When should I purchase my domain?
Purchase your domain name BEFORE you register your business and capture the domain before you register you business name. Having a url that fits your business name can be the difference between choosing one business name over another. If you register your business first and then try to buy a domain 2nd you can run into problems of having a domain name that isn’t quite clearly associated with your business. When you register a business the name is published in a local paper and then some people make a living of registering domain names and then reselling them to the business at a huge markup. Since a domain is the predominant search term it is best to secure them first.
Where should I purchase my domain name from?
Honestly, it makes zero difference where a domain is purchased from. Usually it works out its just easier to purchase a domain and hosting with the same company. Sometimes they even offer a free domain with hosting. The cheapest companies to purchase a domain from are ionos.com and namecheap.com. Here is a more comprehensive list of current prices as of October 2020.
| Registrar | .com | .org | .net | Promo Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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|
$1/1st year then $15/year |
$1/1st year then $15/year |
$1/1st year then $15/year |
No code |
 |
$1/1st year then $8.88 | $1/1st year then $12.98 | $1/1st year then 10.78 | 99SPECIAL |
 |
$12.99/year | $9.99/year | $14.99/year | no code |
|
|
$11.99 1st year then $17.99 | $9.99 1st year then $20.99 | $14.99 1st year then $19.99 | no code |
|
|
$12/year | $12/year | $12/year | no code |
 |
$15.95 | $17.95 | $17.95 | no code |
What does the suffix mean on the domain name?
When the internet made its first strides it broke everything down into categories:
.gov – Government Website
.edu – Educational Institution
.mil – Military
.com – Commercial Site
.org – Traditionally a non profit organization Website
.net – Network.
Nowadays you have over 300 suffixes to choose from. So its all based on preference. If you have a blog, you can go with .blog. If you have a store, you can go with .shop. Its all personal preference in todays market.
