Domain name is very essential for your website. A browser cant direct you to a website without a domain name. It just like a postal address, or a name like yours, by which you are being identified. Without domain name you have to type IP address in the browser to access a website. The IP address cant be memorized easily & also it does not have any branding value. Means, commercially an IP address cant be used for adverting a website or for other things.
How to buy a domain is not a rocket science. You can buy a domain in just few steps. Then why this topic? You may have similar question in your mind. Actually buying a domain is simple but deciding a domain name is difficult. Even expert do many common mistakes. A domain name are being purchase once & used for life time. Hence choose the domain name wisely.
In this article we will discuss all basics of Domain name. I hope you will found it informative & surely help you to decide your business name with ease. We will also discuss the “all things” that must be considered while buying a domain. Please note that choosing a registrar to buy a domain is also a considerable things. Many people do mistake in choosing registrar & pay for that for whole life.
Domain Name basics
What is Domain Name is already been discussed. Now, lets see how it is structured. For visiting my website you used the name of this website minordigit.com. In actual, if you see your browser address bar, you found something like that Https://minordigit.com or https://www.minordigit.com. In every address you will found https & www, because it is common for all, but .com may not be found in another web address or domain name. Actually this .com is an extension. Domain are comes with many extension. There are thousands of extension worldwide & called as TOP LEVEL DOMAIN (TLD)
Different type of domains
Not all domain names follow same extension, but .com domains covers 46.5% of all global websites, and hence it is considered as most popular extension used worldwide. It has global acceptance. Still there are plenty of scope & needs for other domain name types like .org and .net.
As already said, more than 1500 top level domains available for you to choose from, but you don’t have to consider all those. You may consider only the domain extensions like .com, .org, .net or the local ones like .in, .us or .eu . Look at the following table:
| Extension | Categories | Description |
| .com | TLD (Top Level Domain) | A top level domain is exactly like what it sounds. This type of domain names are at the top level of the internet’s domain name system. The most common & popular TLDs are .com, .org, .net, and .edu among thousands of TLDs. The organization named as Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) is the principle authority to maintain the official list of TLDs |
| .in .co .eu .uk etc | ccTLD (Country Code Top Level Domain) | ccTLDs are based upon international country codes, such as .in for the India and .co for Columbia. These domain are being used for that type of website which is dedicated to specific regions and can be a good way of assurance to users that they’ve arrived at the right place. The official list of ccTLDs is maintained by same organization i.e. the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). |
| .gov .mil .org .edu .net | gTLD (Generic Top Level Domain) | A gTLD is also a top-level domain & are are intended for a specific use, such as .edu for educational institutions. Other gTLDs are .mil (military), .gov (government), .org (for non-profits organizations), and .net, for internet service providers (ISPs) but is now all these gTLDs are used more widely. |
| .co.in .edu.in .org.in Sub-domains | Second Level Domain | Second level domain is also a good option some time. Many website provides sub domains for free. Many website used it to categorized the contents. |
Which TLD Extension is to choose?
Most people try to acquire a .com extension. This is definitely the most popular TLDs & has global acceptance & wider audience. Hence, a short and memorable domain name with a .com extension is very hard to get, as most of them are already registered by other people. Sometimes, you may found available to purchase your selected domain name. Hence you must try with .com. But, if you are not getting .com domain name for your website, then try for a non .com domain. All thing depend on your plan. If your planning is to target audience from all around the world, its always better to choose a .com domain. If you don’t found .com with your selected domain name, you can try other TLDs like .net, .org etc. But if your audience is local, better you choose your country specific extension. This will signalize your audience that they are at right place. It is my suggestion to write down all name in your mind on a paper. This will help you to discover more name related to your niche. You must avoid the mistake listed below :
- Avoid Trademark violation – Avoid to choose the name that sound alike any popular domain or previously registered domain.
- Avoid Black-listed Domains – A domain black-listed by Google or listed in spam database must be avoided. It’ will hampers visitors trust & Google approval. You will suffer a lot if you buy a black-listed domain. You may visit IMWP.com to search Google black-list and visit MXToolbox.com to know if it is in spam database.
An easy name always reside on tongue and can be easily memorable or shareable. Hence choose a Shorter, catchy, Brand-able and easily pronounceable domain name. Its a general myth that the name must contain keyword. But this is not true. Amazon, Apple, Google, Yahoo & lots of other examples are there who’s name does not represent their business.
Choose Domain Registrar wisely
Now, At this stage, you’re probably ready to register a domain name for yourself. For that, you have to visit a registrar’s website where you can search for the availability of your desired name, and purchase it if available. This activity should be done as soon as possible because it can be grabbed by any one else. Another option is to register a domain name while purchasing a hosting with a web hosting company. Usually, they offer free domain name registration for one year with a hosting plan.
Buying a domain or registering a domain is very simple process, but before you rush, please do some work with following points
1. Check the pricing and hidden fees
Every agency offer attractive discount on first year’s registration, but don’t focus on just first year discount. check the renewal price also year. Usually the renewal prices of most of the registrar are so high. Domain name has to keep lifelong & cheaper renewal price can save a lot in long run. Many registrars are tricky also. They hide additional costs the fine print or their terms of service. Some will try to sell you additional TLDs, or additional services that may be not need or not beneficial for you. Some companies will grab your attention by showing very low domain prices but will charge extra for renewals.
2. Privacy and data protection
Read carefully the privacy policy of the registrar. While registering your domain name, you had to provide your personal & company information. some one charge extra to protect your information. If care has not been taken for privacy data security, may be targeted by spammer. It is also possible that your registrars sell your personal info to advertising companies. So be careful & choose your registrar wisely.
3. Flexibility and cancellation policy
Before you rush, check how flexible is your registrar, is everything within your control. Can you easily transfer your domain, can change your DNS settings or make WHOIS data private. Is it easy to change owner details or has automatic renewal option etc. There are some situations where you have look upon. Check all features before you rush, because there can be hassle when you want to transfer your domain to another registrar.
4. Available Support
Support is very essential even for expert also You must quire about the support. Better if they offer live chat support 24/7 or phone call number for their customers. 24/7 live chat support is best if they are outside of your country.
Based upon our extensive survey & experience, I suggest following two registrar for your Domain name registration
Namecheap is a very popular & most trusted registrar. It is a budget registrar & known for affordable prices. You can imagine their popularity as they have registered more than 10 million domain names.
BigRock is another name to rely upon. they are also a popular, budget friendly & affordable. BigRock is a leading provider of web-presence solutions to small businesses, professionals and individuals. They have registered over 6 million domains.
If you want to register a domain name along with hosting plan, you must try our following recommendation. These hosting service providers provides free domain name for first year. The top 3 recommendations are:
Bluehost is one of the most popular web hosting service provider. Internet is flooded with positive reviews about this hosting service provider. Its WordPress managed hosting available at INR 175/mo only.
HostGator is another popular hosting service provider. Its plan is affordable, has good service support & come with various plans that suits every ones pocket. You can choose it blindly for your next website.
BigRock has better in web hosting also. as I already told you that this service provider is budget friendly & affordable. BigRock is a leading provider of web-presence solutions to small businesses, professionals and individuals.
Final Thoughts
So, if you are planning a website, a right domain name is important to grow your traffic. It’s your first responsibility to choose the best domain for your business.
While choosing a domain name, consider all the factors discussed above & then register your domain name with a registrar. I recommend BigRock domain registrar as they offer lowest price, flexibility and 24/7 live chat support.
That’s all. I will be delighted if you share your thought about buying a domain.
