Purchasing a domain name is a simple process and there are quite a number of sources to get one. If you are about to get started online and you are in need of some guidance in this area then you need to read this. In this post I’ll share with you how and where to purchase a domain name and a few other things to keep in mind when making your selection, so that you can avoid the mistakes I made and start off the right way.
If you have any questions or concerns about what I’ve shared with you or would like additional information on something I did not share here, then feel free to utilize the comment section of my website. That being said, let’s get started then.
Why Purchase A Domain Name?
This is the first aspect I want to address, because I think you should understand the why behind what you are about to do, and the consequences if you don’t do this. Think of a domain name as a place for your website. You can have a free domain name for your website and it can be just as effective and profitable as a domain name you own.
However, what you need to bear in mind is that if you don’t own that domain your website is on, it’s up for grabs and anyone can purchase that domain name you worked so hard to build your success on.
Secondly, think of that domain name as real estate that you own!
If you own a house or a piece of land, free and clear, no one can just take that away from you. In time, that house or land:
- Increases in value, and
- Eventually you can sell it if you want to.
The same way real estate increases in value, domain names also increase in value and you can also make quite a bit of money flipping domains.
So there you are working hard on your free website to build relevant and meaningful content for your visitors and you are making money. Then whoosh, out of nowhere, someone snaps up that domain name that’s been increasing in value because of your hard work.
What to Pay Attention To When Choosing A Domain Name?
When choosing a domain name, you want to choose something that people can easily remember. Although it is suggested that a domain name 
should be limited to 60 characters, short, sweet and easy to remember is a good rule to follow. In other words go for way less than 60 characters. I’ll give you three reasons why;
- If the domain name is easy to remember then there is less likelihood that mistakes would be made if a longer domain name has to be typed. That’s a plus to your website being found online
- If it’s short and sweet, then it’s easy to pass on.
- Learn from my experience. I’ve got a domain name with 47 characters and it upsets me every time I look at it. I am not sure what I’ll do with it as yet but it’s just way too long. Can you imagine how the urls look? Extremely long! I honestly did not put much thought into purchasing that domain name.
You may also want to purchase a domain name that complements your chosen niche. For example, if your niche is playing guitar, then PlayGuitar.com is short, sweet, easily remembered, easy to pass on and very much related to your niche. Do you see how it’s all coming together? An alternative could be LearnHowToPlayGuitar.com. This also fits the category.
Click on the link, if you need information on how to select or find a niche, before you purchase your domain.
Domain Options to Choose From
So your domain helps you create your online presence. Options include .com, .net, .org, .uk, .club. The dot coms are more popular and ranks quicker. However, depending on what your online presence is related to, you have options that would allow you tailor your presence accordingly.
For example, if you are going for an organization (.org), network (.net) or you want something for a local business withing a specific country (.uk), or a club. That could be fun, but bear in mind that the prices vary for each one. There are a few other options as well.
Having a keyword rich or brandable domain is also something to consider. So check out this short video by Matt Cutts for more information on the importance of a domain name.
Where to Purchase a Domain Name?
Like I mentioned before, there are numerous sources online from which you can purchase a domain name. Here are just a few of the more popular ones:
- 1and1.com
- Godaddy.com
- Maddog.com
- Hostgator.com
- Namecheap.com
My personal preference is Namecheap.com
Why I Use Namecheap.com
At 1and1.com you can purchase a domain name at $0.99 for the first year, but then you pay $14.99/ year. Godaddy offers the same sort of deal.
At Godaddy you can pay $1.00 for a domain name the first year and while that sounds fantastic, the next year it won’t be that price. It can range anywhere from $14.99 – $20.00 and upwards depending.
Hostgator.com is $12.95/yr and Maddogdomains.com can vary from $7.99 to $19.99.
Namecheap on the other hand shows you the price per year and I prefer knowing that up front. Additionally, I get to use a coupon code for my purchase. I am not sure how many people know about that little aspect but now you know as well. So instead of paying $10.69 for my first year, I enter a coupon code and get a discount. That means I pay less than $10.00 for my dot com domain name for the first year, from which I can earn way more than that.
In addition, I have not had any problems using Namecheap.com.
Let’s Just Do A Recap At This Point
- It’s better to own your domain name; like real estate, it appreciates
- Decide what type of domain best fits your need; keyword rich or brandable
- Try to choose a domain name that’s short and sweet so that it can be easily remembered and passed on
- Pay attention to the prices for the various options
- Choose a relevant extension (.com, .org, .net, .club etc)
I want to make this easy for you so I’ve included a short video below (by Patrick Chan) so you can see how simple the process is to purchase your domain name from Namecheap.com.
Make sure you access the coupon code for the month, since you’ll need that information before checkout.
I hope this was helpful and please let me know if you need any further assistance. I look forward to hearing from you.
To your success always
Vanessa
Very useful information on your Site about Domains for a person that is new to making money online with their own Websites. Nice Job!
Hi Michael
That’s always my objective, to provide valuable information for my visitors, so that they can get started online the right way and without regrets.
Nice site a lot of great information.
Hi Amanda
Thank you for dropping by and I am happy to provide information that would help my visitors.
I’ve been using Vodahost for years and have purchased maybe a dozen or so names with them – could be more, come to think of it.
For the first time I bought a domain from another provider – namecheap – to be precise. It cost about half what I was paying Vodahost and it was a simple process. I can see considerable savings for the same result. It’s a bit of a no-brainer
Wow Eoinmc
Thank you for sharing this. This is definitely information I would want my visitors to know. Namecheap really does offer a better price when you consider all the other options and I know that I definitely would not be buying a domain name from Vodahost and I really happy to know that I did not have to pay twice as much for a domain name. Namechep.com really is a bit of a no-brainer. 🙂
This was some extremely helpful information for folks new to the online business world. If you are trying to get an online business running do a little keyword research before coming up with a final decision on the name. This could make or break your business. there are a lot of programs to help you with your search. The Wealthy Affiliate program has everything someone new will need.
Hi Ken
Thanks for the visit. I definitely agree with you there and I hope that my visitors can learn from my mistakes and make better choices in reference to domain names. You definitely should do the keyword research before investing. Believe it or not, I think that your choice of a domain name can also have a psychological impact and it can be a motivating or demotivating factor as well. Having experienced Wealthy Affiliate first hand I have to support your statement, that WA has everything you need to get started.
This post has all the information one needs regarding purchasing a domain name. I will say though, I am not fond of GoDaddy. I used them some years back and found their site very difficult to navigate. I only use Namecheap now.
Thanks for this information, it will be a good reference post.
Hi Virgie
Thanks for sharing that information. I think one of the things you definitely want when purchasing something is easy navigation and I am sure you are definitely getting that with Namecheap.com. I have also heard people did not have such a good experience with a few of the others as well. Overall, price wise and service I’d definitely recommend Namecheap.
Hi Vanessa,
You give some great tips on choosing and purchasing a domain name. When choosing a domain name I prefer to keep it relatively short and I also try to avoid hyphens because they are easily forgotten.
I wasn’t aware of the different pricing structures of the various domain registrars. Having seen your list I will certain continue to use Namecheap.com who provide a great service.
Thanks for the useful advice.
Peter
Hi Peter
Good to know that the information was helpful. Apart form what you’ve highlighted about hyphens in domain name, here is something else that needs to be considered when you do something like that. Using hyphens in a domain name means you’ll always have to explain it; telling someone that there’s a hyphen or hyphens in your chosen domain name. If you forget that, then that potential visitor is not going to find you and that’s not what you want.
With regard to prices, some individuals may get taken in by seeing an offer of $1.00 or $.99 cents and think that it’s a great deal, but in the long-run it really isn’t. I agree with you on Namecheap.com they are consistent with the price and you can use a coupon for a discount on your first purchase and like you I have not had any problems or issues using Namecheap.
What are your thoughts about buying the .com, .net, .info etc for your domain name? Many of these sellers try to convince people of buying each of these for their domain name by offering a package deal. For most people especially new people, I would recommend only buying the .com domain. Maybe if you intend on flipping the domain maybe there is a need on buying the others. I have never flipped a domain so I don’t know.
Thanks
Steve
Hi Steve
I definitely agree with you on the dot com purchase for newbies, as they definitely don’t need to spend more than they have to. In addition, the .com is more familiar, and it ranks better. On the other hand, if someone is into flipping domains, then definitely they can invest in the .net and .org as well, since there would be individuals who may have been thinking of starting a website for their company or organization. So if it is the individual is into flipping domains, he/she can definitely take advantage of the package deal as opposed to purchasing each one separately.
Great article!
I can’t tell you how many times I have seen just awful looking domain names.
It DOES make a difference – and a big one at that.
A clear, concise explanation – thank you!
p.s. – do you recommend buying out all the other primary extensions – i.e. .net, .org
… to keep others from getting something similar?
Thank you
Hi Joanne,
Thanks for dropping by and it’s good to know that you found the information helpful. Buying out all the other extensions is not something I practice and I don;t particularly recommend it but to each his/her own. Someone might think that that’s a good thing to do to prevent a bit of competition, but you can’t stop all the competition. What you can do is do what you do and do that better than anyone else, as well as learn from your competition. I recommend a .net or .org only if that’s the kind of site you are looking to set up.
Thanks for writhing this post. It is truly helpful to me and I should think to a lot more people as well. You have taken me on a journey today. I like the video by Patric Chan because it now has me on a total research about him. He is really successful and have really helped a lot of people to understand internet marketing.
Have a good day.
To your wonderful success.
Jason.
Hi Jason
Thanks for stopping by man. I appreciate the visit. Happy to know that my post was helpful to you, as that’s my objective; to provide useful resources to help people out so that they can become more successful online.
Success to you as well.