Domain Name Fees
We do NOT include domain name costs in our fees. These are better left under your control and purchased separately. In fact, because of stories we've heard about other web designers, we recommend you keep your your domain name with one vendor and your website hosting with another. If your relationship with a web designer or webmaster deteriorates, you may lose control of your website or domain name. At the very least, you should always, always, always control your domain name yourself and don't give that log-in information to anyone. A website can be replaced by another designer, but you can't replace your domain name. We recommend: domain names for under $10 a year.
Managing your domain name yourself is easy to do and we'll walk you through it when you become a GoGetSites.com client.
What Is A Domain Name?
A domain name is the World Wide Web address for your website. It's the "vanity" version of your IP (Internet Protocol) address which is actually a set of numbers. Those numbers function similarly to the phone system which directs calls for a specific phone number to a specific phone location. For instance, you can enter 208.77.188.166 in your browser address field to reach the "Example.com" website. However, the domain name, Example.com, takes you to the same website address and is easier to type into your browser address field than a set of numbers and periods. A domain name is also easier to remember than numbers and it looks better on a business card!
You don't actually buy a domain name, even one you created out of thin air, so although you may be called the "owner," you aren't. When you "purchase" a domain name for one year, you're paying for the right to use it for one year. If you don't renew it, someone else can pay to use it the next year. In fact, there are businesses just waiting for domain names of busy websites to expire so they can grab the names and steal the traffic. That's why it's critical that you keep your contact information current with your domain name registrar to ensure you don't miss a renewal date and lose control of your domain name.
Choosing A Domain Name
Contrary to common belief, your domain name does NOT have to be the same as your business name. In fact, someone in another state may be using the same business name and already have that domain name registered. So what should you choose? First, try to get the most popular extension which is .com instead of .net, .org, .biz, etc. If your business name is Petersen & Sons and it's not available, get a domain name that refers to your products and services, i.e., PetersenAutoBody.com, PetersenAutoBodyRepair.com or PetersenAutoBodyDetroit.com. (Upper and lower case letters are used here to make the individual words in the domain name easier to read.) Pick a domain name that's easy to type and repeat over the phone: If you have to spell it or include "dashes", it's probably not the best choice. While very short domain names were considered essential 10 to 12 years ago, long domain names are acceptable now. You can add a word to a domain name if a shorter name is taken. We recommend using two domain names, one short one that's easy to remember and works for your business cards, stationery, and word-of-mouth referrals, such as our choice of GoGetSites.com, and another that has good keywords to help with Internet placement, such as our alternate, SmallBusinessWebsitesOnly.com. Visit this site to choose and register your domain name.
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