How to Buy a Domain on Web.com
If you’ve started a business and are thinking about building a business website, you may be wondering how to buy a domain name. You may even be wondering what is a domain name. A domain name is simply the web address people use to go to your website. For instance, ours is “howtostartanllc.com.”
When it comes to where to buy a domain name, there are many domain registrars — companies that manage domains for website owners — to choose from. One of the oldest and most trusted is Web.com. This guide will go over the step-by-step process of buying a domain from Web.com and explain the costs involved.
Wondering what makes a good domain name? Check out our handy guide to How to Choose a Domain Name.
The Basics of Domain Names
Domain names are one of the easiest ways to direct individuals to your website and business. You spent time ensuring your business has a name that best represents it, now it’s time to secure a domain name that does the same.
Secure Your Domain With Web.com
Web.com makes it easy to find and select your ideal domain name. The process is simple and the costs are affordable. Click the button below to get started.
Why Register a Domain Name?
Registering your domain name is one of the first ways to ensure your brand is recognizable and stands out. Something as easy to remember as “yourbusiness.com” is great, but keep in mind that there are already millions of domains registered. Unfortunately, the domain you want might already be taken.
For now, you might only need to register one domain. Even if you don’t need a business website yet, it’s still best to register the domain before someone else snags it from you.
However, your domain name is not the only decision you have to make here. You might already be familiar with at least one major top-level domain (TLD). This is the last part of a basic web address, such as .com, .net, or .co. Some of these are reserved for certain organizations and not available to the general public, such as .gov for governmental organizations, and .edu for education establishments.
Eventually, to curb the competition from stepping on your toes, you may want to register multiple similar domain names with different TLDs. After all, if your website is at “mycoolbusiness.com,” you don’t want it to be confused with a competitor’s website at “mycoolbusiness.net.”
Some Things to Keep in Mind
Typically, when you register a domain, your personal information, including your name and address, is attached to it and shown publicly in a database called WHOIS (pronounced “who is”) by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
Some domain registrars offer a service to replace your personal information with the registration company’s own information as a proxy. This keeps your personal information (your name and address) out of public view. Web.com offers this service at a cost of $1.95 per month or $15 per year if billed annually.
Domain registration is often included when you sign up for certain bundled website builders and web hosting services. Web.com has a web builder of its own, but you do not need to use the web builder or pay for it in order to purchase the domain you choose.
To learn more about what’s included in Web.com’s website builder, check out our guide to Web.com Pricing and Plans.
Buying a Domain With Web.com
When you first visit Web.com, its offerings may seem overwhelming. It has security and marketing tools, website building services, and hosting services — just to name a few.
But since we’re just trying to buy a single domain, we will start with a simple search. This process can be completed in a few easy steps.
1. Search Web.com for Your Domain Name
On Web.com, enter your preferred domain name in the search bar that says “Find the perfect domain name.” This bar can be found on the home page and by clicking “Domains” in the top menu of the website. You might enter the full domain name with the TLD, such as “myexamplebusiness.com,” or you might enter the name of your business, for instance, “My Example Business” — although Web.com will automatically remove the spaces. (Spaces are not allowed in web addresses.)
2. Select Your Domain Name
If your domain is available, Web.com will tell you. The page will show a selection of packages in three different tiers, however, these are for Web.com’s website builder. You do not need to choose one of these.
Instead, click “I only want a domain name” to add the domain to your cart.
If your domain name is not available, Web.com will suggest some alternatives. At the top of the page, just under the search bar, it will suggest the same name but with different TLDs. If your ideal domain was “myexamplebusiness.com” but it wasn’t available, you could try “myexamplebusiness.net” or “myexample.biz.”
Some TLDs may cost more than others. For example, at the time of this review, “myexamplebusiness.com” costs $11.95 per month, while “myexamplebusiness.design” costs $65.99 per month.
When you have found a domain name that fits your business, add it to your cart. Again, you may ignore the three tiers of website builder packages.
Click “I only want a domain name” to continue to your cart.
3. Optional: Choose Private Registration
At this point, a popup will appear asking if you want to add “Private Registration” to your cart. As discussed above, this will stop your personal information, including your name and physical address, from appearing in public registries of websites. The price listed will be $1.95 per month, but you can save a bit of money by paying for the service annually, at a cost of $15 per year.
4. View Cart and Choose Registration Period
When you view your Web.com cart, you can adjust the contract period for your domain registration. While most common TLD domains such as .com or .org will cost $11.95 per year to register with Web.com, you can save some money by paying for up to 10 years of registration at once.
5. Sign Up for Web.com and Check Out
If you are not already a registered Web.com user, you can create an account directly from the shopping cart screen. You will then enter your billing information and email address. Web.com will complete the process and assign ownership of your domain to you.
If you did not opt for domain privacy, anyone can now search your domain in the ICANN WHOIS database and discover that you own it. However, no one but you can use your domain name for a website.
6. Check Your Email
You will receive an email from Web.com with the details of your transaction and your new domain name. You can manage it from your Web.com account. When you are ready to build a website, you, your team, or a hired developer will be able to associate your website with your domain name in just a few clicks.
With the peace of mind of knowing you own the right domain name for your business, you can get started on launching the perfect website for your company!
Ready to Buy Your Domain Name With Web.com?
With Web.com, you can search and purchase a domain in just a few clicks. With a wide array of top-level domains to choose from, Web.com is bound to have a domain for you.