How To Buy a Domain Name

What is a domain name?

A domain name is the website name.  It’s a user-friendly way for people to look up a website.

For example, google.com is a domain name. 

Every website has an assigned number address known as an Internet Protocol (IP) Address.  Like 123.12.1234.

Instead of trying to remember a series of numbers, we only have to know the business name or domain name to find it online.

There are few parts to a domain name that you should know, which can help you decide on the right one for your business.

What is a top level domain? 

The top level domain is the section after the dot.  For example: Google.com .  The “.com” is the top level domain.

This helps identify what kind of organization the domain name is associated with.

The most common are:

“.com” = Business

“.edu” = Education

“.org” = Non-profits

“.gov” = Government

Most businesses use “.com” but as the years go on, it’s getting harder and harder to find meaningful “.com” domains so other options have been made available.

Such as:

“.co”

“.biz”

“.us”

There are tons of different options.

What is a secondary level domain?

The secondary level domain is the piece before the “.com”.

For example, “Google” in “google.com” is the secondary level domain.

It’s typically the business or organization name or some variation of it.

What is a subdomain?

The subdomain is the section that comes before the secondary level domain.

For example, “mail.” in “mail.google.com” is the subdomain.

This can be helpful if you have a second section to your website like a members’ only section or a separate but related service that is part of your business that requires a set of its own pages and functions.

Your web design agency will be able guide you on whether you need a subdomain.

This is a little more advanced so set this aside for now.

How to choose the best domain

This is the fun part.  Your domain name should have your brand name in it.

While some businesses make their domain name the main keyword they want to rank with on Search, going with your business name is the better long-term approach.

The underlying value of a business is the brand so getting your brand name in front of as many people and as often as possible is the name of the game.

Want help choosing the best domain name and business name?

Check out Nine easy ways to come up with a business name.

When do you need to register a domain?

The sooner the better.  The best way to go about it is to check on domain name availability as you are working out your business name.

For more on that, check out Nine easy ways to come up with a business name.

How much does a domain cost?

Cost: $10-$30 a year

The cost can vary depending on where you register but there is no material difference.

It’s usually best to buy your domain name and order your website hosting service with the same company.

It tends to make things less complicated over time.

Where to buy a domain name (aka Registrars)

Actually, no one can truly own a domain name, but you can buy a domain name if it’s available to be registered.

No matter how big and valuable a business becomes, it never outright owns their domain name.

Domain names are managed by a non-profit organization called The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

ICANN is a non-profit and doesn’t function as the registrar of domain names.

You can buy domains from any Registrar

It’s the web hosting companies that are the registrars and they provide domain registration services directly to the public.

You can register (purchase) a domain name with any web hosting company like Siteground, GoDaddy, Bluehost or countless others.

Use a domain availability checker

Before registering a domain name it makes sense to see if it’s even available.

Some web hosting companies make a domain availability checker available on their website so you can quickly see if a domain is available.

How to complete the domain registration

1. Go to the web hosting company of your choice.
2. See if your domain is available.
3. Create an account with the host.
4. Pay and register your domain for the longest term available.
5. Set it for auto-renew with a valid credit card so you never lose it.

How to purchase domain names from another person or business

Suppose there’s a domain name you absolutely need to have, but it’s registered with someone else.

You may be able to buy it directly from them if the timing and price are right by doing a domain transfer.

While you could pay a domain broker via, I’d recommend simply emailing or calling the business that owns the domain and ask them if they would be interested in selling.

If not, you can look for other similar variations that may get close to it.

Conclusion

Picking a great domain can be fun and it’s a key part of your local marketing plan, but it’s also important to not get stuck on it.

While it’s awesome to get the “perfect” domain, there are lots of other factors that contribute to a successful business.