Based on conversations and questions from clients I put together these Domain Buying Tips: 7 Simple and Money Saving Things to Know to simplify the process for you.
Oh, I know, it sounds easy enough. But, there are actually many decisions to make along the way from choosing your name to if you need privacy and how many years to buy. Additionally, the checkout process generally will offer you one upsell solution after the next. These may be solutions that you may not know you need or more importantly you don't realize that you don't need them. So, instead of going in with the blinders, I hope these simplifying and money saving tips will help you make the best choices when you are ready to buy domain names.
- If at first you don't succeed – try another version. Domains with two words and sometimes personal names can be hard to get. So, be creative and flexible and don't get discouraged. Perhaps you can use a nickname, an acronym, or add an initial to make it your own. Hey, would you ever have expected a name like Google.com to be what it is? Think outside the box and have fun with it.
- It's a great idea to get at least one additional extension. For example: I own PattyRose.com and PattyRose.net. This can be helpful down the line for split testing and sales pages, etc. But, that is another lesson and checklist for another day. For now, know that it will protect your name so that others can not use it.
- It is NOT necessary to buy ALL the extensions. For example: .info, .me, .mobi, .us, etc. – Just pick the top two or three that work best for you and you'll be covered.
- Should you buy privacy protection? This is a personal preference. Here's how to decide: (a) If you decide against privacy protection, the public CAN access your registered domain owner information such as your address, and phone number. (b) If you do purchase privacy protection, the public can NOT access your owner information. It's really an individual choice. An example of this would be a business with a store front on Main Street, verses a person running a home based business. These two scenarios may invoke a different decision.
- Should you purchase hosting along with the domain? My advice is no. I always use a company specifically geared toward hosting.
- Don't get sold on your way to checkout! They will offer you everything under the sun on your way to checkout. There are better companies for other services. Get your domains and privacy and get on ‘outta' there.
- Should you buy more than 1 year on your domains? The word on the street is that the search engines favor longer term domains over short term domains. It shows a more serious and perhaps more legit purpose for the domain and possible website… all in the name of cutting back on spammers – and that's a good thing.
That's it in a nutshell. Next step…
Your New Website. How EXCITING is that?
Blog post next week will help you navigate that process!
[Friendly Disclaimer: I may be an affiliate of products, services and programs I recommend. If you chose to do business with these companies, I may get a small commission. Rest assured, I only recommend products and services that I have first hand knowledge or a positive experience with.]
