{"id":1850,"date":"2021-08-29T16:45:18","date_gmt":"2021-08-29T16:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/?p=1850"},"modified":"2023-07-12T08:55:27","modified_gmt":"2023-07-12T08:55:27","slug":"things-to-know-to-buy-a-domain-name","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/things-to-know-to-buy-a-domain-name\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Best Things to Know Before You Buy a Domain Name"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to the age where to buy a domain name or website address is as delicate as business names.<\/p>\n<p>Before now, most businesses had already gone into operation and employed expensive and tedious marketing solutions to become popular.<\/p>\n<p>For such businesses, they might get a website later just to keep up with the trend.<\/p>\n<p>One such example is Dangote PLC.<\/p>\n<p>For businesses, products, services, or organizations that intend to thrive in today\u2019s world, it has become a profitable requirement to have a website even before operations.<\/p>\n<p>With over a billion websites out there, this article is set to make you not just another website owner but one of the smartest owners.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s begin with the most important constituent; the name.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/things-to-know-to-buy-a-domain-name\/#What_Is_a_Domain_Name\" title=\"What Is a Domain Name?\">What Is a Domain Name?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/things-to-know-to-buy-a-domain-name\/#7_Things_to_Know_Before_You_Buy_a_Domain_Name_For_Your_Website\" title=\"7 Things to Know Before You Buy a Domain Name For Your Website\">7 Things to Know Before You Buy a Domain Name For Your Website<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/things-to-know-to-buy-a-domain-name\/#1_Domain_Name_Extension\" title=\"1. Domain Name Extension\">1. Domain Name Extension<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/things-to-know-to-buy-a-domain-name\/#2_SEO_Optimization\" title=\"2. SEO Optimization\">2. SEO Optimization<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/things-to-know-to-buy-a-domain-name\/#3_Domain_Name_Length\" title=\"3. Domain Name Length\">3. Domain Name Length<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/things-to-know-to-buy-a-domain-name\/#4_Brand_Support\" title=\"4. Brand Support\">4. Brand Support<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/things-to-know-to-buy-a-domain-name\/#5_Character_Combination\" title=\"5. Character Combination\">5. Character Combination<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/things-to-know-to-buy-a-domain-name\/#6_Blacklist_check\" title=\"6. Blacklist check\">6. Blacklist check<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/things-to-know-to-buy-a-domain-name\/#7_Trademark_Check\" title=\"7. Trademark Check\">7. Trademark Check<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/things-to-know-to-buy-a-domain-name\/#Conclusion\" title=\"Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_a_Domain_Name\"><\/span>What Is a Domain Name?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Before getting into the business of things to consider when you want to buy a domain name, let me enlighten you on what a domain name is.<\/p>\n<p>A domain name is the web address that users will use to access your website, and it\u2019s usually made up of a website name and an extension (e.g., www.yourwebsite.com).<\/p>\n<p>Many hosting providers provide domain registration services.<\/p>\n<p>Before choosing a domain name, check if it is still available. Do a quick <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cloud.rillahost.com\/cart.php?a=add&amp;domain=register\">search and purchase your preferred domain name<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Things_to_Know_Before_You_Buy_a_Domain_Name_For_Your_Website\"><\/span>7 Things to Know Before You Buy a Domain Name For Your Website<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Let\u2019s expose you to a carefully prepared secret recipe you need to buy the domain name that is right for your website.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Domain_Name_Extension\"><\/span>1. Domain Name Extension<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>There are about 1,500 top-level domains (TLD) available.\u00a0 Of all these, look out for .com, .net, or .org extensions.<\/p>\n<p>In a case where it is strictly required to keep the website within a national context, you can consider country-code top-level domains (ccTLD) such as .ng, .uk, and the like.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_SEO_Optimization\"><\/span>2. SEO Optimization<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1953 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/a-picture-of-SEO-1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A picture of SEO; things to consider when buying a domain name\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" \/><\/p>\n<p>A domain name has a significant effect on websites which is why <a href=\"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/optimize-your-website-for-higher-rankings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Search Engine Optimization<\/a> (SEO) should not be neglected.<\/p>\n<p>However, in a bid to get a keyword for a domain name, one should be careful not to be at the unrealistic extremes.<\/p>\n<p>For example, I visited a site recently with the domain name \u201ccard.com.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At first, it looked great. But, when I went on to a search engine to look up only \u201ccard,\u201d I got the worst impression. The site wasn\u2019t listed at all.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, it can\u2019t be listed because the domain name is too generic which is an extreme usage of keywords, even when the company produces customized credit cards.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, it is not advisable to push so many keywords into a domain name just to do well on search engines.<\/p>\n<p>An example of such greedy extreme usage could be \u201cgetcustomizedcreditcards.com.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The best place to be is between these extremes; having a name that will be unique but reflect your objective.<\/p>\n<p>Such as \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rillahost.com<\/a>\u201d \u2014 offering hosting services, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/mea.mastercard.com\/en-region-mea.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mastercard.com<\/a>\u201d \u2014 offering card services, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">paypal.com<\/a>\u201d \u2014 offering payment services, etc.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Domain_Name_Length\"><\/span><strong>3. Domain Name Length<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>To keep it straight, when you want to buy a domain name, aim to have a name that is 6\u201316 characters long.<\/p>\n<p>This will make it memorable and faster to type and spell out as well as contain a small address bar as seen on mobile devices.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Brand_Support\"><\/span><strong>4. Brand Support<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1884 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/rillahost_logo.png\" alt=\"RillaHost banner. Things to look out for when you want to buy a domain name.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"308\" \/><\/p>\n<p>As mentioned in the SEO subsection above, the uniqueness of a domain name should be defined by a brand.<\/p>\n<p>It must not be a keyword but ensure it is brandable like &#8220;rilla&#8221; in &#8220;rillahost.&#8221; This gives the gorilla brand as seen on the company\u2019s logo.<\/p>\n<p>Avoid using a domain name that has a short life span.<\/p>\n<p>Names that go with the trend or one that tightens your business or organization objectives, giving no room for expansions.<\/p>\n<p>A domain name that supports branding will also save the owners the cost and pain of changing when the need arises.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Character_Combination\"><\/span>5. Character Combination<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>When it&#8217;s time to buy a domain name, think of the character combinations.<\/p>\n<p>Can other people comfortably pronounce your domain name and spell it exactly afterward? If yes, then I am sure there are no hyphens, numbers, or inappropriate alphabet combinations such as \u201claewg.com.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Even organizational abbreviations should be carefully considered to get a<br \/>\ncharacter-friendly domain name.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Blacklist_check\"><\/span>6. Blacklist check<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Not all domain names are new to the internet.<\/p>\n<p>Some have been used for malicious or fraudulent purposes, such as spamming and later dumped to expire as soon as it is blacklisted.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, not all these domains are removed from such lists after expiration.<\/p>\n<p>Hence, before buying a domain name, we recommend you look it up on blacklisting platforms before using them.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Trademark_Check\"><\/span>7. Trademark Check<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>This is quite essential as some business and domain names may have been trademarked by preexisting firms or organizations.<\/p>\n<p>They have the right to claim the domain name at any time.<\/p>\n<p>Social media is also not excluded as your desired domain name may have been used on social media by those who may not have a website but have something similar.<\/p>\n<p>You may have to painfully give up and pick another domain name if you ignore these checks before you buy a domain name.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In conclusion, it is great to have multiple options to pick from when you are ready to buy a domain name; if they make it through the above-mentioned steps.<\/p>\n<p>Peep into domain backlinks to see if you can enjoy the positive pre-existing reputation of an expired domain name.<\/p>\n<p>This will make you gain faster prominence on search engines; like you\u2019ve been there for long.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To buy a domain name can be a bit tricky.  However, to ensure you have all you need to get your website up and running, these 7 steps are the guidelines you need!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2020,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[92,71,78],"tags":[80,81,82],"class_list":["post-1850","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-domains","category-tips","tag-domain","tag-domain-name","tag-domain-name-tips","post--single"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1850","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1850"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1850\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2025,"href":"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1850\/revisions\/2025"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2020"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1850"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1850"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rillahost.com\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1850"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}