Some people, especially from non-tech backgrounds, drop the idea of launching their website when they hear about purchasing a website domain. To simply explain, a website domain is the name of the website. A domain name is the identity of a website, and you will always need to register a domain name for your website if you want to start a blog or a new online business. 

Looking for the best domain might sound technical and complex initially, but the process is simple for everyone. All you need to do is purchase the right website domain, which is cheap and resonates with your brand perfectly. 

Nonetheless, if you are new to this field and have no idea where to begin, this is your guide to simplifying purchasing a domain name. This guide will tell you what to know about different domain name extensions. It will also discuss purchasing the right domain for your needs and the steps you will need to take to check if a cheap domain name is available to register your website. 

Understanding What is a Domain

A domain name refers to a special string of text that usually aligns with an alphanumeric IP address. This particular name helps you access a website from any client software. In other words, a domain name is a text you type as a user on a browser window to reach a particular website. For instance, the domain name for Google is google.com, and for Wikipedia is wikipedia.org.

The actual address of a particular website is a complex numerical IP address. Yet, users can also enter human-friendly domain names and be routed to their respective websites with the help of built-in tools available on various platforms. 

Who can Purchase a Domain Name?

You must fulfill the required eligibility criteria to purchase a domain name. For this, you must fall under either of the following categories:

• Budding entrepreneurs,
• Creative professionals,
• Brands who want to build their online visibility,
• Business email seekers,
• Nonprofit organizations,
• Students,
• Members of communities or clubs,
• People with personal blogs and hobbies. 

Importance of Website Domain Names

A custom domain name for your website offers branding and marketing value for the online business. Let's look at some of the benefits of buying a domain name: 

• Creates a unique online identity for a particular brand that helps customers remember and recognize it. 
• Adds professionalism and credibility, which inspires trust.
• Enables consistent communication across online properties through messaging and other means. 
• Provides flexibility to change hosting providers without any impact on the domain.
• Facilitates search engine optimization with targeted keywords in the same domain.

How to Buy a Website Domain?

There may be times when you already have a list of memorable, branded, catchy, and short domain names that you are ready to buy. Yet, buying a website domain requires following some extensive and important steps as mentioned below:

Step 1. Choose a Reliable Domain Registrar.

First, you must find a registrar accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to get a domain name. For the unfamiliar, ICANN is a nonprofit organization that coordinates all numerical spaces on the Internet. 

Step 2. Find a Domain Availability Checker Tool

The next step is to search for a proper domain name for your new website. You can continue this specific search using an efficient domain availability checking tool. This specific tool will tell you if the domain you want is available or has already been taken by someone else. 

Step 3. Choose the Best Domain Name Option.

It is time to develop a domain name or website name for your small business brand or blogging website. Ensure that the name you create resembles your offerings, is short, and has a catchy element that directs user attention. 

It is best to prepare a list of all possible domain names you want because when checking whether a domain name is available, you may often find that most of your choices are already registered. That is why you must take a different approach to ensure you purchase a unique website domain name. 

• Keep Searching: If you want to buy cheap domain names that are unique and efficient, you must let your creative juices flow. This means you must continue to search until you find something you like. 
• Choose Another Extension: If you have selected a domain name already used by someone else, consider using .net or .org instead of .com at times. This makes a huge difference in both websites; you can use the name easily without piracy issues. 
• Reach Out to the Owner: Sometimes, a particular domain is already owned, yet it is not used much. In such instances, you could contact the website owner with an offer to use the domain name in exchange for payments. 

Step 4. Purchase the Domain Name and Complete the Registration.

You can purchase the domain name immediately after settling on a final name. When you buy through any registrar, the platform informs you of the actual cost of the domain name and any available discounts. 

Before proceeding to complete the payment, look at the renewal rates. Sometimes, renewal rates are higher than the actual purchase costs. 

You must always enter your contact information, including your email address. This information helps you register your domain during the checkout process.  

Step 5. Verify Ownership of Your New Domain

Buying a website domain might seem like the last step in the process. Yet, you also need to verify your domain ownership. Registering for email hosting or launching your website without web hosting is the best way to verify ownership. If you are wondering how launching the website is possible without web hosting, you will find out soon. 

Top Domain Registrar Platforms to Purchase Website Domains

One of the important steps in buying a website domain is to find the right registrar. However, since we aim to simplify purchasing a website domain, we have a list of top domain registrars who offer free domain registration. However, the free domain registration comes with its own set of limitations. 

1. Neo

Neo offers an efficient solution for setting up a business website with a cheap email domain. It provides a platform without ads to set up your brand by creating a custom email domain with Neo domain's extension (.co.site). The platform is secure and user-friendly, and it prioritizes data protection while buying a website domain name. 

Features

• Create, customize, launch, and maintain your one-page website easily. 
• There is no need to purchase web hosting; everything comes in their email hosting plan. 
• Domain registration is free for the first year with their annual plan. However, it offers domain renewal at cost-effective rates. 
• It offers robust email marketing tools like appointment scheduling, a built-in calendar, read receipts, email campaign management, a signature designer, and more. 

2. Hostinger

Hostinger is a reputable domain registrar and web hosting service provider that allows you to purchase a website domain for your online shop or brand. 

Convenience is crucial when creating a website. Creating each component of your respective site can involve several tools and tasks, especially for an eCommerce domain. Hostinger solves this issue by providing all the components on a single platform.

When you register your domain with Hostinger, it is connected to your fully hosted online store immediately. This means you do not have to worry about third-party connections or any other complex technical setup.

Features

• Convenient mix of domain registration and hosting services
• Free of cost WHOIS privacy protection 
• 24/7 customer support

3. GoDaddy

GoDaddy is the world's most popular website domain registrar—but that doesn’t make it the best option. This platform is the most expensive of all of the domain registrars on the list. 

GoDaddy offers multiple add-on services and tools to select domain names, purchase them, and register them for your brand later. By choosing the premium and paid options of the platform, you can also access website security, privacy protection, a website builder, website hosting, email, and an additional online store builder. GoDaddy also allows easy domain transfer for all users. 

Features

• Huge discounts for the first term
• All-in-one web services platform
• 24/7 live chat and phone support

4. DreamHost

DreamHost is a registrar for all corporate customers who want the highest-quality web and cloud hosting with their website domain registration. The platform’s web hosting offers unlimited monthly data transfers and other strong security features. You also get to use several domain management tools.

Features

• Free domain name privacy is included
• Competitive pricing for .io extensions
• Low-cost email hosting plans available

5. Namecheap

Namecheap is another good option for cheap and efficient domain registration. This platform offers users a budget-friendly web hosting bundle. It is a good option for those who want a fairly priced package with ample protection and hosting.

That said, a few Namecheap customer reviews say the platform's support is inefficient. This is despite the company providing great customer support on its official website. Other users have stated that they have experienced billing errors.

Features

• Low registration prices
• Fair renewal prices
• Free WHOIS privacy
• Hosting available
• Low cost for SSL certificates
• 24/7 support via live chat

How to Buy Cheap Domain From Neo?

Buying a domain name from Neo is super simple. All you need to do is follow the following steps: 

Step 1. Visit Neo’s website and click on Get Started. 

Step 2. Click on the I need a new domain name option. 

Step 3. Enter your desired domain name and see if it is available. If it is available, after checking the prices and ensuring it fits your budget, click on Continue. 

Step 4. Enter your details and enjoy your free trial of 15 days. 

After enjoying your trial period, if you think Neo is a perfect platform, you can switch to the premium plan to maximize the platform's potential to drive success. You can build and maintain your one-page website easily.

Why Choose Neo to Purchase Website Domains?

You can build your one-page website easily using the email address built through Neo. So, you get email website building, launching, and other email hosting services alongside the main domain name. 

Meanwhile, here are some other benefits that you can incur from Neo:

• Professional Website Service: The platform offers reliable and cheap domain names. Most of these domains have features like customizable templates, secure hosting, and responsive designs. 
• Smart Write: Neo offers a special AI-powered feature that creates email drafts that mimic your communication style. This makes sending emails from your website to clients easy and flexible.  
• One-Page Website: You are given a free one-page website that matches your domain name. This page often has several mail-integrated forms, including effective social media integration.
• Advanced Security: Neo ensures data safety for your respective website domains. That is why the platform enables encryption, two-factor authentication, and other anti-virus and anti-spam measures for user security.

Wrapping up, 

Now that you know how to purchase a website domain name, it is essential to make the right choices. Acquiring an efficient website domain removes some initial roadblocks when establishing your online presence. However, it is best to purchase domain names from reputable providers and avoid the free web hosting and domain name registration trap. 

Before buying a domain name from any registrar, conduct thorough research and take any steps. That's why Neo offers a 15-day free trial so that you can ensure whether Neo is a right fit for you or not. You can easily back out if you don't like the experience; however, that won't be the case. It is because Neo's user-friendly platform, seamless navigation, and robust features will drive growth and help you improve your online visibility. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do you buy a website domain name permanently?

You can buy a website name permanently by adhering to the standards of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). This organization that governs domain names has made it impossible for anyone to acquire a domain name forever. You will have to renew your domain name; otherwise, you might lose it if you fail to make the auto-renewal payment. 

2. How to purchase a domain for a website?

You can purchase your website domain from any of the certified domain registrars. The most straightforward way is to purchase domain names from registrars like Neo, Hostinger, GoDaddy, Namecheap, and more. 

3. Which platform is the best for website purchasing and hosting?

You may find several online registrars that help you choose a domain and purchase it for your online brand or website. However, Neo is the most efficient platform because of its user-friendly interface and affordable rates. The platform also offers you built-in tools and other AI features to build an efficient email campaign in no time.  

4. Can I get a free website domain name? 

Yes, you can get a free domain name from various hosting and premium email service providers for a limited time; Neo offers free domain name registration for the first year if you buy its annual plan.