Buying a domain name may sound daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Below are some simple steps to find the right domain name, secure your online presence, and purchase hosting for your website.
Finding the right domain extension
This is very important and sadly, many “good” domain names are taken. So you need to use your creativity to find a good domain name. We recommend using a “.com” name if at all possible. If you are an organization or non-profit, you could also use the “.org” domain. The last option would be to find a .net domain name. I would rarely recommend using a “.biz”, “.info”, “.tv”, or any other options that might be offered. Generally people use “.com”, “.org” and possibly “.net” when searching online.
Finding the right domain name
- I wouldn’t recommend using numbers, hyphens or dashes in your domain name. That can be too hard to explain to people. You want people to be able to remember your domain name and easily spell it. You don’t want to get so creative with your domain name that no one can remember it.
- Use a tool like, BustaName.com to use keywords to see if your ideal domain name is available
Purchasing your domain name
- There are a lot of places on line where you can buy your domain name. Most of them charge around $10 per year, which is an easy investment since you are building a business around this domain name. It’s also good to buy a domain name if you think you might start a business with the same name. Purchasing a domain for $10 to secure that domain is a simple decision to guarantee that it’s around when you want to use it.
- We use Dreamhost for our domains and hosting and even have an affiliate relationship with them. But you can buy your domain name from other sites such as GoDaddy.com. However, I’ve heard a lot of complaints about GoDaddy’s customer service and don’t recommend them.
- You can also use Dreamhost for your hosting. However, you might want to wait a bit until you hire a website developer to create your website. Even though we use and recommend Dreamhost, they might have their own set up which might benefit you. Plus, there’s not sense in spending money on hosting right away when you don’t have to.
Sit back and congratulate yourself on finding, purchasing and securing your domain name. You’re a step closer and ready to build your online presence.
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