Building a website? You’ll need a domain name. Your domain name is separate from your website hosting, but most hosting companies offer domain names. To encourage you to have your domain name on their server, some hosts will even throw in a free domain name.
I’d suggest that you think about this in depth because for the past 20 years I’ve found:
Having your domain names on a different domain host is preferable #domain #host Share on XWhat is a domain name?
A domain name is your website’s online address. Computers find web servers via a long string of numbers known as an IP address. These numbers are hard to remember so instead we use domain names like “YourBusinessName.com”.
Why keep your domain name/s on a registrar?
Keeping your domain names and your data on two separate hosts has many benefits. For example, if you don’t pay for a domain name – all that happens is a domain name becomes inactive (normally for about a month). While it is inactive you can still pay for your domain. Think of it like a grace period. If you don’t pay for ONE domain name after it has been inactive for a month, and you have TEN, then you can keep the other NINE. You’ll just loose the one that you didn’t pay for, ideal. You can take a look at our rundown of the best domain registrars, too.
On the other hand if you decide to keep your domain names and host on the same hosting provider, then it’s a case of having all of your eggs in one basket. Let me explain…
Profit from Domain Names
A domain name, in and of itself can increase in value. You can even flip domain names to make money online. In fact, you can buy and sell domains to turn a serious profit on sites like EmpireFlippers.
Domain names have inherent value and so you should keep them in a safe place. You can also make money from your parked domains (domain names that you are not using) with GoDaddy’s CashParking service.
Why Is Keeping My Domains On ONE Host Not Advised?
The main reason that you should keep your domain names separate from your host is that you don’t want to lose access to your domain. A domain name is your brand identity and important for any business or website.
Say for instance you decide you don’t like your host, and wanted to change. If for any reason the host decides you need to clear an outstanding bill or similar, then they can lock you out of your account. This will in turn lock your domain name (even if you have bought it for 2 years).
When selecting the best domain hosts/registrars we consider the following:
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Are there any additional (or hidden) fees for transferring your domain name?
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Longevity, history and reputation of the hosting company
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Cost (I’ll compare prices of .com and .net)
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Make sure the company is: Internet Corporation for Assigned of Names and Numbers (ICANN) Accredited
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Do they provide easy domain transfer and forwarding services?
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24/7 customer support
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WHOIS registration policies (and associated costs)
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Renewal – Both manual and automatic is preferred
1. Bluehost.com
BEST FOR organizing and locking down domains
Bluehost is the host of choice for many, even WordPress.org recommends Bluehost. Although they are a bit more expensive, they do offer a good range of tools and a nice 30-day money back guarantee.
See how Bluehost stacks up against HostGator in our review
Domain Pricing & Features
Bluehost offers a few nice features for domain management, such as an easy to navigate interface and control panel. It’s possible to enable and disable auto-renewal so that you don’t need to remember when your domain name expires. You can even lock your domain down so that it isn’t subject to any unwanted domain transfer, which is great to protect your online brand identity from hackers.
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£9.50 for a .com for a year
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£10.30 for .net for a year
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Domain Privacy Protection – £9.40 per year