How Long Should A Domain Name Be
A domain name is recommended to be 17 characters long and to only include three terms. For instance, lets say I ran a donut shop. The domain I would try to pick would be RobsDonutShop.
It contains 13 characters and three terms, which include Robs, Donut, Shop. Its easy to remember and catchy if I do say so myself. The longer the domain name, the harder it is to remember and the harder it is to manually type in for visitors.
It also becomes problematic for advertising. Imagine trying to advertise TheBestDonutsInTheWholeWorld.com on Twitter, where character counts matter. Just imagine looking on a business card and seeing a ridiculously long URL.
It just doesnt work.
The golden rule of domain names is short, easy to remember, and catchy.
How To Buy A Domain Name Thats Not For Sale
Not every premium domain will be available on a brokerage site or domain marketplace. But if you really want to pursue a specific domain, you still might have a chance.
Similar to the steps we took in the last section, youll need to figure out who owns the domain. If a domain isnt for sale, this step should be a bit easier, and you can probably do it on your own.
Most domains that arent for sale will be linked to an active website. That site should have some sort of contact information on it. You can reach out directly to get in contact with the business owner or decision-maker associated with the domain.
Start with a general inquiry saying that youre interested in buying the domain dont throw an offer out there just yet .
See what type of response you get and if the site owner is willing to sell. Unlike a premium domain thats listed on a domain marketplace, you might have to dig a bit deeper into your pockets to buy a domain thats not currently for sale.
If its absolutely imperative that you secure this particular domain, consider making the owner an offer that they cant refuse.
Just be aware that this wont always work. Its like trying to buy a house thats not for sale. You can knock on the front door and make a cash offer, but the homeowner might decide to stay put.
If theyre willing to sell, use a broker to make sure the purchase goes smoothly. Then immediately transfer that domain to your registrar after you obtain ownership.
Follow These Steps To Buy A Domain Name:
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What Is A Domain Name And Why Do I Need One
Domain names are created to make IP addresses easy to remember. Every computer has an IP address assigned to it much like a street address. But instead of having to memorize each IP address number, we assign domain names to these numbers so we can easily remember them. The domain name system, or DNS, takes domain names and translates them into their IP addresses so that computers can communicate with one another. GoDaddy can help you find a domain name that best suits your business so you can easily promote your website.
Having your own domain name can help you appear more legitimate to people who search for you or your business online. With a domain name, you can:
- Create a professional email with your domain name
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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Find Out Who Owns The Domain Name
Once youve determined that the domain isnt being used for an active website, your next step is to find out who owns the domain. The easiest way to do this is by using a WHOIS service. Theres a number of websites where you can do this sort of lookup, but, most of the time, youll get a set of standard information from any of them:
- when the domain was registered,
- who the domain was registered by,
- how to contact that person or company,
- and even when the domains current ownership expires.
You may also see other information related to the purchase, but for the purposes of getting that domain, the owners email address is really what you want.
Example results of a WHOIS lookup:
Some domain owners will have purchased privacy protection and their names wont appear in a WHOIS search. In these instances, it will be difficult to purchase the domain unless you can find it on a domain auction site or marketplace like Sedo, Namecheap, or Flippa.
How To Buy & Register A Domain Name
Posted in WordPress by Erin Myers
Domain names fulfill several functions, such as enabling users to access and remember your website. Additionally, they often become a part of your brand. The problem is that registering a domain name can be intimidating if youve never done it before.
Fortunately, the process of buying and registering a domain name is quite simple. All it takes are a few steps. In less than ten minutes, you could have a new domain name ready for your website.
In this article, well talk about some things you should consider before you buy a domain name. Then well show you how to set up a new domain. Lets get to work!
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Use A Domain Name Generator For Inspiration
Feeling stuck on choosing a domain name? You can pull ideas from Shopifys free domain name generator. Load the tool, plug in a keyword, and well return popular and alternative domain names you can use for your business.
Sneak peek: Say you want to sell hats, here are a few options available right now:
Not the right domain name for you? The domain name generator also shows alternative options.
How To Buy A Domain Name In 4 Simple Steps
Want to just get started?
Buying a domain name is about as easy as ordering food online.
Finding a good domain is much harder. Dont just register whatever domain name is available and call it a day. Thats a big mistake.
In this guide, I want to walk you through my process for buying a domain name, starting with how I go about coming up with a name in the first place.
- Straightforward and easy to use
- Great for multiple domains
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Check For Trademark Infringement
Both major and minor brands alike take issue with others using their trademarked names. Even if youve just made an innocent mistake, the legal hassle involved in a lawsuit and having to rearrange your web presence could be costly.
You can avoid these situations by using a trademark lookup tool before you finalize your choice.
How To Buy A Domain Name
Before we go any further, its worth noting that its only possible to register an existing domain name with a valid domain extension that other people or businesses dont already own.
Were going to dive deeper into the steps to register a domain name from where to get a domain name to finally getting into the website registration process.
Here are the five steps to buy domain names:
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Pricing And Domain Options
Domain names arent generally going to be a huge expense. Most of the common domain extensions are available for in the ballpark of $10 to $20 per year. But something that you might want to consider are additional options for your domain, such as bulk registration, domain privacy, theft protection, etc.
But what do those options mean? Lets take privacy, for example. While privacy isnt required for your domain, it can go a long way in protecting your personal contact information.
Domain registrars are required to provide valid contact information for registered domains on WHOIS searches.
While there is a benefit to having valid contact information available there, the unfortunate downside is that spammers and scammers love to gather email contact information from WHOIS directories. In other words, privacy on your domain is a great way to protect your personal contact information. Make sure its available with your domain registrar before purchasing a domain.
What about additional extensions? While many businesses choose .com domains for their primary web address, there are tons of interest-, industry- and geo-specific domain extensions available that you might find more appealing.
Not all domain providers will have a wide selection of domain extensions, so if this option is important to you, make sure theyre available through your selected registrar.
What Is A Domain Registrar
A domain registrar is a service that sells domain names. When you register a domain name, you dont really own it, rather you rent or lease it, which is why you have to renew your domain name every year or term. There are some add-on services you should know about before you choose a domain registrar.
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Option B: How To Get A Free Domain Name With A Website Builder
Building a professional website no longer requires web developer skills and coding. All-in-one site builders like Squarespace, Weebly, and Wix give you the ability to build your own site quickly, easily, and code-free. Since plans are all-inclusive, youll get a domain for free with your site builder of choice in addition to everything else you need to build and maintain your small business website.
| PROS | |
|---|---|
| Free domain for 12 months with leading site builders | Must purchase a paid plan to get a domain |
| Free .com or other top level domains | More expensive than building a basic WordPress site through a hosting provider |
| Easiest way to build a site no web design experience required | No email accounts included with plans |
| Professional and credible appearance |
How To Choose A Domain Name
Since your domain name can have a major impact on your online presence, what you choose is a vital first step in building your brand. Finding the perfect domain name, however, can be challenging.
While its true that there are millions of domain names available, many of the popular domain names that are easy to remember are taken. Fortunately, you can still get what you need if you go through a simple process and use a bit of imagination.
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Keep It Short And Simple
Its an obvious strategy, but registering a domain name that is short and memorable isnt as easy as you might think. The fewer words or characters your domain name has, the more likely your customers will spell your domain correctly and find your site. This method might require some creativity, but it will pay off.
On the simple front, make sure your domain name is easy to spell and avoid using numbers and hyphens.
How To Register Your Domain Name
With over 370 million domain registrations, and a 3% year-over-year growth rate, you want to lock in your domain fast.
If youre starting an ecommerce business, you can buy a domain name when registering your Shopify store rather than searching another domain registrar like GoDaddy or Namecheap.
By using the Domain Name Generator, you can find and register a domain name in just a few clicks. This will save you time getting your store live, so you can start selling faster.
If youre not ready to register your domain name yet, thats OK. You can use an auto-generated free domain name: yourstore.myshopify.com. That way, you can design your Shopify store and buy the best domain name for you when youre ready.
If youre not ready to register your domain name yet, thats OK. You can use an auto-generated free domain name: yourstore.myshopify.com. That way, you can design your Shopify store and buy the best domain name for you when youre ready.
Read more:
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Choose A Domain Registrar
First, you need to select an ICANN accredited registrar to register your name through. This registrar isnt the same as your web host.
Your DNS host connects visitors to your website through your domain name, while your website host gives you a space for your website. Your DNS host is like a phonebook, while your website host is like your landlord.
When selecting a registrar, consider:
- Fee structure: Each registrar has its own fee system. The average domain name costs $10$20 a year .
- Any additional services your registrar offers: These may include domain parking and domain privacy. Domain privacy hides your name, contact details, and business details from your websites public listing.
- The registrars expiration policy: Youll need to check you can secure your domain long-term.
- The registrars transfer policy: You may want the flexibility to change registrars or sell your domain later.
- Whether the registrar offers aSecure Socket Layer certificate: This digital certificate encrypts your website connection and protects visitors.
How Domain Ownership Works
To buy a domain name, you need to use a service called a domain registrar.
Why do you need to use a special service? Well, it has to do with making sure the internet keeps functioning.
Only one person can own a domain at a time. For example, you cant go out and buy facebook.com because Facebook already owns it. You can check if a domain name is available using a tool like DomainWheel.
To keep track of everything and avoid conflicts , there are centralized services that manage domain names .
To purchase a domain name, you need to use a vendor thats accredited by those centralized domain management services thats what a domain registrar is.
The domain registrar lets you purchase your domain name. Then, once youve purchased it, the registrar also lets you manage your domain name, such as pointing it to your web hosting or email account.
The basic process works like this:
When you buy a domain name, you pay for one year of ownership. After that first year ends, you can either:
- Renew the domain to maintain ownership. You always have the first right to renew no one can take the domain from you as long as you renew it before it expires.
- Let the domain name expire, in which case it goes back into the pool of available domain names and someone else can purchase it in the future.
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How To Register A Domain Name For Free
Looking for a free domain name? There are several domain registrars, website hosting providers, and website builders offering free domain names, typically with the purchase of another service or with no cost but some customization limitations.
Wix is a popular drag-and-drop website builder that allows you to register a free domain name with the stipulation that it includes Wix’s name as well. This means that although you get your domain name for free, it will read yourdomainname.wix.com. This is a trade-off to consider when registering a domain name for free.
Best For
Wix is a great choice for first-time website owners who are looking to start a small personal brand under the Wix subdomain. You can eventually upgrade to a custom domain if you end up enjoying Wixs platform. We dont recommend it if youre planning to blog regularly, as there are better choices out there, such as WordPress.com.
Like Wix, Weebly offers a simple website builder with a free domain name that will appear as yourwebsite.weebly.com. You will have limited access to the site-building features, but you will save annual fees for domain names. This is a great option for temporary or basic websites.
Best For
Best For
Bluehost is an excellent option for small-to-medium business owners who want to choose a custom domain and choose their own CMS. With Bluehost, you can opt for any CMS platform, including CMS Hub, WordPress , or even Joomla.
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