How Much Should a Domain Name Cost?

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Close your eyes and imagine this scenario.  Okay, don’t close your eyes, because you  need to read this!  Imagine: you have an incredible idea for a website. You are excited and ready to put it out there for everyone to see, so you begin the process. The first step is to find the perfect domain name. You check to see if it’s available – it is!  Now you can buy the domain name and plan the perfect website. But what will a domain name cost?

Domain names in the past

There are a few factors that play into domain name cost.  Several years ago, we saw the emergence of domain name speculators.  You might be thinking to yourself, “What in the world is a domain name speculator?” When the internet became more prominent in the homes of everyday people, speculators tried to buy up domain names. They thought these names would be popular. This hope of selling the names to companies in the future meant profit.

For example, you might purchased a domain name, or dot com, for something simple like love. Down the road, a dating service that wants that domain name, will pay good money to get it.  Sometimes, speculators sit on a domain name for years before they make any money. However, sometimes the domain names are a bust.  It was a gamble many people are willing to take and had potential for high pay out with little risk.

Domain names now

Since the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) added top-level domains for every country (.au, .us, .uk, instead of just .com), you started to see a decline in domain speculators. ICANN now even allows companies to create their own top-level domains – that’s why domain names don’t always end in .com or country codes anymore.  If you sell vintage postcards, your domain name could be vintage.postcards. If you are loaded and have about $200k laying around, you can do something like what Barclays did, which is register their own TLD – Check out Barclays site at http://home.barclays

Many others are in the works such as .app, .bank .mom and even .family domains. With so many options, you probably won’t be hunting down the owner of a domain name and negotiating a high-priced deal to buy the domain name you want. The exception to the rule is that many people, including myself believe that .com is king, and those domains seem to rank better in search engines currently, and for those two reasons, they might be worth paying a premium for, especially if is a a very good, short and easy to remember name, like pizza.com for example. I wonder how many offers that guy refused hoping to squeeze every penny out of that domain? Surely every pizza chain in the country has proposed to him by now.

Where does that leave domain name cost?

How much

Typically, you can expect to spend $10-15 dollars a year for domain name cost.  Why a recurring fee?  You pay a registrar to register your domain name for you, and the recurring fee is simply like any registration fee.  Sometimes, you can purchase up to 10 years of registration for your domain name up front.  If you know you’ll have your website for a long time, this is a good idea, because it locks in your monthly fee for 10 years.  This protects you in case prices rise, and keeps you from having to worry about renewing every year. When it’s time to renew your domain name registration, your registrar will typically send you a notice, but if you don’t renew, someone else might scoop up your domain name. Make a calendar reminder so that you do not miss the renewal dates, just in case!

As you can see, domain name fees aren’t something to fret over anymore.  You can expect to register your domain name at a reasonable price, plus, you can customize it how you would like.  You might spend a few sleepless nights coming up with the perfect domain name that aligns with your brand, but you shouldn’t waste time dwelling on the price! If you have questions about domain name registration prices, contact your favorite web host.  Often, your web host can register your domain name for you, saving you a step with the added benefit of one-stop shopping and a single bill, and single service provider to manage your hosting and domains from. Once you have your domain name registered, you can focus on getting the site built and making those millions, yeah buddy!

Choosing the Best Domain

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choosing the best domainAre you struggling when it comes to choosing the best domain for yourself or your project? How do you know you’ve chosen the best domain? In the age of the Internet, the majority of your audience will get their first impression of your organization online. Finding the right type of domain is crucial to reaching your audience. It’s exciting to start something new, but before you go searching for the best web hosting company, you need to know what you’re building.

Figuring out the right domain is a little more complicated than simply adding “.com” to the end of your business’s name. How do you know a .com is even the best domain for your website? There are top-tier domains associated with countries, education, government, and even the deep web. Know what your domain says about your business before you make any final decisions.

Domains by Region

Let’s look at country domains first. While residents of a particular country can often take advantage of their country’s domain to draw local business, (.au is possibly the most successful example of this), it may not be the best domain name, unless you plan to restrict your business to that country. Even if your intended audience is local, a country is not a very specific area. How many U.S. based companies actually use .us as their domain? Besides, most businesses with an online presence prefer an international audience. Even if you aren’t ready to sell to other countries, an international audience still brings attention to your business and prepares you for future expansion.

An exception to this rule is a business trying to draw people (often tourists) interested in a particular country. If you want to go on a vacation to a specific country, a company with the domain name containing the name of that specific country will catch your attention faster than the generic domain. Those who need especially patriotic websites, such as tribute sites, or companies wanting to attract government contracts, might also consider national domains.

Domains by Purpose

Specialized institutions like universities and government organizations take advantage of special types of domain names such as .edu and .gov. However, the vast majority of businesses and organizations receive service by the original top-tier domains. Domains that tell visitors what your website is about are a huge advantage. Even if you don’t qualify for one of the special domains listed above, choosing the right domain can still give you an advantage. Anyone can register a .com, .org, or .net domain, but keep in mind what these originally stood for. Once upon a time, .com was for businesses, .org was for non-profit organizations, and .net was for portal websites that hosted links to other websites.

These days, .net has fallen out of favor. It appears from time to time, but it isn’t very common. There are still plenty of .org websites, but many non-profits use .com domains. Why do they do this? People remember .com. Although it isn’t shockingly original, .com has become the go-to domain for essentially any kind of website. If someone forgets the name of your website, they will probably try looking it up by entering your company name and .com. Each domain has its advantages, but .com is the most popular and the easiest to remember.

Your Best Domain

If you can specialize, do it. If you can’t specialize, make your website memorable. After all, the Internet is all about communication. Once you’ve figured out which domain is the best fit for your website, you can get busy finding the best web hosting services.

If you’re working on choosing the best domain, or already know the best domain for you, you can register it right now at GlowHost.