Premium Domains Tend To Bring In More Traffic
While Google treats all domain names and domain extensions equal, theres still benefit when you buy a premium domain to drive more traffic to your website.
Its important to understand that to scale your organic traffic consistently, some of the most important factors are:
- Original, relevant content that is in line with your business, posted frequently.
- Credible backlinks linking back to the content on the website.
- Mobile-optimized website.
However, once the website starts ranking high in Google search results, thats when premium domains play an important role in getting the maximum share of the search volume.
For instance, both, www.youronlinenutritionist101.com and www.nutrition.online stand a chance to rank equally high in search results. However, the user is almost always likely to click on the latter domain because it is automatically perceived to be more credible and brand like in comparison to the former.
This means that the websites with premium or brandable domain names attract more clicks than the others, resulting in business growth.
How To Use Namecheap With Shopify
Namcheap has a helpful guide on how to point your domain name to Shopify. All you have to do is that once youve registered your domain name, simply go to manage in your Namecheap portal and then under custom DNS select Shopify. Its that simple.
Then in your Shopify account youll need to do the following:
How Much Domain Names Cost
Domain names vary dramatically in price. The price for a .com domain is about $10 to $18, but you will find that prices vary by registrar, domain name, and extension. Many registers will deeply discount the domain but you will need to pay full price in subsequent years.
You may also find a list of domains which cost more than the standard fee. These are domains being held by cybersquatters, and you can purchase a domain from them if the price is acceptable they vary from slightly above standard price to stratospheric, depending on how valuable the domain is perceived to be.
Remember that when you purchase a domain name, it is generally for only one year . If you do not pay the fee at annual renewal, you lose the domain and it can be purchased by someone else. Cybersquatters often quickly purchase lapsed domains under the assumption that the owner neglected to renew by accident and will then need to pay an inflated fee to reclaim the URL.
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Your Domain Name Should Be Brandable
Your domain name needs to brandable.
Basically, when people hear your domain name, it needs to sound like a legit business in your industry and have a hip vibe.
So, for example, if you were starting a remote jobs board, you could name it www.remotejobsboard.com But doesnt remoteok.io sound much better?
Remoteok.io
Of course, you need to take industry standards into account, boring names work for businesses that need to appear formal.
Say, if you run a funeral home, then its important to be serious, no one wants to hold a wake in a hip funeral home.
However, you probably dont need to be formal, so get creative!
Domain Name Cost: Quick Overview
Every website owner will need to factor domain name cost into their budget. You have the choice of either registering a new domain name, or purchasing one thats already been registered. A new domain will cost around $10-20/year, while the price of a preregistered domain will be more expensive, and vary depending on popularity.
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What Should My Domain Name Be
Ideally, youre going to be holding on to this domain name for a long time, so choosing the right one is important.
When youre considering a domain name, ask yourself these questions:
- Is it relatively short? Super long domain names are hard to remember and type. Aim for 15 characters or less.
- Does it read well? If people mentally stumble over saying your URL, itll lose some of its impact.
- Is it specific to me? Youre trying to enhance your personal brand, so pick a domain name that helps with that.
To see whether a domain name is available, try Squarespaces domain search engine.
Id start by looking up your first and last name followed by .com. This format is memorable, relevant, and uniqueand as I talked about earlier, owning your name gives you more control over your online identity.
If your name isnt available with the .com extension, consider using a different extension. For example, you could use .bio or .expert if you want to keep it professional, .design or .finance if you want to tie it to your profession, or .cool or .fyi if you want to add a little humor and personality. The options are pretty endless.
You can also experiment with different variations on your name. Here are some ideas:
- first name + middle initial + last name
- first name + middle name + last name
- first initial + middle initial + last name
Alternatively, you can incorporate your profession or interests. Here are some more ideas:
What Is A Domain Name
Your domain makes it easy to find your website it’s part of the URL that people type into the address bar of a browser to go there. In reality, the domain is a user-friendly, plain-English representation of the website’s IP address. When someone enters a URL into a web browser, the browser looks up the IP address using a tool called a Domain Name Server . The DNS is like a phone book used by every web browser.
As a general rule, though, you don’t need to worry about most of that. The important thing to know is that you can purchase a domain name from a domain name registrar . As long as you renew the domain name when it comes due , it’s yours to keep and will allow people to find your website.
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Which One Should You Go With
Its best to look up your desired domain name on both websites to see which company can offer you a better deal.
Namecheap offers .com domains at a lower price than GoDaddy . Yet its important to remember that money is not the only thing that matters, so you might want to take a closer look at GoDaddys and Namecheaps track record in terms of their views and their behavior to see which companys values resonate with you more.
Not sold on GoDaddy or Namecheap? Make sure to read our blog post.
Add Your Occupation Or Other Terms
If your full name isnt available, add a qualifying term. The most important thing is that your domain name indicates what your site is about. Of course, there are many factors in play but a site domain using your full business name has a much better chance of ranking vs. one that does not.
Leverage any keywords that support what you do. For example, if you run a cafe in Boston, you might want to check if yournamecafe.com, or yournameboston.com is on the market. The word resume can also be used: michaelwalmanresume.com.
When you first begin the search, it helps to have at least 5 terms or phrases in mind that describe your business. When this list is ready, you can start adding suffixes and prefixes and pair the keywords to create good domain ideas.
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Your Own Personalized Link Shortener
Being online is all about branding. If you already have a personal domain, and its on the longer side, create a shorter link thats easier to remember. Shorter URLs keep your shared posts and those of your readers, uncluttered. If you are someone who promotes a lot of their own events, you might want to make the URL shorter. Shorter URLs are easier to share on sites like Facebook, Twitter and the rest.
Lets say your band wants to link to your tour dates, or you might have some book readings scheduled nationally. You could use a URL shortener. For example, your Beatles tribute band the thebeetles.com could use the URL thebeetles.com/indianapolis for your gig in Indiana. Using a URL shortener not only gives you a more memorable address, but helps track where your traffic is coming from, and what your visitors are doing once they get to your pages, you can even use them to track how well your tweets are performing.
With a unique domain, you can set up your own URL shortener. Bitly is the most popular service to date, but you can host your own short URLs. This involves setting up a few things to get more control over your analytics. Its also a matter of branding. With short URLs, you get more recognizable links so people who dont visit your site often will remember your name.
What If Someone Already Has The Domain Name I Want
This is a valid concern, given that over 1.7 billion websites are live on the Internet right now. Chances are a lot of great domain names are taken, and when this happens, the cheapest option by far is to brainstorm a different name. But if youre dead set on a domain thats taken, and dont want to compromise, you still have some options.
You can use resources like snapnames.com to see domains that have recently become available . Otherwise, youll have to pay much more for an aftermarket domain, usually by dealing with online auctions in which youd bid on an already-registered domain to be transferred to you.
Aftermarket domain prices are so expensive because the value that a short, relevant domain name can bring to a brand is, well, invaluable . For example, if you were looking for car insurance and werent sure where to start, you might head to CarInsurance.com a domain which sold for $49.7 million in 2010.
Of course, not all aftermarket domains will go for millions, but as a rule, any useful one will still be pretty expensive. Since most of us wont be dropping our lifes savings on a domain name, were going to have to come up with our own. So you might be wondering
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A Domain Name For Personal Branding
Everyone has a story to tell, whether it’s your business, your day-to-day life or your passion. Take a domain thats as unique as you are, to tell your story. A unique URL with personal branding shows interested parties that youre running a professional outfit.
Trailblazers like Laura Roeder branded their entire business and web strategy around their persona. With her signature domain, shes created a page that reflects her love of videos, and the branding that goes into her products.
Keep your digital profile up to date with your latest work, so your older clients and people that may have heard of you in the past can be impressed with what you’re doing now. They may keep you in mind for future projects.
Using Your Custom Domain With A Cms
Alternatively, host your domain independently and use a content management system to build your website. WordPress, Drupal, and all the other CMS heavyweights are set up to cater for personal sites. With dedicated personal domain templates, in a few clicks, you can have a professional resume, or personal site live on the internet. All of the above can be installed with our hosting options.
All CMSs are self-hosted meaning you buy your domain, set up hosting, and choose someone to create your website with. WordPress is the most popular CMS by a longshot. Managed WordPress hosting solutions like EasyWP take the heavy lifting out of hosting a domain yourself. Start a website in minutes and connect it to your particular domain. It does the hard work for you.
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How Much Does It Cost To Buy Your Own Domain
Now that you understand a bit more about the top-level domain names that will suit your purpose, its time to think about the cost. The price of having your own domain can vary, and depends on:
- The type of extension
- How popular it is
- Where you buy it from.
Its difficult to work out a common price tag because of these reasons, but traditional TLDs like .com and .org are usually priced between $6 and $15. Newer TLDs like .club and .online can cost between $10 and $25.
If youve registered with another registrar, dont forget you can transfer domain names to Namecheap. You can save money, benefit from great transfer prices, and get help from our customer support when you need 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.
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To Capture Customers Who Misspell Your Name
If you have a business name that is often misspelled, purchasing the domain name with the incorrect spelling can help you connect with your prospective customers who make that mistake when searching for you.For example, if your business name is Phacts yet someone spells it phonetically as Facts, then you could purchase both phacts.com and facts.com so your target audience can find you either way.
You dont even have to create a whole new website for the misspelled site either. Instead, simply link it to the domain with the correct spelling so that it automatically directs them there.
To Impress Clients And Recruiters
Where can I find you online?
Do you have a website?
These are now common questions, especially if you run a business or are self-employed. In this digital age, people expect businesses and individuals to present themselves in a professional manner on the web. There are a few ways to go about this.
Create a virtual business card
Think of those times youve been given a business card. It gets crinkled up in your pocket and becomes indecipherable, lost, thrown away or stuffed in a drawer never to be seen again. Thats why online business cards are becoming commonplace.
You might simply want to be more environmentally friendly, or maybe you enjoy the real estate a website affords you to flex your acumen. An online business card is a smart, and cost-effective way to run your business. Plus, when recruiters Google your name, your digital business card will be presented to them. How about that for a first impression?
If youre still a fan of physical business cards, then dont forget to try out our Business Card Maker. With free shipping and beautiful designs, you can order them right to your door.
We also have Site Maker, an easy way to make your personal website come alive in minutes. If youve got a business and want to show the world, its an all-in-one package address, hosting, and site security encryption.
Present your Virtual CV or resume
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