How to buy a domain name for your business (without getting overcharged)

Your domain name is your address on the internet, the yourcompany.com part. It goes on your website, your email, your truck and your business cards, so it is worth getting right the first time.

Buying one takes about ten minutes. Choosing a good one and avoiding the common traps takes a little more thought. Here is the whole process.

Step 1: Pick the name

A good domain for a local service business is:

• Your business name, or close to it. millerfencing.com for Miller Fencing.
• Easy to say on the phone. If you have to spell it twice, it is too complicated.
• Short. Fewer words means fewer typos.
• Free of hyphens and numbers where possible, because people forget them.

If your exact name is taken, add your trade or your town: millerfencingtx.com or millerfenceco.com. If you are still choosing a business name, read how to name a construction company first and check the domain before you print anything.

Step 2: Choose the ending

For a US business, .com is the default. Customers type it automatically, and some will end up on someone else's site if you use a different ending. If the .com is taken, .co or .us can work, but say the full address clearly everywhere you print it.

Step 3: Choose where to buy it

Domains are sold by companies called registrars. Well known ones include Cloudflare, Namecheap, Porkbun, Spaceship, Squarespace Domains and GoDaddy. They all sell the same .com names. The differences are the price, the renewal price and how much they try to sell you on top.

What to compare:

• The renewal price, not just the first year. A $1 first year can turn into $25 a year after.
• Free WHOIS privacy, which hides your home address and phone from public lookup. Most good registrars include it.
• A simple account with two-factor login, so nobody can take your domain.

Step 4: Buy it

1. Search the name on the registrar's site.
2. Add only the domain to your cart. Skip the upsells for now (more on that below).
3. Turn on auto-renew so it never expires by accident.
4. Register it in your name and with an email you will always have access to.
5. Turn on two-factor login.

What a domain should cost

A normal .com usually costs around $10 to $20 a year. If someone quotes you $50 or more per year for a regular domain, you are overpaying. Premium names that someone already owns and is reselling can cost hundreds or thousands, and are rarely worth it for a local business.

The upsells you can skip

• Lots of extra endings (.net, .org, .biz) "to protect your brand". Not needed for a local contractor.
• Their website builder. Decide on your website separately.
• Their email package, unless it is a good price. Compare first: see how to set up a professional email address.
• "SEO" add-ons. Buying a domain does nothing for your Google ranking.

Traps that catch small businesses

Letting someone else own it

The most common problem we see: a nephew, a former designer or an old agency registered the domain in their own account. When the relationship ends, the business loses its website and email. Always own it yourself.

Letting it expire

An expired domain can be bought by anyone, including people who resell old business domains. Keep auto-renew on and keep the card on file current.

Fake renewal letters

Some companies mail official looking "renewal notices" for domains they do not manage. Only pay invoices from the registrar you actually use.

After you buy it

A domain on its own does nothing. You point it to a website and use it for email. That is when it starts working for you: on Google, on your Google Business Profile and on every truck and card.

When we build a site for you, we connect it to the domain you own, or help you buy one in your name. You keep full control. See our pricing or get a free preview first.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a domain name cost?

A .com domain usually costs about $10 to $20 a year at a normal registrar. Watch the renewal price, which is often higher than the first year deal.

Should I get a .com or another ending?

For a US service business, .com is the safest choice because customers type it by habit. Use another ending only if the .com is taken and the alternative is clear.

Who should own my domain, me or my web designer?

You. The domain should be registered in your name, with your email, in an account you can log in to. A designer can have access, but not ownership.