What is a domain name and how to purchase yours right the first time!

"The domain is the start of your adventures, choose wisely."

A domain name is the first really big decision you need to make when starting your online business. This single step will decide your brand and businesses direction, it is important to get this right the first time.

After all this domain is your "address" and presence online. Many people overthink buying a domain name and or overpay BIG TIME!

There's no need for this, this article will show you everything you need to know.

It's kind of important to get this right, in this article let's cover the age old beginner bloggers question ... What is a domain name and how to purchase one that checks all of the boxes.  

A domain name is a pretty simple concept when you break it down, let's take a look.

When you access any website online you are looking at files that are stored on a web server.

These files are what makes up the website and all of the content that shows up on your screen.

This statement begs the question ... How does the computer know where to find the files?

The web is a big place, here's an example.

I have a treasure chest filled with gold, it's yours, however you need to locate it ... Here's a hint, it's somewhere in the Atlantic ocean.

That's kind of close to what finding your website would be like without domain names.

Why is that the case ?

Every device that accesses the internet needs an IP address (internet protocol) this is a series of numbers that specifies exactly what devices are where, this is what allows search engines to find files, ie YOUR BLOG.

The problem is it can be hard to keep everything flowing nice when everyone is saying " check out my blog at 123.456.789.10

Every website has a specific address like the one above, DNS makes it possible to "name" these complex numerical addresses.

This allows a much more user friendly and overall happier internet :) Think of DNS as the phone book of the web, allowing people to attach memorable addresses to their IP addresses.

I know, you younger folks are saying "what the hell is a phone book" LOL

Domain names range in price, the real difference between paying 30 bucks and paying $5.88 comes down to knowing a little technical stuff that allows you to point your DNS properly.

Quite often, especially when people are starting out they opt to buy their domain from their hosting provider.

This ensures that the DNS is correctly pointed at your host, this takes the technical out of the equation.

Don't do it!

There is NO reason to overpay, I use and recommend Namecheap for all of my domains.

Here's why.

Namecheap is my choice due to these facts ...

• Awesome customer service
• Cheapest domains over the long run
• FREE who is protection
• Clean and easy to navigate platform

By far the best place to buy your next domain! 

Learn more

Who is protection, why is it important?

There's some laws and regulations surrounding online business, one of those is the fact that when you register a domain there needs to be information attached to that domain.

This information is called "who-is" and there is no way around it. Namecheap offers who-is protection FOR FREE!

This is one of the biggest reasons I switched to namecheap and never looked back. Most other companies charge anywhere from 12 to 20 bucks or more for this protection.

This adds up, for the 5 minutes it takes to point the nameservers yourself it's a no brainier.

The bottom line with who is protection

Without this protection anyone online can see any and all of the information you used when you registered that domain.

This means address, name, phone number, etc.

I don't know about you but I would rather not have every scumbag with a laptop knowing my personal information, and YOU shouldn't either!

With namecheap's free who is protection all people can see is Namecheap's information, not yours.

Try Namecheap or don't, bottom line? Wherever you go SET UP WHO IS PROTECTION!

Using Namecheap you can expect to pay around $5.88 to $8.88 for your domain and protection a year.

Especially with this promo code!

Not a bad deal!

.com is still king of the domain suffix

There, I said it ...

I don't recommend going outside of a dot com suffix. Although there are plenty of others gaining in popularity the tried and true .com is the first option I try to pin down.

Think about it, if you are looking for a blog that you quickly saw online and you want to read more about, what will you be more likely to punch in first?

thatblog.com or thatblog.xyz?

You see my point? People are programmed to input .com first, almost by instinct.

This is not set in stone however, .org and .net are gaining ground not because they are better in Google or the other search engine's mind, but because there are MILLIONS of registered domains out there.

The internet is running out of awesome .coms! (well not really but maybe)

Don't take me wrong here, if there is a name that fits you, your brand and your message that isn't available in dot com, .org .net .io are some other options to go with.

The brand and message of your domain is more important than the suffix

I would avoid the multitude of other "new" suffixes out there ...

• .gay
• .adult
• .anything stupid sounding :(**
• .xyz

Yes, these do exist. Steer clear if you are serious about blogging and growing your brand.

Your domain is the foundation of your brand, make sure there is a story to tell behind it or it matches your niche well.

In my about page I explain where the domain wornbee.com came from, it's a quick story that I feel warrants being told.

This is what you want to go with for with YOUR domain.

Here's a few quick tips to keep in mind ...

• Keep it short and memorable
• Stick to .com .org .net if possible
• Make sure that the name is easy to remember and brandable
• Use Namecheap to get the best price and free who is protection

I hope that this post shed some light on the domain mystery. All in all it's really nothing to overthink, as long as you know the basics.

One last tip ...

The domain you choose has no affect on your site's rankings or anything else along those lines.

This means that whichever way you go you're gonna be OK.

Many "old school" internet dumb asses push the notion of EMD (exact match domains) These are outdated tactics and they can actually hurt your progress moving forward.

Put yourself and your message on your domain and get writing! That's the way to go!

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