Getting a domain is very easy nowadays, but what is a domain exactly? And how can you buy the best one for your business? Where can you get one? What are the things that you need to keep in mind when buying one?
Your domain is the name you buy for your website, which is usually derived from your business or organization’s name. When you have a domain, it helps you rank high on search engines, strengthens your online presence, and thickens the credibility of your business.
Know more about it, how to find the best one for you, and know what to do before buying one for your business!
What is a domain?
The moment you buy a domain, it means that you bought a name for your website. But of course, it doesn’t end there and you still need to work on building your website. That being said, this means that a domain is technically a name you bought for your website.
It is what searchers use to find your website or your business online. When someone knows your domain, they can use it to find your content online.
This is what appears in your URL or link which also appears after the “@” of your email address. most of the time, it is derived from the name of your organization and a suffix.
For example, your domain is “internetmarketingcreators.com” so your website URL should look like “https://internetmarketingcreators.com” and the email of your business should have it after the @, it would be “career.attraction@internetmarketingcrators.com” for example.
So when you hear something like “Find your domain name” it means to find the name that you will use for your business website.
Can I get it for free?
You can get one for free, but it is not advisable especially for business use, because it does not provide the security and professional look that paid domain has.
So the answer to this question is, yes technically you can do that. But it is not practical in terms of safety for businesses, so it should not be in your option when getting a domain, or if worse comes to worst it should be your very last resort. If you have the ability and the money to buy your own, you should definitely consider that.
When you are buying a domain for your business you do not just buy a name, you also help your business a lot. It gives your business identity, helps in ranking your website on search engines, makes your website look more professional, and increases the credibility of your business.
So if you are able to spend a little money on a domain that will last you 10 years, do so. The average cost is $10 and $20 a year, but it can always fluctuate and change. It depends on a lot of factors such as your registrar, what type of you buy, etc.
How to get a domain?
Select a Trustworthy Registrar.
A registrar is a company that helps website owners register their domains. After finding out if your name is still available and is still not used by someone else, you need to find a domain registrar. There is a vast choice of registrars that can help your business, but each one is different.
Here is a list of domain registrars for you:
Availability check should be done.
of course, you should always check if the domain name you have chosen is still available for you. You can perform the checking in WhoIS LookUp and see if the name you have chosen is still available for you.
Enter your name into the search bar, check the captcha, and then if your domain name is still available it will appear and you can add it to the cart. If it is not, you will be suggested different formats of domain names using your domain.
Pick the most suitable choice.
When you have picked the best domain name choice for you, it is now time to buy. Add it to the cart and then it is time to do the registration process.
Get the domain name and finish the registration process.
After buying the domain name from the registrar, you should complete the registration process.
Note: make sure that you enter a valid email address so that you will be able to receive renewal email reminders when the domain is about to expire.
Verify your ownership
Perform the verification steps, that you need to do to strengthen the ownership of the domain you just bought.
Where can I buy a domain?
- Namecheap
- Hover
- Google Domains
- Porkbun
- Namesilo
- GoDaddy
- Domain.com
- BlueHost
- NetworkSolutions
- BuyDomains
- Joker.com
Before Buying a Domain, you should:
Do your Keyword Research
Before buying your domain it is important that you conduct your keyword research. This will be your weapon for buying the best domain possible for you. Many people forget about this one in buying their domain but it is very important that you insert at least one keyword about the niche of your website in your domain.
For example, you want to make a blog about “how to study effectively” and let’s say you want to your domain to have your name in it. Then, you are off to finding your modifier that you can put on the domain for your blog site. Let’s say your name is Grace, it can be studyeffectivelybygrace.com or effectivestudyingwithgrace.com. At this point, if it is available, you like it and you think it embodies the identity of your business then you can buy it and go for it.
Do a Google Search
Another thing you can do is do a Google search. For example, let’s say the studyeffectivelybygrace.com is available and you like it for your blog. But when you type it in the Google search bar, turns out that there is already a “Grace” that has a YouTube channel that teaches her viewers how to study effectively. And you do not want to compete with that.
What you will do is go back into finding a different modifier keyword. It can now be beststudytips.com
Pro Tip: Read this article about keywords and keyword research, this is a game changer! In order to know how to conduct the right keyword research and the materials to find the words to use for your domain.
You might ask, why not just use your name for the blog domain? Like gracewaters.com or gracew.com. Well, you can use it, definitely. But the downside of not using keywords in your domain is that first, people will have no idea what are the things you write about. But if you use the other examples with keywords, people will be able to know if your blog will be helpful for them as early as seeing your URL.
And then you can build your identity as the writer and talk a little about yourself, or even more about the moment that already opened the blog. So it is definitely important that you know what keywords to use in your domain to make sure that people are going to have an understanding of what your website offers as early as possible.
Types of Domain
There is a wide range of varieties available, there are 4 types of domains. You must first comprehend the parts of it, that are composed of a second-level domain and a top-level domain, for you to make the most appropriate decision.
Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD)
- .com: originally means “commercial,”, this one is the most popular of all the domains
- .net: this one means “network,” and is mostly used by technology companies or businesses
- .org: one of the most famous for “organization,” and used today for communities, school organizations
- .edu: which means “education,” for obvious reasons, this one is meant for schools, universities, etc.
- .gov: for “government,” and this was also meant only for U>S government agency use
- .mil: this one is short for “military,” and the sole purpose is only for the U.S. military.
Country Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLD)
- .ca (Canada)
- .ph (Philippines)
- .dk (Denmark)
- .cn (China)
- .ru (Russia)
- .de (Germany)
- .br (Brazil)
- .au (Australia)
- .uk (United Kingdom)
- .nl (Netherlands)
Subdomain
The majority of the time, when people consider the names of a website, they assume a second level. The aspect of your business that people will most likely recall is its distinctive name, which you have chosen to symbolize it. An SLD is top-level that appears in a web address only before the suffix. It can have as many letters, digits, plus special characters as you’d like, but it’s preferable if they are brief and simple.
For example, your main domain is internetmarketingcreators.com and you want the visitors to see your blog so your URL can look something like “blog.internetmarketingcreators.com” It is the other part of the main domain that helps navigate to different parts of your website. So you can also use the subdomain to bring traffic to different platforms as well.
Another example is “tiktok.internetmarketingcreators.com” the subdomain is TikTok and the main domain is interentmarketingcreators.com. Subdomains can also help your website rank on search engines for specific keywords and target specific markets.
Make sure that it is easy to remember and type. Keep it as easy and simple as possible!
How long can I have my domain?
Did you know that websites can be down due to expired domains? Here is what you need to do to avoid this scenario and how to do it!
Domains need to be renewed a year after registering and must be done yearly. If you don’t your website, will go down.
When it expires, all you have to do is to renew it. Go to your registrar and then renew. If you do not know what your registrar is, simply go to who.godaddy.com
Enter your domain and then your information will be shown including the creation date, expiration date, registrar URL and etc.
You can also set your registrar the “auto-renew” since every registrar allows this feature. By doing this, you will not have to manually renew your it or even wait for renewal reminder emails until your website goes down.
Why should I get a domain?
You and your website will appear extra competent if you have your personal domain name, website, and email accounts. A business could also get one to safeguard its intellectual properties, establish credibility, raise the brand image, and improve search engine rankings.
Having one is just a prerequisite to building a good website! It is the most important step to be able to start building a booming website.
