Buying a domain name
Buying a domain name is a simple process that requires what name you are going to use for example 123blog and the type of extension you are wanting to use such as .com or .org. This also shows other people what type of website it is. For example .org is an organisation and .biz is a business.
The minimum term you can have a domain is 1 year and a max of 10 years depending on the domain provider. Your domain payment needs to be renewed before the end of the term or you lose your domain. Most registrars have a setting which allows you to automatically renew your domain before it expires should you forget to remember the renew date, it automatically renews for you saving time and potentially a big headache!
Some providers offer a sub domain with them the chance to practice creating your website before you buy a domain. Although buying your own domain for a business looks more professional. It also enables you to be found more easily on the web.
Domain providers allow a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of sixty seven (67).
Make sure when ordering your domain that you spell it correctly as an order with a domain registrar is non-refundable. If you've accidentally bought a domain which is spelt incorrectly you will still own that domain for the amount of years you've bought it and will still own it until it expires.
They is a wide range of domains to choose from with .com being the most common domain extension. some of the other common domain extension you can also choose from include:
| Extension type | Primary location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| .COM | Worldwide | Commercial domain but not always used for this instance |
| .BIZ | Worldwide | Business domain extension for targeting a worldwide audience |
| .CO | Worldwide | Company domain extension for targeting a worldwide audience |
| .CO.UK | United Kingdom | Primarily targets the UK | .DE | Germany | Primarily targets Germany | .EU | Europe | Primarily targets Europe | .FR | France | Primarily targets France | .IO | British Indian Ocean Territory | Primarily targets the British Indian Ocean Territory but also in recent years in known to be used with technology, gaming and start-up firms because “IO” is commonly used as an abbreviation for Input/Output | .IN | India | Primarily targets India | .INFO | Worldwide | Associated with domain that provide useful information or informational based websites | .ME | Worldwide | Used for personal use including blogs, resumes, social media, hobbies and anything else you would like to add about yourself | .ORG.UK | UK Organisation | Organisation based in the UK | .ORG | Organisation | Worldwide organisation | .ME.UK | United Kingdom | Personal use targeting the UK | .MOBI | Worldwide | Mobile extension for targeting mobile products and services | .NET | Worldwide | Network extension name for targeting networking technologies, such as internet service providers and other infrastructure companies | .US | United States of America | Targeting the USA | .US.COM | United States of America | Targeting the USA and US based commercial websites | .TV | Worldwide | Targeting TV based websites |
Domain pricing differs depending on the type of domain extension you are wanting and usually ranges from around £10 to £80.
Other domains which are more rare, have 4 letters or less or have a popular word can potentially go into thousands which can be big business for domain providers.
Domains that have recently expired due to the old user no longer wanting the domain with high SEO ranking can also be purchased a the normal fee then sold on to make a profit, these are known as domain brokers
Unfortunately that's not possible or we would all save a few quid and technically hosting companies would not exist as they would not be needed.
You will also need a hosting package to connect your domain to your hosting plan before you are able to start creating a website.
Think of it as the domain as the PC and hosting as the storage drive, you cant create any site without having both.
Research your domain before you buy as someone else may already have it or you decide to change the domain extension type.
Choose the domain extension type that you think will be more beneficial and in the right location as we have seen users buying the wrong domain or spelling it incorrectly which sadly cannot be changed once purchased by any provider including ourselves.
If you are looking for an affordable domain check out our domains page.