How to Buy a Domain Name in 2024

If you are going to start a blog and searching about how to buy a domain name then here you will get a complete guide about it. From the things you need to keep in mind before buying the domain to how to buy a domain name, everything will be covered in this article.

Just designing a perfect website won’t be helpful if it is not accessible from any device. To allow everyone to access your website you need to assign a domain to your website. It’s an easy process even if you are a beginner but still you need to pay attention few things before spending money on domain registration.

You can easily change the domain name of your website whenever you want but I not recommended you have to choose the right domain name at the very beginning of starting your website.

Domain names explained

What is a domain name?

A domain name is the text that identifies an address on the internet. It is used instead of the IP address (a combination of four numbers separated by dots) which is not memorable for human beings. User remembers the domain name of their favorite website (ex. google.com, litblogging.com).

Domain name structure

No matter what kind of domain name you choose to register every domain is divided into these four parts.

• Prefix: An internet protocol that denotes the security of the website (HTTP – Standard, HTTPS – Secured).
• Hostname/Sub Domain: Usually it is “www” to indicate a website.
• Domain Name: a string of characters (ex. LitBlogging).
• Top Level Domain (TLD): It is a domain extension such as .com, .net, .org.

Choosing the right domain extension

You might be wondering if there are 1500 domain extensions available to register for a domain name. Now you may think that it’s really hard to choose the right domain name but wait it’s really easy.

Most people want to register a .com extension for their website and it’s really good even big companies also use the .com extension (ex. google.com, yahoo.com, etc.) but because of the popularity of .com extension it’s hard to find a short and memorable domain name with .com extension because most of the domains with .com extensions are already registered by other people (According to stats more than 230 million .com domains are already registered). Sometimes you might get it if have a unique domain name.

So if you don’t get the domain with the .com extension then it’s completely ok there are other domain extensions available that you can choose for your blog or website.

• .com (commercial) – In the early days of the internet era it was used to identify commercial sites, but now it can be used for anything like personal blogs, e-commerce sites, etc.
• .net (network) – It stands for “network” which was used for forums but now it is the common replacement for people who can’t get their desired domain with .com extension.
• .org (organization) – It is best for non-profit organizations like NGOs, and other non-profit companies.
• .me (Personal) – It is used for personal websites like blogs and portfolios.
• .us, .uk, .in, etc. (Conuntry Specific) – This is the perfect choice for websites that represent local businesses such as restaurants, local shops, etc.

Along with all the domain extensions mentioned above, some other domain extensions are becoming popular in the modern Internet era.

• .io – This domain extension belongs to the British Indian Ocean Territory but nowadays it is mostly used by tech startups that need a short domain but the .com extension is not available.
• .site – It is a general TLD that is used for any website but mostly used for blogs.
• .online – It is another popular extension that can be used for any website.
• .shop – This extension is the same as its name. This is mostly used by E-commerce websites.

3 things to consider before buying a domain name

Buying a domain name is a very simple thing but you just need to go to a domain registrar and place the order. But before doing the rush to buy the domain you need to keep a few things in your mind.

Check the pricing and hidden charges

As we all know all domain registrars are here to sell the domains. This means don’t just believe in the prices shown to you on their website’s front page because that is just to get you in and after that, they may sell you some hidden things that you don’t need or may apply some hidden charges with your domain.

So before buying any domain check the pricing carefully and read the terms and conditions. But wait some time will talk about our favorite domain registrar which provides domains are affordable prices without any hidden charges.

Protect your privacy and data

When you buy a domain you provide your personal and company information to the registrar. Make sure to check the privacy options provided by the registrar. Some domain registrars may charge some additional fees to hide your personal information.

It is really important to hide your personal information if you don’t have privacy protection then all your personal information will be publicly available and you may become the target of spammers and hackers who can send you false renewal invoices to get money from you.

Review Renewal Rates and Cancelation Policy

Some of the registrars try to make their customers with low registration charges. But after a year of registration, you will be surprised with their renewal fee which is way higher than you think. So make sure you check the renewal charges and transfer charges before buying the domain name because some of the registrars charge additional fees to transfer the domain to another company or domain registrar.

Buying a domain name with a domain registrar

Now you know all about domain extensions and probably you are now ready to register your domain name. So to register the domain you need to go to the registrar’s website and search for the domain availability and if your domain is available then you can place the order for domain registration. (I will share the step-by-step guide to buying the domain)

I always recommend to registrar all your domains with one domain registrar because it will be easy for you to manage all your domains. Usually, people register their domain from the registrar so that no one else can register their domain.

There is another option to register your domain name. You can register the domain name with your hosting plan most of the time hosting providers provide free domain registration for the first year with their one-year or more a year hosting plan.

3 Best Domain Registrar

HostKro – Domains Start From Just ₹49

HostKro is one of the best affordable domain registrars where domain registration starts from just ₹49.

Features

• You can register 400+ TLDs on HostKro.
• 24/7 Customer Support (Live Chat, Ticket, Email, WhatsApp).
• Free Privacy Protection For Life.
• Easy to understand user interface even for newbies.

Pricing

• .com – $8.49/Year
• .net – $10.89/Year
• .org – $7.89/Year
• .info – $4.79/Year

Namecheap – Bring Your Ideas To Life

Namecheap is a very popular domain registrar and also an affordable domain registrar. According to their reports, they registered 10 million domains.

Features

• Register domains at competitive price
• Free Privacy Protection
• Easy to setup

Pricing

• .com – $5.98/Year (New Users Only)
• .net – $11.98/Year
• .org – $8.98/Year
• .info – $3.48/Year

Godaddy – Trusted By Millions Of Customers

Godaddy is one of the most popular domain registrars on the planet with 20 million plus customers.

Features

• You can register 400+ TLDs on HostKro.
• 24/7 Customer Support (Live Chat, Ticket, Email, WhatsApp).
• Free Privacy Protection For Life.
• Easy to understand user interface even for newbies.

Pricing

• .com – $11.99/Year
• .net – $22.99/Year
• .org – $9.99/Year
• .info – $3.99/Year

Buying a domain name with a web hosting

Nowadays hosting providers do everything to make it easy for their new users by offering many special features. Some hosting providers also offer domain registration options to make it easy for their users. Even some hosting providers offer free domain registration for the first year with their yearly hosting billing.

So if you are starting a blog for the first time this is the perfect solution for you. You definitely need hosting for your blog and getting a domain with the hosting makes your work easier you don’t have to do anything to connect your domain to your web hosting service.

Recommended web hosting providers that offer free domain

Chemicloud (Fast, Secure, and Affordable Web Host)

Chemicloud is one of the most popular web hosting providers, The best part is Cemicloud provides a free domain for the first year if you purchase their hosting plans for a year or more than that.

Features

• Free domain for the first year
• Free SSL certificate included
• Free website migration
• 24/7 Award-winning customer support

Pricing

• Plans start from just $2.95/month

When and How to Buy a Premium Domain

Premium domains are shorter and memorable names with the .com extension. Usually shorter domain is more expensive. Although you might be not able to register the domain that you want, you need to buy it directly from the current owner or you may need to buy it from the auction. Premium domains are quite expensive some domains worth thousands and even some domains worth millions of dollars.

People usually search from a premium domain when they start a company. Premium domains help them to get easy and memorable domain names. Having a premium domain also gets the extra benefits of ranking higher in Google and other search engines.

Best Places to Buy Premium Domains

If you are starting a company or need a premium domain then here are some best places from where you can purchase your desired premium domains.

1. Godaddy auctions – It is one of the most popular domain registrars, Godaddy also has the option to buy and sell domains in auction. Anyone can list and sell their domain in Godaddy auctions and after the sale, Godaddy charges a percentage of the selling price.
2. Sedo domain auction – Sedo domain is the best place to search premium domains for free and after purchase you can easily transfer the domain to your preferred domain registrar.
3. Name.com aftermarket – You can use a tool provided by Name.com to look for premium and expiring domains. You can do a domain name or keyword-specific search.

How to buy a domain name step-by-step guide?

Buying the domain is a really easy process but still, if you need some help in this then I’ll share this step-by-step guide that you can check out.

Here I am using our personal favorite domain registrar “HostKro”. Although options are almost the same in all the domain registrars you see some features may be available in other places on the website.

First of all, go to the HostKro website.

Here enter your desired domain and click on the search button.

Now click on the buy button

Here you will see the domain configuration option and the free things that you will get with the domain (Click on the continue button)

Here you will see the domain registration fee you need to pay click on the checkout button

Now you just need to make the payment from your desired domain

That’s it your domain is successfully registered with HostKro which you can manage from your HostKro client account.

FAQ – How to buy a domain name 2024?

Conclusion – How to buy a domain name

Buying the domain name is a straightforward thing you can easily place a domain registration order on any domain registrar. You don’t need any technical knowledge or web experience to buy a domain name but still, you need to keep few things in your mind that we covered in this article. So make sure you keep these things in your mind before placing an order for the domain registration.