it to the world. When people type in your connected domain name, theyll see the website youve built. Of course, youll also need a server to host your website on.
First, make sure you write down your login information for your domain registrar of choice. This login information is important when it comes time to connect your domain to your website or renew your domain registration. You can always contact your registrar for help logging in to manage your domain, but its easier to store your login information somewhere safe. You can use a secure password manager if you want to store this information on your phone or computer, or you can simply write it down on a piece of paper and keep it somewhere safe.
When you use a website builder like Mailchimp, you can easily connect your domain name in just a few minutes. Youll also need to choose a web hosting provider, which essentially acts as a server to store the files that make your website work. You can purchase both your hosting package and your domain name separately and connect them to your website using a website builder. However, you also have the option of purchasing a domain name directly through Mailchimp when you build your website.
Bring your brand to life with your own website. Design from scratch, connect a domain, analyze traffic, and optimize for SEO.
Create A Website Thats Attached To Your Domain
Chances are, you had a website in mind when you set out to secure a domain name. Your domain name is the heart of your website address. And everyone keeps telling you that you need a website for your business.
A website gives you a branded, dedicated space to share your contact information, a rundown of your services, a snapshot of what your business is all about, a portfolio of your amazing work, customer reviews and links to your social media accounts.
And did I mention its perfect for businesses that want to expand their reach and attract NEW customers?
But understanding the benefits of having a website for your business and actually creating one are two very different things. I know, it might feel scary.
You basically have three options:
Don’t Miss: Can I Buy A Domain Name Without Hosting
A Summary Of The Most Important Tips For Buying A Domain
Your web address should be considered the flagship of your website or online store. So, when looking for a good combination of top- and second-level domain, its best to leave yourself enough time to find a satisfactory solution. Below, weve summarized some tips that will help you to make this process as successful as possible.
Are you searching for a suitable solution to realize your web project? Use the MyWebsite Design Service from IONOS and let our design experts design a custom website for you.
Pick A Domain Name Registrar
The first step to purchasing a domain is to pick a domain name registrar. We will continue our blog showing the process with Namecheap, but you can pick other domain registrars as well. In fact, we have listed some of the top domain registrars at the end of the article to make it easier for you to choose.
Also Check: How To Link Hosting And Domain
What Makes Shopify Merchant Names Successful
Our survey of Shopify merchants discovered thousands of amazing and unique business names drivingthe success of online shops around the world. A great name can work hard for yourbrand, even before customers visit your website.
Names based on common phrases tend to be highly memorable and Monkeys Uncle is noexception, bringing levity and fun to this graphic t-shirt shop based in Pennsylvania.This phrase is often used to express surprise and delight, which is perfect for a storestocking unique t-shirt designs.
Motivated by our son Brayden, who was diagnosed with autism at age three, we knew wewould need flexibility for doctor visits and therapy appointments, says owner DerrickMorgan. We combined our love of sports and all things throwback to start our smallbusiness dream. Brayden loves all animated movies, and there is a scene in the movieMadagascar where a monkey and penguin are arguing. The penguin says, well Ill be amonkeys uncle! which Brayden would crack up at every time. We thought that wouldmake a cute name for a store, and would prompt people to ask more about it.
Why Should I Own One
As I learned first-hand, having a custom domain gives you an instant credibility boost. It doesnt matter whether youre using a personal site to help you land a job, increase your visibility in your field or industry, find freelance gigs, showcase your work, or promote your brand: The more credibility you have, the better.
Plus, custom domains are usually far easier to remember than generic ones. Imagine you told someone you met at a networking event to check out your site, janedoeportfolio.squarespace.com. Hell probably forget the link by the time he gets in front of his laptop. However, janedoe.bio will be a cinch to remember. These names also look much more sleek when you put them on business cards, in the header of your resume, or anywhere else you might be directing people to learn more about you.
A domain that incorporates your name also helps others find you in search results. When someone enters your first and last name into Google, theyre much more likely to see your website if its domain matches their search. When you search Aja Frost, for example, my site is the first thing that comes up:
This gives you the chance to really own the conversation around your personal brand, making sure people see what you want them to see first.
Recommended Reading: How Do I Sign In Another 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
Secure Your Social Media Accounts
Before you get too involved with one particular social media network it makes sense to secure all the relevant social media accounts for your website/business.
In the short term you may only plan to use Twitter or Facebook, but whos to say later down the line you might not look to use other platforms such as LinkedIn and Instagram as you expand your social media footprint?
For branding purposes its wise to ensure your social media accounts all have the same username/handle. Theres nothing more frustrating than going to sign up to a social network only to find someone else has beaten you to the punch.
When you find out all the best usernames are taken
For instance, at LCN.com we use the handle lcndotcom for all our social networks
- com/user/lcndotcom
- you get the idea
While this sounds like a terribly laborious task, its actually pretty easy to check the availability of your preferred name without signing up to each network individually.
Check out a tool called namechk , then just pop in your desired username/handle and hit enter. All of the social networks that are available will show in green.
This kind of preparation at the beginning of a website and/or business launch is vital for your long-term branding prospects. Get it right from the get-go.
You May Like: How To Reserve A Website Domain
Evaluate Long Term Costs
In addition to the upfront costs of getting a domain name, consider costs like taxes and renewal fees. Some registrars charge increased renewal fees when your domain registration expires, and depending on where you live, your domain name may be subject to state and local taxes.
Remember to budget for your domain name alongside other potential startup costs, like website hosting or creating a logo for your business.