Running a website can get confusing, especially when you’ve got all this terminology thrown at you. So in order to help you out, I’m starting a new series called Website 101. I’ll be going through all the basics (and eventually not-so-basics) of websites in easy to understand terms. First up, domain names.
What is a domain name?
A domain name is the address at where your website resides. Similar to how a house’s address (i.e. 123 Main Street) tells people where they can find your house, a domain (i.e. http://yourdomain.com) tells people where they can find your website.
Why should I buy one?
You should buy a domain if you want a professional looking web address that is easy to remember.
Where can I buy one?
You purchase a domain through a domain registrar. Some popular ones include NameCheap (affiliate link + my personal favorite) and GoDaddy. You can even purchase one through your host when you’re buying hosting.
How much does it cost?
Domains are pretty cheap, typically running $10-$15 a year. However, some domains that are in demand could be hundreds, thousands, or even millions of dollars! The most expensive domain name ever sold, vacationrentals.com, sold for a whopping $35 million.
Anything else I need to know?
When purchasing a domain, I would suggest spending a few extra dollars for private registration (sometimes called WhoIsGuard). Without it, anyone can look up your domain and find out your name, address, phone number, etc.
Good tips! Lol funny story, I just went through some domain name craziness trying to buy one for a work website I made in Google sites. Let’s just say one should never buy a domain through Google Apps because you’re then forced to pay for Google Apps for Business which is $5 a month extra….But I digress, these are great tips and make the process user friendly!
A lot of places try to make it “easier” to buy a domain through them, but in the long run, buying one from a domain registrar (like NameCheap, etc) is the easier way to go. I’m not surprised Google does that.
This is fantastic- a lot of my clients are completlely unsure about how to set up a domain/hosting or even what the heck that is! It’s kind of a lot to take in when you’ve never had a website before. I’ve been thinking of doing a small video tutorial on how to set up everything, and explaining what each step actually does to make your website work.
That sounds like a wonderful idea! Sometimes just seeing the process is a big help!
So this post is really important. Great tips. I definitely feel like people should be informed on the most basic things in blogging/branding like this!
OK, I admit that I’m very computer savvy so setting up and maintaining a website seems scary even though I know that as a freelance writer I must have one. Thank-you for the insight. I knew basically what a domain name was but your article cleared up a few things.
I’m so glad it helped, Tammie!