Let’s start with, what is a domain name?

A domain name is an identification string that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control within the Internet. Domain names are used in various networking contexts and for application-specific naming and addressing purposes. - Wikipedia

In simple terms, we can use it to access things hosted with that domain name. It is like our own address on the Internet.

Now, we are clear about what a domain name is, let’s address several misconceptions when buying a domain name.

The first misconceptions were, you have to use the hosting service provided by the domain name registrar. But, you don’t have to use the hosting service offered by the domain name registrar you use.

You may ask, why not use the hosting service offered by the domain name registrar.

Yes, you can use the hosting services they offer.

But the problem is how much the hosting service costs and how much the latency could be. In my case, I want to host my blog, which has static content, so I can use something like cdn caching. So that user will always get the content from the nearest CDN, which reduces the latency. And my blog is made using a framework called Nextjs, which supports Image optimization and so much other stuff. And for that Image optimization, I need to add a custom configuration where I host my blog.

What If I tell you that several hosting service providers offer all this stuff for free and support all this stuff by default.

I use Vercel for hosting my blog. And Vercel is optimized for most of the javascript frontend framework, so you can host any javascript framework that Vercel supports. You can also use it to host static websites also. As Vercel supports Nextjs by default, I don’t have to add any configuration for image optimization.

And always try to choose the hosting service which provides good value for your money. Also, try to choose the platform which is optimized for your framework if you use any.

And the other misconception is you have to pay a minimum of 20 dollars to buy a domain. I came across this when I asked my friend how much does a domain name cost. But that is not the case. Several domain name registrars offer domain names for very cheap. But, not all domain names are cheap. Some of the domain names which end with .in are cheap. Unless you want a particular domain name, then go for the domain which fits your budget.

List of things you might want to know before buying a domain name

1. You can host your website in any hosting provider and can configure your website in your hosting provider to point it out to your domain name. You use something like nameserver or A record to do these things.
2. Choose a domain name that is small and easily memorable. And try to avoid domain names with (-) in them. If you use some very long domain names, then often people forgot them. So, try to choose small domain names.
3. If you want to buy a domain name for your business, then buy a domain that expresses your business or is related to your business.
4. You can buy a domain name from any domain name registrar. So if you selected a domain and it is available, then check the pricing for that domain name across different domain name registrar. Some of them offer a discount when you buy a domain for the first time with a new account.
5. When checking out to buy a domain name, then check whether they accept any coupons. So that you can get some discount using that also. Some of the websites like coupondunia have coupons for GoDaddy and for some other websites also. So don’t forget to use coupons if they accept them.
6. If you are not happy with the current domain provider, you can transfer your domain name from your current domain provider to another.

Why do you need a domain name?

1. If you have a local business and like to grow or expand your business, then having a website makes more sense. And having a website for your business also helps customers to get help and know more about the product and service you provide. You can also attract more customers with a website which they can use to purchase your product. Having a website means you need a domain so that customers can use it to access your website.
2. If you like to do blogging, then you can buy a domain name. Whenever the user reads the content in your blog and likes your content, they are likely to remember your blog. But if you don’t have a domain name or rememberable domain name, even though they enjoy your blog content, they don’t know how to find your blog. In that case, a good, easily rememberable domain name makes sense.
3. If you are a product designer or freelance developer, then you probably have a portfolio website. And you use it to showcase your previous works and your skill to new customers. In that case, If possible, you can buy a domain name with your name. Having a domain name with your name helps new customers to know more about you and your previous works.
4. If you like to have an Internet presence, then having a domain name helps in identifying you.
5. You can also earn by buying and selling a domain. There is one business called domain-flipping. It means you buy a domain name, which is available, you know that it will get famous and some people might want to buy it. Then try to sell that domain name to those people with some profit.