Category: Domain Names

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Domain Names How To Guides Resources

How To Transfer a Domain from One Host to Another?

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How To Transfer a Domain from One Host to Another?

It’s best not to put all your eggs in one basket. This applies to your domain names and websites as well. So if you have bought a domain name from another company and want to transfer to another hosting provider, you need to follow a set of steps to ensure a smooth process.

So how do you transfer a domain from one host to another? Domain transfers can be done in 4 steps. First, set up your current domain ready for transfer. Then you need to initiate the process with your new registrar. After that, inform your current registrar of the transfer. Secured confirmation emails and payments will be required in between these steps and will differ for each host.

That is the overview of the domain transfer process. For a more detailed step by step guide, check out the guide below.

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Steps on Transferring Domains From One Host to Another

1.  Remove any Domain Locks

Most domain hosts set up a transfer lock for its domains to avoid unauthorized transfers. This can easily be removed by going to your host’s CPanel or Domain Settings. If you cannot find this feature, contact your host.

2.  Remove Privacy Locks

Aside from the domain transfer lock, make sure to turn off your privacy locks or WHOIS protection. This ensures that your new registrant can easily initiate the domain transfer process from their end.

3. Get an AuthInfo or Authorization Code

While still at your current domain’s CPanel or Account Settings, also obtain an Authorization Code or AuthInfo Code for the transfer. You can request for the Authorization Code through your CPanel, and an email containing the code will be sent to your registered email address. Authorization Codes may also be called transfer codes, EPP codes, AuthInfo codes, or AuthCodes.

4. Start the Domain Transfer Process with Your New Registrar

Next, log in to your new registrar’s account and look for the option to start the Domain Transfer process. At this point, you need to fill out a domain transfer form. This may be done through email or an automated form on your host’s website.

5. Provide Your Authorization Code

Give the Authorization or AuthInfo Code from your current registrar. You can send this through email or fill out a form that your new registrar provides.

At this point, your new registrar will coordinate with your current domain host. They will inform you if the transfer request is denied or not and provide reasons why.

6. Make Any Required Payment

For most domain registrar, switching domain hosts is free. However, they may require you to pay for the domain name registration and hosting in advance. Research your new registrar well so that you will know what to expect when it comes to payments and fees.

And if there are no issues with your current domain, the domain transfer will proceed without a hitch.

What Are Possible Reasons for a Denied Transfer of Domain?

Registrar can deny and not process a domain transfer for the following reasons:

  1. The domain name is on a Locked status.
  2. The domain name is within sixty (60) days from its registration date.
  3. The domain name is within sixty (60) days from a previous domain transfer.
  4. The domain name owner does not expressly authorize the transfer.
  5. The domain name holder or administrative contact cannot be verified.
  6. There is evidence of fraud for the transaction.
  7. There is a payment hold on the domain name.

Domain registrars may also not grant transfer requests if there are pending court orders, cases, or disputes for the domain name.

Who Can Authorize Domain Name Transfers?

A domain transfer can only be allowed by any of the following:

  1. The registered owner or holder of the domain name
  2. An administrative contact
  3. A person with legal authority to acts on behalf of the domain name holder or the administrative contact

In the Cpanel or Account Settings of your current domain host, you can request to change the administrative contact or registered owner of your domain name. But remember that for any change in the domain name owner or holder, a sixty (60) day lock will be placed, prohibiting you from making transfers or changes after that.

Contact your hosting provider’s support team to find out if this policy is in place or if you need to wait for sixty more days before you can process a domain transfer.

What Is the Difference Between Domain Transfer and Domain Redirects?

A domain transfer refers to the process of switching the Registrar for your domain name. With domain transfers, your domain name stays the same, and only your Registrar changes.

On the other hand, a domain redirect is a method of forwarding site visitors to another website or domain. With domain redirects, you may change your domain Registrar or not. An example of a domain redirect occurs when you have an old domain, www.olddomain.com, and you want the visitors of this site to be automatically redirected or forwarded to www.newdomain.com.

Can I Transfer a Domain Name to Another Person?

Yes, it is possible to transfer and change the ownership of a domain name to another person. To do this, you need to contact your current domain host or registrar. Authorization forms and requests are sent to you through email to verify the change of domain ownership.

Should I Transfer Domain to New Owner First Before Transferring It to a New Host?

Whether you are transferring domain name holders or hosts, always remember for these a sixty (60) hold occurs after each of this change. You can change the domain name holder first, then wait for sixty days before processing a domain host transfer. This applies when you switch over to a new registrar first. Plan your domain name changes accordingly.

Can I Transfer an Expired Domain?

If your domain has just expired or it is within 45 days from its expiration date, you may still request a domain transfer to another host or registrar. However, if it longer than 45 days, your domain name will be under a Pending Deletion status. You will need to redeem your domain name with your previous domain host and pay for the hosting free before you can request for the domain transfer.

How Much Does a Domain Transfer Cost?

For most domain registrars, transferring a domain comes at no additional cost. However, if your domain has expired for more than 45 days or if it is your registrar’s policy to charge for transfers, they can do so. Research and ask your domain service providers before deciding on which domain host or registrar to use.

What Is the Best Domain Host to Transfer To?

When it comes to choosing the best domain host, you need to keep in mind your website’s specific needs. To illustrate, if you want to more bandwidth and storage allocation, look for a domain host that provides this. Or, if you want a host that offers free domain transfers, pick a provider that explicitly states that any transfers come free of charge.

We recommend SiteGround if you want free email, CDN, and SSL features. Or, you can check out WPX Hosting if you want WordPress hosting. Other hosting providers we recommend are Kinsta and WP Engine.

Check out our bonus bundle and get up to $1,474 in bonuses when you sign up through our Web Hosting Offers.

Related Questions

How long does a domain transfer take?

A domain transfer between different hosts or registrars can take between three (3) to seven (7) days. Note that transfers of country-specific top-level domains (TLDs) may take longer.

How do I know who my domain registrar or host is?

To look up who your domain registrar is, go to lookup.icann.org. On the section labeled Contact Information, you will find the domain registrar’s name and contact information. If domain privacy protection is placed on the domain, a privacy service provider will be shown in this section.

Can I file complaints about my domain registrar with ICANN?

Yes, you can lodge any complaints against the denial of your domain transfer request through ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) on this link https://www.icann.org/compliance/complaint.

Sources:

https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/about-transfer-policy-2017-10-10-en

https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/transfer-policy-2016-06-01-en

https://domains.google/learning-center/why-and-how-to-transfer-your-domain/

 

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domain extensions Domain Names Resources

What Is a .CC Domain? And Should You Use It?

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When it comes to picking a domain name, shorter domains are more memorable and brandable. But If your chosen domain name is not available with the regular .COM, .NET, .BIZ, or .ORG top-level domains, you may opt for a shorter .CC domain name extension.

What is a .cc domain? A .CC domain is the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Cocos Islands or Keeling Islands, an Australian territory found in the Indian Ocean. It is commonly used as the top-level domain for groups, companies, or brands that can be abbreviated with double Cs. A few examples include church clubs, cycling clubs, catering companies, crypto currency, etc.

Remember to use our domain name generator to find the best domain name for your site and take advantage of our FREE Bonuses when you use one of our hosting partners.

Is .CC a Good Domain Extention?

CC domain names work just like other types of top-level domains or extensions. They act as the address that people type in a browser’s search bar in order to go to that specific website or page. A .CC domain name is a good domain name especially if you want an easy-to-remember URL.

What Country Is a CC Domain?

A CC domain name is the two-letter country identifier for the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. These islands are part of Australian and are located in the Indian Ocean.

Is a .CC Domain Free?

No, a .CC domain is not free. Just like other domain names, you must purchase a .CC extension through a verified domain name registrar. VeriSign is its primary backend or registry provider. Domain name registration costs as low as $5.99 per year and can be renewable between 1 to 10 years.

Are .CC Domains Safe?

Yes, .CC domains are safe. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers authorizes sales of all .CC domains through VeriSign, a US-based network infrastructure company.

What Are the Requirements when Getting a .CC Domain?

Anyone can buy or register a .CC domain. But here are a few guidelines that users must follow to ensure that you choose a good domain name:

  1. Your chosen domain name must be between 3 to 63 characters.
  2. Your chosen domain name must include letters, numerals, or a combination thereof.
  3. Your chosen domain name must not use a hyphen at the start or end of the domain.
  4. Your chosen domain name must not use any special characters.

What Is the Difference between .CC and .CO.CC?

.CC is a primary domain name extension while .CO.CC is a secondary level domain name. CO.CC used to be managed by a company that provided free co.cc subdomains and bulk paid co.cc subdomains. As of July 2011, Google has delisted these sites from its index due multiple spam and abuse issues conducted over co.cc subdomains.

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of a .CC Domain?

The main advantage of a .CC domain is its price. It costs a lot less than regular top-level domains.

On the other hand, the main disadvantage of a .CC domain lies in its classification as a country-code top-level domain. This means that the domain extension is the designated two-letter identifier for a specific country (Cocos or Keeling Islands, in this case). If the Cocos Islands’ government decided to limit the TLD’s use to its residents, then you will no longer be able to use the domain.

Another disadvantage is the TLD’s reputation as a spam-filled subdomain due to multiple phishing and abuse issues with co.cc. But note that this is only a lingering reputation and does not affect your site’s future linkability and indexability in the eyes of Google and other search engines.

Use this knowledge of the top-level domain’s pros and cons to make a more informed choice for your website.

How to Choose a Good .CC Domain Name

Before deciding on what top-level domain or country-code top-level domain to use, you first need to have a domain name. And, you need a good name because this will help your customers, fans, or users remember your website URL easily.

Below, we have written a few actionable tips that you can follow to ensure that you select a good domain for personal or business websites.

1. Look at Your Brand or Business Name

The first thing to look into when deciding on a website domain name is your current brand, company, or business name. Chances are, your customers or clients already know your business name so they can easily associate a website with your business name if you use it as a domain name.

On the other hand, if you feel that your current business name sounds too formal or opposite with the branding identity you have in mind, feel free to choose a more suitable domain name. Always remember to use your current company name as a guide on what direction to choose for your website’s name and branding.

2. Use a Domain Name Generator

Another efficient way to search for a good domain name is by using a domain name generator. With our free online name generation tool, you can type your chosen URLs of domain names and a list of available domain names with matching top-level domains is provided.

A domain name generator also allows you to see how your chosen domain name looks with different top-level domain names. After all, a regular mywebsite.com often does not look and sound as unique as a mywebsite.cc domain name.

3. Choose a Short Domain

A hallmark of a good domain name is its length. That is why you need your .CC website to use a short domain name. Ideally, you must go for a domain name that is between two to three short words or between 7 and 12 characters.

When you have a shorter domain name, customers and clients are more likely able to remember the URL. Shorter domains can also be helpful in making your brand more memorable.

4. Avoid Typos

Unless having an intentionally misspelled domain name is part of a marketing stunt for launching your website, make sure that your chosen domain name is spelled correctly. Typos and spelling errors only make your domain name look unprofessional.

Before finalizing your domain name registration, make sure to double-check your domain’s spelling. Also, avoid textspeak or non-standard ways of shortening words and phrases as this makes your domain name appear informal.

5. Keep It Simple

Too often, business owners and website creators are bogged down with the details of picking a domain name. Instead, choose a simple domain name. The one that is most related to your brand or business. Do not be afraid to test out the domain name. You can always use a different domain name if the previous one did not generate as much buzz or if you find issues with it.

The point of deciding on a domain name is to get started on your website. Follow the steps above and you will have an easier time choosing a website domain. And after that, you can breeze through the rest of the steps in starting your own business or personal website.

Related Questions

Are CC websites safe?

CC websites are generally safe. They often get a bad rep due to co.cc subdomain websites generating spam links and offering fake antivirus software a few years ago. But worry not, these offending sites have been reported and delisted from Google’s index since 2011.

If you still have doubts about a CC website, verify if the site uses an SSL or contains an https in its URL as these are signs that the website is trustworthy. Or, you may research the site’s name and read reviews before purchasing or clicking a link on a CC website.

Where are the Cocos Islands located?

The Cocos or Keeling Islands is located in the Indian Ocean. This group of 27 islands in 2 atolls is considered Australian territory.

What happened to co.cc?

Prior to 2011, co.cc was owned by a Korean company that sold free co.cc subdomains and premium bulk subdomains. But as of last July 2011, Google removed more than 11 million co.cc websites from its database as they hosted thousands of phishing and spam subdomains. Today, the co.cc domain name has been purchased by another company that uses the domain as a landing page for a browser image capture site.

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Domain Names Web Hosting

Does SiteGround Offer a Free Domain?

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Getting a free domain name as part of your web hosting plan is one of the best and most convenient ways to save money and time when starting a website. That is why if you are interested in SiteGround as a hosting provider, you first need to know if SiteGround offers free domains.

Naming Generator Domain Search Image

Does SiteGround offer a free domain? No, SiteGround does not offer a free domain name. You need to pay for a domain name separately at about $15.95 per year. The company takes pride in providing consistently fast and reliable hosting plans. And just like other domain and web hosting service providers, the company also provides domain management services like domain transfers, domain registrations, and domain proxy.

 If you are interested in SiteGround as a domain and hosting provider or just want to know better alternatives, this article will help you make a more informed choice.

Siteground does qualify for our FREE bonus bundle of $1,474– which includes a Custom Logo.

What Is SiteGround?

SiteGround is a privately-held website hosting company that started in Sofia, Bulgaria. To date, the company offers web hosting, WordPress hosting, WooCommerce hosting, cloud hosting, enterprise hosting, student hosting, reseller hosting, and domain registration services.

According to the company website, they host about 2 million domains on their platform. The company’s data centers are located in the United States, London, Germany, The Netherlands, Singapore, and Australia. They also have offices in the United States and all over Europe.

How Much Does SiteGround Cost?

SiteGround hosting plans cost between $15 and $40 per month. This monthly rate may further decrease if you get a discounted offer or if you available their yearly plans.

What Are the Different SiteGround Plans?

SiteGround has three main web hosting plans. They are the StartUp, GrowBig, and GoGeek plans. These web hosting plans differ on the number of websites they can host, their server space, and the number of monthly visitors.

All plans include features like free email, free CDN, managed WordPress, SSL, website backup, and a lot more.

What SiteGround Plan Is the Best?

The GrowBig premium plan is the most popular SiteGround web hosting plan. With this plan, you can host unlimited websites at only $24.99 per month.

This plan is ideal for those managing sites that get about 25,000 visits per month. It is also a good midway plan that provides premium server resources without having to pay for the more expensive GoGeek plan.

What Are the Advantages of Using SiteGround?

The primary benefits of using SiteGround lies in its speed and 100% uptime. Other benefits include:

 

  1. SiteGround has its own data centers all around the world.
  2. SiteGround offers free SSL certificates, free website backup, and free website transfer.
  3. SiteGround has top-notch customer service.
  4. SiteGround has its own plugins to help optimize your site’s speed.
  5. SiteGround has intuitive interfaces to make managing your site easy.

What Top Level Domains (TLD) Does SiteGround Offer?

If you are interested in a SiteGround domain, the basic .com domain costs $15.95 per year. Other available domains are .net, .org, .biz, .info, and .us. The company also offers country-level domains like .co.uk, .eu, .nl, etc. and special domains like .shop, .online, .blog, and .xyz.

What Are the Best Alternatives to SiteGround That Offers Free Domains?

When most web hosting providers offer free domain names, it can be difficult to sort through which companies provide high-quality service as well. With our comprehensive list below, we will help you decide what domain and web host provider to pick.

NameCheap

Be smart about your website startup plan and explore NameCheap first when looking for a SiteGround. The hosting company does not only offer one of the lowest domain name registration fees, but it also offers a free domain when you purchase a website hosting plan.

And, when you avail of any of our web hosting options, you will get up to up to $1,400+ worth of free bundle bonuses – including a free, professionally designed logo, business ebooks, and more.

BlueHost

BlueHost is another web hosting company that offers free domain names for every purchase of its hosting plans. Note that this free domain name registration is only valid for one year. The regular yearly domain registration fee will apply after that.

To some, BlueHost may be a bit pricey. But pick BlueHost if you have a high-traffic site that requires reliable speed and uptime. BlueHost costs between $3.95 and $7.99 per month. This rate may decrease if you pre-pay for annual, biennial, or triennial plans.

GoDaddy

GoDaddy is a publicly-traded web hosting company that also provides numerous services to websites. The company frequently offers plan discounts for new customers. Watch out for these offers from time to time, and you may snag your chosen domain name at a much lower cost.

GoDaddy has three hosting plans. They are the Economy, Deluxe, and Ultimate hosting plans. They cost about $8.99 to $16.99 per month.

Wix

Wix mainly leverages its drag and drop website builder and sophisticated website designs. But for your to get a free domain along with your hosting plan, you need to sign up for either their Combo, Unlimited or VIP premium plans. These hosting plans cost $8.50, $12.50, and $24.50 per month, respectively, and will give you a free domain for a year.

This provider is perfect if you want a delicately designed website or a portfolio site.

Weebly

Weebly is perfect if you want to start an online store or eCommerce shop. Domain names are free if you subscribe to a Pro, Business, or Business Plus. These premium plans cost between $12 and $38 per month when paid yearly.

The company also offers free domain names for Pro and Business plans for website owners. This costs between $12 and $25 per month when paid yearly.

SquareSpace

SquareSpace is a privately held company that provides website building and hosting services. It has four hosting plans; Personal, Business, Basic Commerce, and Advanced Commerce. Free custom domain names are available when you purchase an annual plan.

Annual plans cost between $12 and $40 per month, and you get to save up to $30 from the monthly fee.

FatCow

For an udderly cost-effective alternative to SiteGround, you may try out FatCow. The site offers one of the lowest web hosting fees at about $4.08 per month (if purchased yearly). The company also provides WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated hosting – all plans include a free domain name during the first year. (Also, hats off to the company’s consistent bovine-related branding.)

The company may not provide the fastest speed and most reliable uptime, but it can compete in providing all the same services that other providers offer at half the cost. Pick this hosting provider if you are only starting a personal blog or company website that does not require a ton of space or bandwidth.

Whether you are looking to lower your website startup costs or just want to explore different domain provider alternatives, it pays to learn of all your choices before making a decision.

Let this short guide equip you with the right knowledge in choosing a good SiteGround alternative and make an informed choice for your online site.

Don’t forget to check our Free Web Hosting Bonus Offers and accelerate your site’s success.

Related Questions

Does SiteGround Offer a Free Trial?

No, SiteGround does not offer a free trial. Instead, it offers discounted monthly or yearly rates from time to time.

Can You Use a Domain From Another Provider With SiteGround Hosting?

Yes, it is possible to point your SiteGround hosting account to an existing domain name. If you have purchased a domain name from another register, all you need to do is take note of and update your web host’s nameservers or DNS servers in your domain account’s settings. For a step by step guide on how to do this, check this article on how to point your domain.

Does SiteGround have cPanel access?

Yes, SiteGround allows cPanel access. Upon subscribing to a SiteGround hosting plan, access to its custom cPanel Crystal is provided.

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Domain Names How To Guides Resources Web Hosting

How to Create a Website for Cheap? Step By Step Guide

how to build a website for less money

On average, creating a basic website will set you back between $50 to $200 per month. But if you want a more affordable website startup cost, this article will teach you how to make a website quickly and without spending too much.

How to create a website for cheap? Creating an inexpensive website involves choosing a bundled package that gets you more for each dollar spent when registering your chosen domain, subscribing to a web hosting plan, installing WordPress, customizing your site with a free WordPress theme, and establishing a good branding identity. Below are the seven steps you need to follow to create a good website for cheap.

Step 1: Choose a Domain Name

A good business domain name should be memorable and brandable. You may use your business or company name as the domain name. Or, you may explore different word and phrase combinations first using our free domain name generator tool.

Naming Generator Domain Search Image

Using our domain name generator also allows you to search for the availability of your chosen domain as a username in various social media and membership sites. Feel free to experiment with different names before finalizing your domain. Always check whether the name matches the branding identity you want to create for your site.

Step 2: Register Your Domain

Once you are confident with a domain name, it is time to register it. Domain registration is needed to validate the website owner’s identity and to ensure that your site is linked to the right address on the internet.

Choose between affordable domain name registrars like BlueHost, NameCheap, and GoDaddy. These domain registrars often offer reduced annual plan rates compared to paying for the service at a higher monthly fee.

Upon registering your domain name, you will need to provide basic account information like name, address, and contact number. If you want to keep this information private, you may subscribe to domain name proxy service or domain privacy service.

Bonus Tip: You can save money on registering your domain name by getting one free with some of our hosting providers. Check them out here.

Step 3: Get a Web Hosting Plan

The next step is to get a web hosting plan. You need a web host to store all the data and files that are needed to run your website on a server. Most new websites do not need a ton of bandwidth or storage space, so go for a shared hosting plan for now. You may gradually upgrade your hosting plans once your site evolves.

As we have mentioned earlier, you can purchase web hosting plans that also offer free domains. Doing so allows you to save on the monthly domain registration fees.

Take advantage of this discounted pricing with any of our bundled web hosting options. Sign up for a NameCheap or Bluehost hosting plan, and you will get one free domain name on top of other benefits. Or, get WooCommerce hosting through SiteGround, and you will get free email services.

Explore all our web hosting options here. Also, qualify for $1,474 Dollars in FREE bonuses if you use one of our hosting options.

Step 4: Download WordPress

When you sign up for a web hosting plan, you need to decide if you want to build a website from scratch, use your web host’s website builder, or use WordPress. To save on time, effort, and money, we recommend downloading WordPress instead.

As a content management system, a self-hosted WordPress dashboard looks just like a regular WordPress.com blog. If you’re already familiar with the platform, using WordPress for your website will be a breeze. And if it’s your first time using WordPress, learn from hundreds of online tutorials on how to use its intuitive interface.

Remember, you may choose a regular shared web hosting plan and install WordPress yourself. Or, you may sign up for a WordPress hosting plan right away and do away with the hassle of installation.

To save more on your WordPress hosting monthly fees, take a look at our WordPress hosting solutions through WPX Hosting, WP Engine, and Kinsta.

Tip: If you purchased your domain from a different domain service provider, make sure to take point your domain to your web host.

Step 5: Select a Free WordPress Theme

By choosing a self-hosted WordPress site, access to the thousands of website themes on WordPress is at your fingertips. However, if you want your site to stand out, we suggest using the customizability options that the Astra WordPress Theme offers.

Astra is a customizable, responsive, and fast theme that will fit your new WordPress website. With it, you can change the layout, color, typography, headers, and a lot more.

With a free customizable WordPress theme, you not only deduct precious dollars on your website startup cost but also edit the theme’s design without much restriction.

Step 6: Set Up Website Branding

Having a clear brand identity is important for any business. More so, when starting a website. And nothing defines your website brand more than a well-designed logo.

To save up on the logo design cost, you may create your own logo using free online logo generators. Another cost-saving way to get a free customized and professional website logo is by signing up for any of our website hosting options. It’s a great deal considering you are already paying for monthly web hosting.

Check Out The Logo Bonus Here

Step 7: Start an Email List

Upon setting up your domain name, web host, website design, and logo, you need to start thinking of how to grow your site. One way to do that cost-efficiently at the beginning is by creating an email list.

With an email list, you can directly inform anyone (with their permission, of course) of any posts, updates, or changes to your website. Most email marketing software like AWeber, MailChimp, and SendinBlue are available for free for the first 1000-2000 subscribers.

Take advantage of these offers while you are building your list. You can upgrade your email marketing plans later on as your site grows.

Our Web Hosting Bonus Bundle That Will Save You Money

Creating a website for cheap does not mean ending up with a subpar site. With our web hosting options, you get to decide which service suits you and your business best. And then reap additional benefits for free.

Our Bonus Bundle gives you up to $1,400 more value in the form of professional logo design, ebooks, six mini-courses, and a website traffic course – all for free.

You do not have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars unnecessarily when creating a website. You also do not need all the bells and whistles of customized design and other functionalities of a business website from the get-go.

In the beginning, you just need a website that you can afford, with a willingness to learn and improve along the way.

Related Questions

What Is the Cheapest and Easiest Website Builder?

The cheapest website builder is WordPress. It is also the most commonly used content management system in the world today. It’s relatively easy to learn by watching a few tutorial videos or trying out the free WordPress.org blogs. WordPress hosting costs about $3 per month.

What Is the Cheapest eCommerce Website Builder?

The cheapest eCommerce website builder is Square Online. With Square Online, you can start an online store for free and with no monthly fees. They do charge a 2.9% + ¢3 transaction fee. Other eCommerce website builders may not charge transaction fees, but they make up for it through monthly fees and a decreased number of products.

Is WordPress Really Free?

Yes, WordPress is free. You can download the WordPress software for free. However, to use this content management system on the web, you need to have a web hosting account. In your web hosting account, install WordPress, and you can begin customizing themes, adding plugins, posting content, and tracking your traffic.

What Is the Difference Between WordPress.com and WordPress.org?

The main difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org is their web host. WordPress.com is owned and hosted by WordPress, the company. When you sign up for WordPress.com, you will get a free WordPress.com subdomain. On the other hand, WordPress.org allows you to download the WordPress software and lets you install or host it on your web host. With a self-hosted WordPress account, you can use your own domain name.

 

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Domain Names How To Guides Resources Web Hosting

I bought a domain name, now what?

domain now what do I do banner

The most profitable websites today did not end with their founders just picking the best domain name. In their early days, for sure, a lot of grit and learning went into the process. And now that you’ve acquired a domain name, preparing for and executing the next steps is crucial.

So, after purchasing a domain name, now what? The next step after buying a domain is to start getting your website ready. This involves choosing a web host, redirecting your domain to your host, picking a content management system, setting up your official email address, starting social media accounts, planning your content, and so on. This set of steps is the most common order of tasks that you should do after getting your first domain.

 In the next few paragraphs, we will further explore the process and provide best practice tips to get your website started.

What Is a Domain?

A domain name acts as your address on the world wide web. This set of letters and/or numbers is what distinguishes your business from your competitors. That is why it is essential to choose a brandable, memorable, and typically short domain.

Check out this article if you want to learn more about choosing the best domain name for your business.

Naming Generator Domain Search Image

What To Do After Buying a Domain?

Choosing a good business domain name and buying that domain name is only the beginning. Outlined below are your next steps. Do them right, and you’ll be on your way to running an equally profitable website.

1. Get a Web Host

A domain name is just an address on the internet. It does not include the files and visual appearance of your website. You need a web host to complement your existing domain name.

Check out the best web hosting offers from industry leaders here and the incredible bonus bundle you can get through our site.

A website host is a company that provides data storage and bandwidth allocation services (among other things) for websites and webpages. A matching web host for your domain name allows you to have a server that stores all data about your website.

A few examples of web hosting providers are NameCheap, GoDaddy, BlueHost, and DreamHost. Also, if you prefer, you may purchase a web hosting plan from your domain registrant company itself.

2. Point Your Domain to Your Web Host

This next step applies if you have a different domain name registrant and web hosting, provider. For your website to appear every time someone types in your domain name on a browser, you need to point your domain name to your web host.

To do that, you must obtain the DNS servers or Name servers of your web host. Go to your web hosting account’s Settings page and look for the name servers. It usually looks like this ns1.domainsample.com, ns2.domainsample.com.

Once you have that, log in to your domain name’s account. Look for the Domain Manager section of the Settings page and update DNS servers or Name servers with the information you have obtained earlier.

For a step-by-step guide on what to do if you buy a domain from one company and use it at another web host.

3. Pick a Content Management System (CMS)

After pointing your domain to your web host, it is time to build your website properly. Most web hosting providers will give you CPanel (backend) access and allows you to install whatever content management system (CMS) you like.

The most commonly used CMS on the web today is WordPress. Other content management systems, like Drupal, Joomla, SquareSpace, and Wix also exist. Some web hosts also have their own website builders. Choose a CMS that you know your way around.

4. Put Up a ‘Coming Soon’ or ‘Under Construction’ Message

As soon as your domain name is properly pointed to your web host, anyone searching for your domain name can begin accessing your website. Setting up an ‘Under Construction’ sign lets any visitor know that you are actively preparing for your site’s launch. This is also a perfect opportunity to create buzz and start an email list.

While you are busy picking what content management system or web hosting plan to use, placing a ‘Coming Soon’ or ‘Under Construction’ sign on your website puts your site to good use. Doing so means that you do not have to worry about leaving an empty website. Instead, you can focus on planning your content and subsequent website launch.

5. Get a Matching Email Address

Now that you have a new domain name, you must also get a matching email address. For example, if your chosen domain name is www.domainsample.com, you must also own any email address under that domain.

From a business perspective, an email address like janedoe@domainsample.com looks much more legit and trustworthy than a janedoe@yahoo.com one. Getting an email address that matches your domain name also allows lets your customers know that you and your business owns the domain.

6. Pay Attention to Your Website Structure and Layout

Right after buying your business domain is the perfect time to refine your website’s structure. Use this time to finalize your website’s look, choose a theme, and even permalink structure. Pay attention to all the nitty-gritty stuff like plugins, on-page SEO, caching, etc.

You want all the backend stuff all figured out before you officially launch the site.

7. Review Your Content Plan

A well-thought-out content plan is important for any website. Do not forget to review the keywords or topics you want to target. And if you are already ahead in planning your content, you may begin the writing process. If your resources allow, you may even delegate the content creation tasks to your writers.

All the seven steps outlined above are the must-dos after buying a domain name. You do not have to follow them in chronological order. But they must all be done before you officially launch your website.

Can I Get a Domain and a Web Host From Different Companies?

Yes, it is possible to buy a domain from one company and subscribe to a web hosting plan from another company. When you have different web hosts and domain name registrants, you will need to sync or point your domain to your web host.

Doing so will make it possible for your website content to appear once you search for your domain name.

Read more here.

Can I Purchase a Domain Without Hosting?

Yes, you can buy a domain name without a hosting plan. Web hosting plans and domain names do not have to be bought together.

Just remember that with only a domain name, your domain name is considered a parked domain. Anyone who accesses your domain name on a browser will see a parked domain message. Or, without a hosting plan, a domain may be pointed to non-self-hosted sites.

But if you want to create your own website and have your domain name pointed to it, you will need to subscribe to a separate web hosting plan.

Related Questions

Can You Own a Domain Forever?

The short answer is no. Domain names are typically sold for one-year up to ten-year periods. But technically, if you hire a domain proxy service, they can keep track of your domain name and keep renewing and re-registering it before your ownership of the domain expires. Domain proxy providers can keep on doing this permanently, and you will essentially own the domain name forever.

Read more about buying a domain permanently here.

Do I Really Need a Web Host?

Yes, you need a web host to make your website available on the internet. A domain name (your site’s address) and a web host (your site’s storage) work hand in hand to make your site readily accessible online.

Can I Host My Own Website?

In essence, yes, you can host your own website. But this is not advisable since computers need to be highly specialized for this function. You will need your computer to be online all the time and be able to allocate the amount of bandwidth and storage that your site needs. The bigger your website, the more resources in terms of energy, storage, and bandwidth it will need. And this is something that a home setup cannot keep up with.

 

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Domain Names How To Guides Resources Web Hosting

Can I Buy a Domain From One Company and Use It at Another Web Host?

can you buy domain with one company and use a different hosting company possible banner

The first step in beginning a website is choosing a good business domain name. Step two is getting a web host. But what if your domain registrar and web hosts are different? Did you just waste money paying for these website building essentials? Or is there a workaround?

Can you buy a domain name from one company and use it at another web host? The short answer – Yes. You can purchase a domain name from one company and point it to another web hosting provider. Doing so is all possible since domain names and website hosting plans can be purchased separately, and also if you own both the domain and the hosting plan.

Paying for a domain name from one registrar and then using that domain at another web host may sound complicated. But don’t worry. In this article, we will guide you on the process and answer more relevant questions about domain names, hosting, and website building.

What Is the Difference Between a Domain and Hosting?

Let us clear up the confusion about domain names and web hosting.

First, a domain name is the series of letters, numbers, and hyphens typed in the search bar of a browser and then redirects you to a website or web page. A domain name is unique to each website. It is also called a URL (uniform resource locator).

In contrast, web hosting refers to the service provided by companies (web hosts) where server space is allocated to a specific website. Web hosts allow its users to store, record and manage files relevant to running a website.

Can You Buy a Domain Without Hosting?

Yes, you can purchase a domain without a web host and vice versa. However, with only a domain name, there is no way for you to save and manage the files needed to run a website.

You can still keep the domain name as yours by turning the domain into a parked domain.

Where Do I Buy a Domain? And How Much Does it Cost?

Domain names are sold through domain name registrars. These registrars are accredited by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), and they will list your personal information as the owner of the domain in the ICANN registry. A few examples are BlueHost, GoDaddy, NameCheap, DreamHost, FatCoz, and many more.

When buying a domain name, you are essentially paying for the domain registration fee. The yearly fee can be as low as $1 to $20 or more. The domain name registration fee will increase depending on the top-level domain (whether .com, .org, .co.uk, or other country-specific domains), keyword, and whether or not the site has an existing owner.

Where Do I Buy a Web Host? And How Much Does it Cost?

A quick Google search will tell you that there are multiple web hosting providers available today. In fact, most domain name registrars also offer web hosting services, and vice versa. Web hosts typically bill every month, but you can still pay yearly or biennially. Some web hosts even include free domain names.

To save you time searching for the best web hosting provider, feel free to check our web hosting options that can save you money and offer as much as $1,474 in bonuses!

Tips For Buying a Domain

Before you take the plunge of buying a domain, keep in mind these best practices when choosing a suitable domain name:

1. Choose a Short Domain

Shorter domain names are quicker to type and easier to remember. Go for two to three words in your domain name. If you are using your business name as your domain, omit words like Inc, corp, or company.

2. Go for a Brandable Domain

A brandable domain name is a memorable one. Pick a domain name that matches your business image or your personality. You may also choose a domain composed of made-up words that can be distinctly associated with your brand or site.

3. Select a Top-Level Domain

Next, always go for top-level domains like .com, .net, or .org. These are the most popular TLDs, and, often, website visitors trust websites with these top-level domains more.

Also, if you are opening a local online store or an area-specific blog whose target audience are people living in a specific location, you may choose a geographic domain or TLDs like .au, .co.uk, or .kr.

4. Match With Your Website and Business Names

Choose a domain name that matches your website and company names. Doing so is especially important if you want to establish or if you already have a good branding identity for your business.

Matching website URL and website names also make it more convenient for your page visitors to remember. Check out this article for more tips on choosing the best domain name for your business.

How to Point a Domain Name to Another Web Host

Now that you have picked a good domain name and subscribed to a web hosting plan, the next step is to make sure that your domain is pointed to the right web host.

Here are the steps to do that:

1. Find Out Your DNS Servers or Name Servers from Your Web Host

To accomplish this step, you can either ask your web host’s support team or tinker around your web hosting account’s Control Panel.

A name server will look like ns1.domainsample.com, ns2.domainsample.com. Web hosts may have two to three name servers, so make sure to note them down exactly as they were written.

2. Go to Your Domain Registrar Account to Update the Settings

Next, log in to your domain name registrar account. Then, go to the Settings page and look for the Domain Manager option. Click the option to modify or change it and enter the DNS Servers or Name Servers you’ve noted earlier.

Remember that different domain registrars will have different button names and process of changing the DNS servers. To ensure that you are updating the correct setting, you may directly consult your registrar’s Help Page or ask the support team.

And that’s it! When done right, typing your domain name or URL in a browser’s search bar will redirect you to your website.

Now that you’ve learned that purchasing domain names and web hosting plans from different companies is okay, you can finally start building your website (if you haven’t begun yet!). If you need help in choosing a domain name, use of online domain name generator. It’s free.

Naming Generator Domain Search Image

Related Questions

Can You Buy a Domain Owned by Someone Else?

Yes, you may purchase a domain owned by someone else. But be prepared to pay more for the domain. As of 2019, the most expensive domain name sold was for Voice.com at $30 million.

Can You Buy an Expired Domain Name?

If a registrant or domain owner does not renew a domain after a thirty-day grace period, the domain name will go into an auction for seven (7) days. You may purchase the expired domain during the auction period. Most high-value domains will fetch a large sum during this time.

However, if the expired domain is not sold during the auction period, it is considered either a closeout domain or a dropped domain. In both cases, the domain name is listed back in the Registry.

Does Buying a Domain Name Get You an Email Address?

It depends. When you buy a domain name, some domain registrants offer packages that include free email addresses while some do not.

How Different is Domain Forwarding From Domain Masking?

Domain forwarding and domain masking both are services offered by web hosts and domain registrants. With domain forwarding, anyone entering your domain name on a web browser is redirected to your website. In this service, the entered domain name will change to your website’s domain name or URL. For example, mysampledomain.com may be redirected to mynewdomain.com, and the page visitor will see the new domain name.

In comparison, with domain masking, the originating domain name is retained once the page visitor is redirected to the new website. For example, mysampledomain.com may be redirected to mynewdomain.com, but the page visitor will still see mysampledomain.com as the domain name.

Sources:

 

https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/what-2012-02-25-en

https://domains.google/learning-center/how-to-come-up-with-a-good-domain-name/

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190618005248/en/MicroStrategy-Sells-Voice.com-Domain-30-Million

 

 

 

Categories
Domain Names Industry Information

What Does Domain Proxy Mean?

domain proxy article banner

Whether you are starting a professional business website or a personal blog, you also need to consider the impact that purchasing a domain name entails to your data privacy. For starters, you need to decide if you are willing to let your name, address, and other personal information be readily available online. If not, are you open to using a domain proxy service instead?

What does domain proxy mean? Domain proxy refers to both the role and the person assigned to act on behalf of the domain name’s owner or registrant. Any website owner can designate another individual or company (usually a domain proxy service provider) to act as a domain proxy. As the domain owner, you have the power to specify the actions that a domain proxy can do for you.

 Now that you know what a domain proxy is, the next question to answer is whether or not you need such a service. The following few tips will help you navigate the decision-making process, whether it’s a good idea for your business to get a domain proxy for your websites.

To Get or Not to Get a Domain Proxy

Domain proxy services are all about protecting your website and your privacy. But everyone’s priorities are different. That’s why we’ve shared below a short checklist that you can run through to help you determine whether getting a domain proxy is right for you or not.

Get a Proxy Domain If:

  1. You want peace of mind.
  2. You do not want to receive spam emails or calls from random people.
  3. You do not want your personal information freely available online.
  4. You do not want to deal with legitimate third-party correspondence.
  5. You want to maintain anonymity.
  6. You are under the Witness Protection Program.

Do Not Get a Proxy Domain If:

  1. You want the whole world to know that you own your website.
  2. You do not want to spend more on domain proxy or privacy service fees.
  3. You want to communicate directly with any legitimate third-parties who may be interested in your website.

Is Domain Proxy Worth It?

In terms of ensuring that your personal information and business details are protected from malicious prying eyes, domain proxy is definitely worth it.

However, we acknowledge that not all domain owners are in the same situation. Use the checklist above to get a better grip on what your goals for your website are.

What Does a Domain Proxy Do?

Choosing a brandable, short, and memorable domain is up to you, the domain owner, or registrant. However, if you are considering a domain proxy service, here is a list of functions that a domain proxy can do for you.

1. Replace Your Registry Details With Proxy Details

According to ICANN regulations, relevant personal data like name, address, and contact information should be sent to your domain provider’s registry. With a domain proxy service, any personal information is instead hidden, masked, or replaced with the domain proxy provider’s data.

2. Take Care of Correspondences for Your Domain

Now that your real contact information is replaced with your domain proxy service, all of your email or snail mail correspondences and texts or calls are forwarded to them. Some providers may give you a dedicated email address where these messages can be sent. This way, you do not have to deal with these solicitations personally.

3. Security Management

Domain proxy service providers also monitor your domain and prevent unauthorized access. Other domain privacy plans even include round-the-clock website monitoring to prevent and remove malware.

4. Billing Management

Domain proxies also serve as billing managers. Website owners can appoint them to make any billing-related decisions. In the same vein, registrants can also authorize different people or service providers to act as a technical proxy or admin proxy.

5. Prevent Domain Expiration, Cancellation, or Transfer

Another important function of a domain proxy is to ensure that your domain name stays your domain name. Domain proxy service providers will notify you if your credit card is about to expire and you need to renew your domain name. Domain proxies who have technical access can also disallow site cancellation or migration without the registrant’s explicit permission.

How Do I Protect My Domain Name?

Yes, you may have used a naming generator tool and secured a brandable and memorable domain name. But that is half the battle. Once your website is set up, you still need to protect your domain name. And here are a few things you can do:

Naming Generator Domain Search Image

1. Sign Up for Domain Proxy Service

Yes, sign up for a domain proxy service right away. These service providers will notify you a few days or weeks before your domain name expiry to prevent you from losing a good business domain name.

Some providers even step up their game and require your explicit permission before any changes (site transfer or cancellation) are made to your website.

2. Mark Your Domain Name’s Expiry on Your Calendar

Sometimes, nothing beats getting a task notification on your phone’s calendar. So, right after purchasing your chosen domain name, take note of its expiration date, and create a reminder on your calendars. You can do this on your smartphone’s calendar or the desk calendar. Also, just make sure to do the task right away when you receive the calendar notification.

3. Prepay Your Domain Registration Costs

Another method to protect your domain is to prepay the domain’s registration fees. Some domain hosts offer annual, biennial, 5-year, or even 10-year payment plans. Doing so also lets you save on the registration charges since you are paying ahead of time.

4. Update All Sites That Use an Expired Card

If you have recently changed or renewed your credit or debit card, remember to update the new card details in your domain host account. This way, your domain will not accidentally be canceled after unsuccessful payments towards an expired card.

What Is the Difference between Proxy Service and Privacy Service?

When it comes to preserving your privacy and protecting your domain name, domain owners can either use Privacy Services or Proxy Services.

With a proxy service, your personal or business information will not appear on the WHOIS database. Instead, the proxy service will replace your name, address, and contact information with their information. On the WHOIS database, they will act as the registered owner of your domain and all correspondences will be sent to the proxy service.

In contrast, a privacy service allows registrants or website owners to maintain their names as the owner of a domain, but they can use replacement yet still valid contact details. This means that the WHOIS database will reflect your name or business name, but you can designate different emails, contact numbers, and mailing addresses.

Now that you are armed with a good understanding of what a domain proxy is, you’ll be in a better position to determine whether you need it or not for your websites.

Related Questions

What Is the Difference Between Domain Fronting and Domain Proxy?

Registrant refers to the person or entity who purchases a domain name from a domain provider. Registrants can make changes to the domain name as long as timely payments for the domain are made to the domain provider.

On the other hand, a proxy refers to another person or entity who is authorized to act in place of the registrant. Proxies have varying levels of responsibility depending on the agreement between the registrant and the proxy. For example, there can be domain proxies for billing, admin, and technical aspects of a website.

What Is the Difference Between Proxy and Registrant?

Registrant refers to the person or entity who purchases a domain name from a domain provider. Registrants have the power to make changes to the domain name as long as timely payments for the domain is made to the domain provider.

A proxy, on the other hand, refers to another person or entity who is authorized to act in lieu of the registrant. Proxies have varying levels of responsibility depending on the agreement between the registrant and the proxy. For example, there can be domain proxies for billing, admin, and technical aspects of a website.

What Data Is Needed When You Register a Domain?

To register a domain, you will need to submit the following information: Name, Address, Email Address, and Contact Number. Other domain providers and registries may require more information depending on their rules and regulations.

Sources:

https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/privacy-proxy-registration-2013-03-22-en

https://whois.icann.org/en/privacy-and-proxy-services

 

Categories
Domain Names How To Guides

How to Find the Best Domain Name for Your Business

business startup domain name

Domain names, just like our names, are crucial in setting a positive first impression on prospects and clients, more so in establishing a business’s online presence. That’s why if you are starting a company website, one of the first things you need to do is find the most fitting domain name.

So, we beg to ask: How do I find the best domain name for my business?  Well, there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to choosing a domain name. But for any entrepreneur to find the best domain name for a brand or company, you must start with your business name. The best business domain names are brandable, memorable, and short.

But, often, selecting a brandable and easy-to-remember domain name may not be enough. You must choose a domain well because this can help your site’s traffic and promote a favorable branding identity.

Want to see how a truly brandable and memorable business domain looks like? Read the rest of the article for five tips and best practices when selecting the most suitable domain name for your business.

How Do You Find the Best Business Domain Name?

1. Start With Your Business Name

First off, consider using your business or company name as your domain name. Remember, a key rule in business branding is maintaining consistency. When your customers see the same company name and website name used, they are more likely able to remember it.

 

Doing so also aligns with another domain selection rule. And that is keeping your domain name short. For example, if your company name is The Good Furniture Company, Inc., just using www.goodfurniture.com as your domain name will suffice.

 

Think of the most famous business websites in the world today. All of them typically use the same domain name as their official company name. Do that for your business too.

 

But, if your business name is too generic, or if someone else has taken your chosen domain name, you need to be more creative in finding a business website URL. One tool that can help you is a website name generator tool. Our free tool allows you to search for different potential website domain names that match your preferences.

Naming Generator Domain Search Image

2. Add Keywords Related to Your Business

Another domain selection best practice is incorporating keywords that are related to your business industry or niche. Pick domain names that readily tell a customer what the site is for.

For instance, if you have a cleaning business, adding the words clean, neat, service, or tidy can work wonders in letting a customer know what your website is all about.

Remember, when selecting keywords to incorporate into your domain name, you must still keep in mind if the keyword adds creativity to your brand and whether or not it makes your brand more memorable. Don’t add a related keyword just for the sake of adding it.

Before fully committing to a domain name, always check how the keywords work with your chosen website name by plugging in the domain to our Naming Generator. This way, you will see how the new name works with different top-level domains.

3. Branding Before Naming

The next essential step when picking a suitable domain name for your business is to ensure that you have established (or plan to establish) a remarkable business brand first.

Remember: A brand name is more than just a name. It’s an image. Look for a brand name that can help your company cultivate a positive image and unique identity that your customers will happily associate with your business.

And once you have created a trusted brand name and have established this name as your website domain name, your business will have a smoother online transition. In the same vein, your customers will find your website more reliable.

4. Keep it Original and Typo-Free

Typos are major turn-offs. Spelling errors in a domain name not only shows incompetence, but they could also lead to a potential loss in traffic. That is why you must carefully check if your chosen business domain name for typographic errors, grammar lapses, and originality.

A good domain name for any business should not copy other existing business’s brand names or website addresses. Also, avoid closely related domain name spellings or puns as they can make your business appear unprofessional.

Conduct market and competitor research before using a domain name. Some businesses or organizations may not use a particular phrase or word as their website domain names, but they may already own the copyright or trademark for that phrase or word. Avoid any legal mishaps and always do your research first.

To check for available domain names, use free tools like the Naming Generator.

5. Decide If You Need to Purchase Other TLDs

For some business owners who want to set up their official websites, the best domain name is not one but also all the other matching names in different top-level domains. The main reason behind this is to ensure that all traffic from searches using other TLDs are redirected to the official company website.

Owning all the other TLDs (especially the .net, .org, and .biz ones) is a great strategy, especially if you want to avoid confusion and potential domain hijacking. All the other big companies like Microsoft, Apple, and Google are doing this.

Also, by redirecting all traffic to one business website allows you to control and present unified information to your customers.

Try out the free Naming Generator tool and see all the other available top-level domain names that you can use for your business website.

Bonus Tip: You can also purchase misspelled versions of your business’s domain name. Doing so allows you to capture all relevant traffic back to your official website. It’s a win-win.

Apply all the best practice tips shared above and you are now ready to choose the most suitable domain name for your business. Don’t forget to use our free Domain Name Generator and grab the domain name of your choice right away!

What if my business name is already taken as a domain name?

According to VeriSign, as of Q1 of 2020, there are 366.8 million registered domain names globally – a 4.2% yearly increase. It is highly likely that your preferred domain name may already be taken. That’s why a good workaround when it comes to coming up with business domain names is to think of the following criteria when picking out a domain name:

  1. What variations of my business or brand name can I use instead?
  2. Is it brandable?
  3. Is it unique?
  4. Is it short?
  5. Can it be easily remembered?

Ask yourself these questions and, hopefully, you will come up with a more fitting domain name for your brand.

Is it necessary to incorporate exact match keywords when choosing a business domain name?

No. It is best to choose a more brandable or unique domain name with few relevant keyword references instead. Over the past years, Google algorithm updates have penalized websites that used exact match domains.

If you want to read more about finding a matching your domain name and business name, read this article.

Do I need to use a geographic domain extension for my business?

No, geographic domain extension names are not necessary for businesses. However, they can help if you want to narrow down and target customers or clients coming from or searching for a specific location.

For example, if you want to open an eCommerce store that operates in the United Kingdom only, it is best to choose a .co.uk geographic domain extension instead of a regular .com top-level domain.

Related Questions

What do you really mean by a brandable domain name?

 A brandable business domain name means that your domain name or URL stands out, and customers can easily associate your domain name with your business campaign, company name, product, or service.

What is the optimal length of a domain name?

The optimal domain name length is between two (2) to three (3) words or about seven (7) to fourteen (14) characters or letters. Avoid adding hyphens, numerals, and consecutive letters as they can make your business domain name appear unprofessional.

What is the best domain name extension or top-level domain (TLD) for a business?

It is best for businesses to pick a .com top-level domain name or domain name ending. .com domains are more common and often regarded as more trustworthy.

Source:

https://www.verisign.com/en_US/domain-names/dnib/index.xhtml

https://domains.google/learning-center/how-to-come-up-with-a-good-domain-name/

Categories
Domain Names

How Important is it to Match Your Company Name with Your Domain Name?

domain name matching business name blog banner

The goal (not to mention, the logic) is really simple: you want people to be able to type in your business name and land on your website. This was no problem back in the day – but business owners of today face a bigger challenge. With over 220 million domain names already registered, it is now quite difficult to secure a dot-com domain name that matches your new business name to a T.

How important is it to match your company name with your domain name? While matching one’s business name to the corresponding domain name was, once upon a time, believed to be essential, this notion is not as relevant in these modern times. It’s been established that a good domain name is short – seven characters long or fewer, ideally. The next important element is that it also needs to be available for registration. If the goal of your website is to gain leads and search traffic, then keywords are what’s essentially more than an exact match. On the other hand, if the goal of your website is to simply have a web presence for the convenience of your customers who are already familiar with your business, then a domain name that matches closely with your company name could be more effective.

If your business model is heavily-rooted to the worldwide web, then an exact-match domain name should be your prime target. Companies like Netflix, Spotify, Yelp, and yes, Google have people automatically “defaulting” to their company name when typing on the web browser bar. Also, an exact-match domain name helps you get found by search engines, instead of losing your potential customer/s to someone else.

But if your business is mainly transacted offline, then you have more leeway should an exact-match domain name is not available to you. Many “brick-and-mortar” businesses (such as restaurants, hotels, gyms, etc.) include their geographic location in their domain names. You may want to consider yourcompanynameSF.com if you’re in San Francisco or yourcompanynameOH.com if you’re in Cleveland. You get the idea. Doing so likewise helps to increase your search engine visibility as many people typically search for retail outlets, hotels, and the like by location.

When formulating a branded domain name, the number one question you need to ask yourself is this: what works best for your customers? What would uniquely capture your business’ identity and will stay top-of-mind among your target audience? Fine, go with a long or short domain name so long as it’s memorable, relevant, easy to spell, professional, and unique.

Do I Need to Include LLC in My Domain Name?

First things first, a limited liability company (LLC) is a business type that combines elements of a partnership, sole proprietorship, and a corporation. This ensures that the owner/s of the company is/are not personally liable for the company’s debts or liabilities.

If your business is registered as an LLC, you might think of adding the acronym to your domain name. You can do so, yes, BUT a problem may arise should your business structure change down the road. In other words, say you started out as an LLC and so you registered yourbusinessLLC.com. But what if you need or decide to change the legal structure? Your registered domain name will no longer match your business structure, thus requiring you to re-register a matching name anew. And what if the version of your business name without the “LLC” is unavailable? Therefore, it’s more practical to skip the LLC.

Also, the “LLC” in a domain name may be inadvertently left out (or forgotten), landing your potential visitors onto the wrong website.

So, please, make it easy for yourself and your potential customers and just drop the business structure from your domain name. If the goal is to just distinguish yourself from a similar business, secure a keyword-rich domain name instead.

What is the Easiest Way to Check if my Business Name is Available as a Domain?

The first place you want to start to find your domain’s availability is with our FREE Naming Generator.

Naming Generator Domain Search Image

It will allow you to quickly search the availability of your name. If it’s available it will allow you to quickly secure the domain at the best possible price from some of the biggest companies in the industry.  If it isn’t available it will give you a lot of closely related naming ideas that are available.

The old manual way to see if your preferred domain name is available is to search it out. In your web browser, type in www.yourbusinessname.com. Try checking your business name dot-com, dot-org, dot-net, etc. on the end to see if any business entity comes up or if there is a similar business out there that could be in competition with your brand.

If no functioning website is associated to that domain name you want, you’ll see one of these two things. Either you see an error page, or you see content on the page that offers to sell you the domain name. Please do not get tempted by such an offer to purchase the domain name. These kinds of offers usually mean that the domain name is already registered to another business or entity. It may be available for sale by that business or entity, but the parked post will likely charge you more (think: middle man).

If you get an error page, you know that the domain name is available. Once you’ve determined that is no active website for your preferred domain name, what you will want to do next is check the WhoIs record for the domain name. WhoIs is a record of domain names and provides the history of a particular domain name. Here, you can see if that domain name has ever been registered to another company or individual and when. If the WhoIs record shows that the domain name is currently registered to someone else, this means the domain name is not available (even if there is no active website associated with it).

The domain name for your business’ website is an integral part of your branding. A domain name that is highly relevant to your business is instrumental in your customers’ ability to find you. The whoIs will offer you the option to purchase the domain name if it’s available, but a word of advice: this is not usually the best option. A good domain name registrar will provide more services than simply registering your choice of the domain name. After checking WhoIs, a good place to turn next is NamingGenerator.com, a free online domain name generator tool, that will not only help you come up with available domain name ideas for your business but will give you great domain name registrar recommendations, plus access to great web hosting deals.

Let me just reiterate that even if your business name appears to be available upon an online search, somewhere out there a competitor could be in the process of completing its unregistered business name. Act fast. Start here.

 

How do I Get Other Domain Ideas if My Company Name is Taken?

If your business name is already taken as a domain name, do not fret. There are workarounds. Take GlaxoSmithKline, for example. GlaxoSmithKline is a giant in the pharmaceutical industry, named as GSK.com online. Not that they had any competition in name ever, but hear the story of their strategy out. There was a time GSK wanted to promote vaccine use, particularly for whooping cough. GSK created an entirely new website and with the domain name BigBadCough.com. While BigBadCough.com is longer than the 7-character ideal, it is both memorable and concise. The website’s domain name clearly communicates the type of content that is being discussed on the said website.

Another way to approach the unavailable domain name pickle is to add location information, as earlier described. MomsBaking.com could be MomsBakingVA.com. The geographic signifier can filter customers, ensuring they land on the right website, in the right location.

If your business name is unavailable to register as a domain name, all is not lost. A good online domain name generator tool offers free domain name suggestions, using your own ideas and your keywords, and will likewise offer good leads on domain registrars and web hosting services.

 

Does Your Logo Have to Match Your Business Name?

Technically speaking, a logo is really a graphic representation and so it may be hard to match it to the written word.  A business logo is effective IF it evokes the sense of the brand. Like how the swoosh does not have a single text on it, yet it is very much recognizable as Nike. Even wordmarks, such as the cursive style of the Coca-Cola brand. It is so richly stylized that it acts as a logo – it is distinctly Coca-Cola’s.

You’ll want your logo to stand out as different in the minds of your customers. Your logo should imprint on people’s minds; the more effortlessly, the better. A well-chosen business name and logo are both instrumental in helping you to stand out among your competition.

We go back to NamingGenerator.com again. For this is not just a free online domain name generator tool that likewise offers recommendations for domain name registrars and web hosting providers. You can also get a free custom logo design when you use their FREE domain name generator and opt to use one of their hosting partners to register the domain you decide on. NamingGenerator.com is pretty much your one-stop-shop in the journey to building you the best website ever.

 

We would emphasize that a domain name that matches your company or business name is appropriate when your website is essentially an online presence for your business. However, when marketing a certain brand, product, or service, a domain name that is short, catchy, and memorable would do the job more effectively. The perfect domain name for brand awareness can be the name of the brand, a keyword that describes your product or service, or a word abbreviation with no direct translation. Truly, there are several factors to consider when naming your business. While it may pose as a roadblock, you should not really let the availability of a dot-com domain name be a deal-breaker of sorts. If you were able to come up with a business or company name that works for you on many levels, there’s surely a way to find a domain name that will serve you just as effectively.

Sources

https://www.inc.com/janine-popick/business-name-or-domain-name-what-comes-first.html

https://technologytherapy.com/domain-name-business-name-match/

https://websitecreativepro.com/blog/domain-match-business-name/

https://www.quora.com/Can-a-domain-name-be-different-than-your-legal-business-name

https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/do-i-have-to-use-llc-in-the-business-name

https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/what-is-a-limited-liability-company-llc

https://howtostartanllc.com/what-is-an-llc

https://www.startwebsmart.com/answers/how-to-buy-the-best-domain-name-for-your-website/

https://broadly.com/blog/find-if-a-business-name-is-available/

https://www.register.ie/a-guide-on-how-to-check-if-a-domain-name-is-available/

https://www.quora.com/Does-your-trademark-have-to-match-the-brand-name

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/choose-company-name-logo-2348.html

https://www.quora.com/Does-your-trademark-have-to-match-the-brand-name

Categories
Domain Names

Can a Domain Name be Too Long?

can a domain name be too long article banner

The ultimate goal of a website is to attract then engage potential customers. The more visitors, the better. The website’s domain name, obviously, is key in achieving this goal. In this article, we will talk about more features of an effective domain name, particularly the impact of length on the overall quality of a domain name, and namely, can a domain name be too long?

So, can a domain name be too long? The direct answer is yes, there is such a thing as having a domain name that is “too long”. The maximum number of characters a domain can be is 67 including the extension. When your domain name has a disproportionate or excessive number of characters, it can be harder for your customers to remember. The simpler your domain name, the easier it will likely stick to a customer’s mind. The last thing any business or organization with an online presence would want is for a potential client to give up on finding your services, simply because he or she could not recall your website’s name (or yes, location, technically speaking).

If you want help finding a great short domain name, use our free domain name generating tool.

Naming Generator Domain Search Image

It is only natural to want your business name and domain name to be an exact match. The common logic to it is that any discrepancy between your domain and business names could cause confusion for your site’s visitors. But if your business name is quite lengthy, you may have to put more thought into the domain name you choose.

Certainly, no one would want a domain name that has words that are difficult to remember or even harder to spell. A highly complicated domain name may just cause you to lose out on valuable website traffic, not to mention potential business.

Likewise, it may be quite tempting to stuff your domain name with too many keywords. Although it won’t hurt to add more than one, too many keywords could be derailing you from your brand and vision.

It may not be ideal to cram up your full business name into your domain name, but you can very much still highlight your brand via your domain name. You just need to ensure that your branding, website content, and your business’ “message” all support each other. More on branding down the page. Read on.

 

How long can a domain name be?

A valid domain name has a minimum of 3 characters and can go up to 67 characters long (max) — including the 4 characters used to identify the Top Level Domain (.com, .net, or .org, etc.).

Most experts suggest that actually going all-out with the 67 characters (including the extension) makes for an awfully long URL and, thus, is not entirely recommended.

 

Why does domain length matter?

The lengthier your domain name, the more likely it is that people forget the address or to commit an error (or errors) when typing it in. Also, if your domain name is too long, it could be a challenge to print on business cards, letterheads, sides of trucks, and so on.

But, as we will discuss further down this article, long domain names aren’t always bad. The real key to an effective domain name, setting length aside, is meaningfulness. Relevance. Recall.

Just that experts would unanimously recommend not overdoing domain naming, particularly in the length aspect. Very long domain names might look rather “spam-my”. It is also possible that extra-long domain names (resulting to long URLs) might have some negative impact on web usage on mobile devices. Even a 70 WPM touch-typist may not be able to overcome the relatively tiny keypads on most hand-held devices. This is not yet taking into consideration the countless people who aren’t familiar with copy-paste shortcuts on smartphones and similar digital devices.

 

How long should a Domain name be?

Research has shown that the most common domain names are approximately 12 characters long, on average. The data used were based on website popularity. That is, the amount of web traffic. This is why experts recommend that we should aim for domain names with just 6 to 14 characters. If you are not able to find a short domain name (these have likely been sold years ago), at least make your domain name “brandable”.

A brandable domain name is unique and stands out from all others, while a generic domain name is not particularly memorable and is typically stuffed with keywords.

 

Are long domain names bad?

Come up with an impressive and effective brand name that is easy to remember for the users. Usually, it is the short domain names that stick to people’s minds. In general, SEO experts and other online observers seem to agree with a common rule-of-thumb when it comes to domain naming: a one-word domain name is outstanding; a two-word domain name is good; three or more words is not always bad – though it’s more often NOT a good idea, either.

But a domain name is not “too long” if it conveys real meaning. To illustrate, DomainNames.com is 11 characters long, but sure makes more sense than DMNM.com. Then again, DN.com is golden than both earlier examples combined.

This might be a good rule of thumb: “if it’s meaningful, it’s not too long. But if it’s short, it is more likely to be meaningful.”

Longer domain names, though, have a better chance at being unique, especially if the combination of words is creative. And one may have better luck at getting the URL of choice registered with a provider out there.

Are Shorter Domain Names Better?

In general, when it comes to the length of your domain, shorter is better. Why? Short domain names (one or two words) are concise and thus easier to read. Also, and more importantly, shorter domain names are easier to remember. In practical applications, short domain names are easier to include on any printed material, such as business cards, letterheads, or mobile (as in moving) ads.

There is this one challenge to a short domain name, though. Short domain names have, more likely, been registered already. This is especially true for brand names that aren’t 100% unique and brand names that contain a common word or phrase.

These circumstances may require you to get more creative. You might also need to consider paying a little extra for a domain name with a different extension (.net, .org, .co, etc.).

 

How to find the best and shortest domain name available?

The reality is that good and short domain names are becoming harder and harder to find in .com. You may have better luck trying to find and register domain names of a reasonably short length that are still available with a different TLD (top-level domain). You may have to start looking at .com.au and the like.

As earlier recommended, if you are unable to find something short, at least make your domain name brandable. You can make up your own catchy, new word, just as Google, Bing, and Yahoo have done. Whip out your thesaurus as you might just find interesting words that fit your brand.

Another great suggestion is to use domain name generators. These tools, such as this FREE online domain name generator tool, can help you come up with a unique, brandable domain name derived from your initial domain ideas and keywords.

 

Word-of-mouth marketing is an absolutely viable avenue to take in growing your business. For this to happen, it is essential that your website’s domain name is almost effortless to recall. Whenever you find yourself second-guessing your domain name idea, go the “shorter is better” route. Okay, a lot of the shorter domain names will have been taken by now. This is, then, the time to bust out your creative side. You may believe that you’re bursting at the seams with great ideas… but none of that may not matter if the great idea of a domain name is no longer available for you to register. Before moving forward, make sure you periodically stop and do a domain search to check your great idea’s availability. This will save you a lot of trouble down the line. You can just sit back and click here to get started.

 

Sources Used

https://blog.flippa.com/domain-name-mistakes/

https://www.webfx.com/long-domain-name-vs-short.html

https://www.namepros.com/threads/how-long-is-too-long-for-a-domain-name.1136512/

https://www.crucial.com.au/blog/2017/04/20/domain-name-length/

https://www.appypie.com/faqs/what-characters-are-allowed-in-a-domain-name

https://websitesetup.org/choose-domain-name/

https://www.domainregistration.com.au/infocentre/info-domain-length.php