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Domains 101

July 9, 2014 Uncategorized No Comments

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will receive compensation if you click through and make a purchase.

Website 101: Domains

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.

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Comments

  1. Evani says

    July 9, 2014 at 12:47 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Allyssa says

      July 14, 2014 at 2:53 pm

      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.

      Reply
  2. Margo says

    July 9, 2014 at 12:53 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Allyssa says

      July 14, 2014 at 2:53 pm

      That sounds like a wonderful idea! Sometimes just seeing the process is a big help!

      Reply
  3. Kolbi says

    July 9, 2014 at 2:17 pm

    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!

    Reply
  4. Tammie McGlothlin says

    July 10, 2014 at 9:41 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Allyssa says

      July 14, 2014 at 2:54 pm

      I’m so glad it helped, Tammie!

      Reply

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