How To Buy A Domain Name
There are boat loads of registrars out there you can buy from. I will briefly touch on four of them but, no matter which one you choose, the process is pretty much the same. You start by doing a search for the domain you want and, if it's available, you simply walk through the purchasing process.Registrars
Namecheap is who I have been using recently and I am very happy with them. If you change the Domain Name Server (DNS) setting during the purchasing process, the domain is usually ready to use within 30 minutes or less.I used to use 1&1 but I really don't recommend them at all. They are probably the cheapest but you get what you pay for and, with the average cost of a domain around $10 per year, it's not like it's all that expensive to use a company that offers decent service. I don't mind hitches - that can happen at any company but the way in which 1&1 handled me as a customer has cost them my business and my recommendation. The one thing I will say in their favor is, they do occasionally sell .com domains for $.99.
I have also heard great things about Hostgator but I have never bought a domain from them. I used to use their hosting though and the customer service was excellent. I love the 24/7 live chat support they have. You have access to a live person who, in most cases, is surprisingly knowledgeable. If the regular operator can't help you, you can ask to speak to a specialist whom they also keep on staff 24/7. This awesome service comes at a price though. Hostgator charges $15 per year for a domain name.
The last company I would like to talk about it Go Daddy, AKA, the king of the up-sell. As far as their service goes, I have heard good things but I will never use this company for one simple reason. They were supporters of Stop On-Line Piracy Act (SOPA). I know they said they changed their position on this but the only reason they did so was because people were forming a boycott. I believe the only thing that's changed is their public stance on the subject. Given half a chance, I'm sure they would be in favor of SOPA again.
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I do use Wealthy Affiliate hosting myself and I am very happy with it. I have no desire to ever leave WA so I see no reason to pay extra money for external hosting. You are not obligated to use the hosting here however so please, make that decision based on your personal needs.
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Hi Tyler, a great article indeed! It cleared many of my doubts. Just couple of things I want to ask being a newbie in this field.
1) To what extent your ranking suffers by naming a website with keywords rich domain from naming the site unrelated to it?
2) Do your domain or webhost have anything to do with your overall ranking in the web search?
Thanks
1) To what extent your ranking suffers by naming a website with keywords rich domain from naming the site unrelated to it?
2) Do your domain or webhost have anything to do with your overall ranking in the web search?
Thanks
Reply
Ty Johnson
Premium
My name is actually just Ty.
To answer your questions you're site is not going to suffer from using a keyword rich domain at all. Keyword rich domains are very good for getting ranked for a specific keyword. At one time Google gave a lot more weight to keyword rich domains than they do now. In that video Matt Cutts explains that they just turned the knob down a bit, they didn't make it a bad thing.
The advantage to a brandable domain is that people will remember it more than a keyword rich domain name. In my opinion brandable is better for authority sites whereas keyword rich is better suited for smaller micro niche sites.
This is a widely debated topic of course and this is just one guys opinion.
To answer your second question if I understand it correctly your registrar and web host shouldn't nave any influence one way or the other on your ranking.
To answer your questions you're site is not going to suffer from using a keyword rich domain at all. Keyword rich domains are very good for getting ranked for a specific keyword. At one time Google gave a lot more weight to keyword rich domains than they do now. In that video Matt Cutts explains that they just turned the knob down a bit, they didn't make it a bad thing.
The advantage to a brandable domain is that people will remember it more than a keyword rich domain name. In my opinion brandable is better for authority sites whereas keyword rich is better suited for smaller micro niche sites.
This is a widely debated topic of course and this is just one guys opinion.
To answer your second question if I understand it correctly your registrar and web host shouldn't nave any influence one way or the other on your ranking.
anindochk
Premium
Intersting read! I too have bought domains from almost every known registrar. I really do not find anything different among all three except (you mentioned) customer support. Hostgator has great support, Bluehost is another great support provider. They too have a robust support system in place and they are very prompt. In terms of everything else I do not see any difference among all of them. At WA there is an advantage that one can directly contact Kyle and Carson in case of any problems which is very cool. Accessing the top most person in the hierarchy will always get the job done.
Ty Johnson
Premium
I used to use 1&1 for everything until I needed help with something and it took them 3 or 4 days to return my email. I was like you know what, it's worth paying a few extra bucks to get support. Name Cheap also has a decent support system and if you look online you can always find a savings coupon. For the most part they are all the same tho.
As for hosting hosting I am actually very happy having WA as my host. Yes you can always get a hold of someone here but for the most part I have never had a need to, Plus I love how easy they made it to get a new website live.
WA wins the ease of use award hands down
As for hosting hosting I am actually very happy having WA as my host. Yes you can always get a hold of someone here but for the most part I have never had a need to, Plus I love how easy they made it to get a new website live.
WA wins the ease of use award hands down
