What Is A Domain? How Do I Buy One?

The Basics

Simply put, a domain is the IP address you type into the search bar on Google (Nike.com, Apple.com). Once a domain is purchased, you will need to purchase web hosting for that domain to go live. We will discuss this in another article, where we will do a deep dive into where to host your website.

When you are choosing a domain, it’s important to think about the name and also the length. Generally, you’re less likely to have traffic to your site if the name isn’t short and to the point. Think of all the sites you visit on a daily basis. Most of them are probably one or two words with a .com, .net, or org, etc.

BONUS: TIPS

Here are a handful of tips when choosing your perfect domain.

1. Research Look into similar companies in the area. See if you can pick up on their technique.
2. Avoid Hyphens It is unnatural for a user to type a hyphen into the search bar. This can lower your credibility of your website. Can you think of any Fortune 500’s that have a — before the .com? Nothing comes to mind.
3. Make it short and rememberable With so many websites on the internet, it can be a challenge for potential customers to find you. Why make it harder?
   • Top 5 Most Popular Websites
     Average domain length = 6 characters
4. Secure it! Lock it down! You’ve spent time creating your brand new site, don’t let it slip away from you. People are always lurking for unsecured domains to steal on www.whois.net. Once it is stolen, unless you are willing to pay hundreds of dollars to get it back, you will never retrieve it.
5. Purchase an SSL Certificate Speak the language of security with an SSL certificate. The little green lock lets visitors know that you’ll keep their data safe.
6. Try to buy .com domains Our human instinct is to type .com, thus, a .net, .business, .club, etc. are going to have a harder time driving traffic. TLD or Top Level Domains often end in .com
7. Buy another domain similar to your first domain Can’t choose just one domain… don’t! Google recommends buying 2-3 domains and then redirecting, or have them point to your primary domain. In case someone happens to click on one of your non-primary domains, they will be redirected.

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Written by Kate Stallings