Buying A Domain That You Can Use

Buying a domain that can boost your SEO is important. If you are going to spend some good money on a domain then you must look at it as an investment on which there can be some good returns.

As a beginner, you might overlook the importance of a domain name so I will try to answer some of your questions to save time.

• What is a domain name?
• How important is your domain name?
• How to choose a domain name
• Where to search for domain names
• What is the difference between free and paid domains?
• Frequently asked questions asked about domains
• Buying a domain - Summary

What is a domain name?

In order to buy a domain name to suit your purpose, you must first understand what a domain name is.

There are many variants and descriptions on the web but it basically comes down to it being a name by which your website can be identified from among the millions of other websites you are competing with.

It is also important to know that a domain name and a URL are not the same things. A domain name is what comes after the identifiers of www and the @ in email addresses.

A URL is a complete address pointing to a specific page or piece of content on your web domain.

For example, I will use one of my other domains about the Keto lifestyle.

The web domain for this is keto.tubscrub.website that will take you to the main landing page while the full URL is https://keto.tubscrub.website/#keto-diet-explained which will take you to a specific page on my domain.

The e-mail address for this domain will look something like this yourname@keto.tubscrub.website.

How important is your domain name?

If you want to build an authoritative website or blog on the internet it is essential that you put a lot of planning and thought behind the name of your domain.

There are a few reasons why this is important.

• It must represent your brand
• It must be easy to remember
• It must be SEO friendly
• It must allow for expansion
• It must have resale value

It must represent your brand in a way that by just seeing the name of your domain your visitor will be aware of what product you are marketing. Over time your domain name gets synonymous with your service or product which in turn can save you money on marketing.

It must be easy to remember so that your visitors can return at a later stage can revisit and find new content. It is easier to get them back if they don't have to be reminded or if they don't have to search trying to figure out who you were.

It must be SEO-friendly so it does not affect your rankings in search engines. Hard-to-read or poorly constructed domain names are deemed hard to read by search engines and can be pushed to the bottom pages unless your content is top class.

It must allow for the expansion and growth of your website. By being too specific with your name you can find out later that it restricts you from adding products and services that seem not related to the domain name.

A good example is if you decide to sell tents and you get the domain of tents.com. At a later stage, you decide to expand the website by offering tips and guides on fishing. Although related it is confusing if somebody is looking for tents.

A name related to outdoors and camping could've been more suited and will allow you to expand your range going forward.

It must have a resale value so it will be easier to sell it at a later stage if you need to. By making sure the name is reusable you can create not only a monetizable income stream but also a long-term investment.

There are many on the web making good money on the web by flipping domain names. In other words, they buy and sell domains for profit but for beginners just finding a suitable name is good enough for now.

How to choose a domain name?

There is nothing harder than trying to get the right name for your website or business. Once you start looking for domain names you come to realize that all the obvious ones are taken already.

That is why you have to be more creative but still keep it simple. Remember that on the web people like it simple and uncomplicated.

There are three ways that you can get good ideas for your domain name and it is a good idea to build up a good list because as I have mentioned before the most obvious might not be available.

• Ask friends
• Mind mapping
• Keyword research

Ask friends

Everybody has some friends on social media so make use of it to ask for suggestions. You will be surprised how creative some people are and often the suggestions they come up with are something that will be recognizable by anyone interested in your niche.

A simple quiz or poll placed on your timeline will give some kind of response. It is just a habit that most people feel the need to express their opinion. There are always friends that will put some deeper thinking into it and come up with a winner.

If you already have some ideas then a simple poll will do the job to help you make the final decision. It is as simple as AB or C.

Mind mapping

Nothing beats a bit of brainstorming and doing a mind map might just guide you in the right direction. If you are going to do a lot of mind maps I would suggest trying out AYOA for free online.

Here is a small example of a mindmap about a possible soccer blog. Of course, you have no chance of getting the domain soccer.com by now so you have to be innovative. This mindmap gives you an idea of how you can build your blog up for more authority and better opportunities to monetize.

Instead of soccer.com, you can call it allroundsoccer, thesoccerwhiz, ballgames4U, or many others which will leave you open to bigger things to come. It will also be still recognizable as an authority in soccer.

Keyword research

No matter what method you use it will always come back to the correct keywords and what people are searching for. For this Google search or Google Keywords Research tool is the best option for beginners who wants a quick overview.

I use the Google search results with the Keyword Surfer plug-in to get quick results.

For more in-depth keyword research I would suggest a paid keyword research tool as it can supply you with very detailed information on any chosen keyword.

Where to search for domain names?

Once you have your list of names it will be the moment of truth to see if any of those domains are available. 

If you are interested in finding an existing domain name that is expired or on auction you can find it here at Dynadot. The advantage of this is that it might already be ranked by SEO, have valuable backlinks, or have a decent audience.

What is the difference between free and paid domains?

There are 2 types of free domain names you can get when you start your blogging career. Most service providers will offer the domain name for "free" if you join their hosting package. This can be beneficial if you can get the hosting package at a good price. Just note that these offers are only valid for the first year and normal rates apply afterwards.

The other free option is when you join a free hosting service that will offer your domain name as a subdomain. A good example is Blogger which we are currently working on. Instead of the domain being www.ebookjumpstart.com it is showing as www.ebookjumstart.blogspot.com.

The main difference between free and paid domains is that paid domains allow you more freedom to develop and use the domain name as you see fit. If you are thinking of a full online business it has to be paid for so you can expand without limitations.

Frequently asked questions asked about domains

Is it worth buying a domain name?

If you are going on the web for leisure then it is not that important to buy a domain name and a free one will do but if you are planning to do business online it becomes essential to have your own.

How much does it cost to get a domain name?

These days there are plenty of domain platforms available but if we look at only the TLDs (Top-level domains) which are .com /.net / .org / .io / .co then you are looking at a range of  $6 to $13 for the first year.

After the first year, you can pay between $12 and $15 per year for it. The price will also depend on the name as popular domain names will be on resale and can cost thousands.

What is the difference between a domain and a website?

A domain is the name of your website which acts as a referral address on the web for where to find you. A website is the actual content visitors will find when they get there. You can say that the domain is the address and the website is the property you will find at that address.

Do I need a domain name to have a website?

You don't need to have your own domain name. All websites have domain names but you can opt for a free website but then you don't own the domain name. You only have the use of it and if you delete your site someone else can use it.

Does it matter where I buy my domain name?

Yes, it does matter where you buy your domain if you are investing in it for the long term. Various service providers will have different options and it is up to you to decide which provider has the best offer on the hosting of your domain.

The differences are normally found in the hosting service and not so much in the acquisition of a domain name. The most important factor you must look for is the ease of upgrading to better services once you need them. For a beginner, it is best to start at entry-level and upgrade as you need it.

As the domain name in itself is your property for as long as you pay for it you will also have the option to transfer between service providers if you need to at a later stage.

Why do I have to pay for my domain name every year?

The annual payment for your domain name is to ensure that it remains your property and cannot be used or resold by someone else. Once you let your domain expire it can be put back into the marketplace for resale to someone else.

What happens to my domain name if I do not want it anymore?

As it is your property you can sell it by placing it on the domain resale market before it expires and getting some money back on it.

The other option is to let it expire and it will automatically go back into the domain marketplace.

In both instances, you will lose all ownership of these domain names and any work you have done on it will go for nothing.

Can I use hosting without a domain?

Without a domain, hosting will serve no purpose unless you are using one of the other services offered by the service provider such as private e-mail, VPN services, or something else. You can host everything but a website unless you get a domain registered for it.

It is also possible to buy the domain from one service provider but host it on another one in which case you will only buy a hosting package. It makes no difference as you will still pay annually for both the domain and the hosting service.

Buying a domain - Summary

When starting off your blogging career a domain name can be your piece of real estate on the web and selecting the right name can make a big difference now and in the future.

The best practice is to select the right service provider for your needs where you can host your domain while you add value to it at an affordable long-term cost.

This real estate will become your gateway for monetization as an online business or as an investment to sell at a later stage as a going concern.