🌐 Choosing & Buying a Domain Name
Your Business Address on the Internet
Before you build a website, let's talk about something you may need first:
YOUR DOMAIN NAME
A domain name is the address people type into their browser to find you online.
For example:
yourbusiness.com
Think of it like this:
Your DOMAIN = your online address
Your WEBSITE = what people see when they arrive at that address
They work together, but they are not the same thing.
🌐 DOMAIN vs. WEBSITE
This confuses a lot of people when they're first getting started.
You can own a domain without having a website.
You can also build a website before connecting your own custom domain.
For example, you might purchase:
mygreatbusiness.com
and hold onto it until you're ready to build your website.
Buying the domain does NOT automatically mean you have built a website.
You're securing the name so someone else can't register that exact available domain while you have the registration.
🏠 THINK OF IT LIKE A HOUSE
Here's an easy way to remember it:
🌐 DOMAIN
Your street address.
🖥️ WEBSITE
The house people see when they arrive.
🗄️ WEBSITE HOSTING
Where the website's files/content are hosted.
📧 BUSINESS EMAIL
Your email service.
🔧 DNS
The directions that help internet services know where your domain should go.
These things can work together, but they don't necessarily have to come from the same company.
🔎 FIRST — SEARCH FOR YOUR DOMAIN
Before you fall in love with a business name, see whether the domain you want is available.
For example, if your business will be called:
Beautiful Things Boutique
you might search for:
beautifulthingsboutique.com
If it's available and you know you want it, you can purchase/register it.
You don't have to wait until your website is ready.
💡 WHAT MAKES A GOOD DOMAIN NAME?
Whenever possible, keep it:
✔️ Easy to remember
✔️ Easy to spell
✔️ Easy to say
✔️ Related to your business or brand
✔️ Short enough to type easily
✔️ Flexible enough to grow with you
Before purchasing it, say it out loud.
Then imagine telling someone:
“Go to ________.com.”
Would they know how to spell it?
If you constantly have to explain the spelling, the domain may be harder for customers to remember.
🚫 BE CAREFUL WITH LONG DOMAIN NAMES
Long domains aren't automatically bad.
But every extra word creates another opportunity for someone to:
❌ Misspell it
❌ Forget part of it
❌ Type it incorrectly
❌ Give up trying to find you
Simple is usually easier.
➖ WHAT ABOUT HYPHENS AND NUMBERS?
You can use them.
But think carefully.
For example:
the-boss-store.com
may require you to constantly explain:
“There's a dash between the words.”
Numbers can create the same issue.
Is it:
4
or
four?
Again, there's no rule saying you can't use them.
Just make sure you're not making your business unnecessarily difficult to find.
🔤 DOES CAPITALIZATION MATTER?
No.
For normal domain use:
MyBusiness.com
and
mybusiness.com
refer to the same domain.
You may capitalize words when displaying the domain on marketing materials because it's easier to read, but customers don't have to type those capital letters.
🔵 SHOULD I GET A .COM?
You'll see many domain endings, including:
.com
.net
.org
.co
.store
.shop
and many others.
These endings are called top-level domains, or TLDs.
For many commercial businesses, I would check whether the .com version is available first simply because consumers are very familiar with it.
But .com isn't the only option.
Don't automatically purchase five different extensions because a checkout screen suggests them.
Ask yourself whether you actually need them.
⚠️ BEFORE YOU BUY A DOMAIN — SEARCH THE BUSINESS NAME TOO
Finding an available domain does NOT automatically mean you have the legal right to use that name as your business or brand.
These are different questions:
Is the domain available?
and
Can I legally use this business/brand name?
Before investing heavily in a name, consider checking:
✔️ Business-name availability where appropriate
✔️ Search engines
✔️ Social-media platforms
✔️ Existing businesses using similar names
✔️ Trademark records when appropriate
Purchasing a domain does not give you automatic trademark rights to the name.
That's important.
🛒 WHERE DO I BUY A DOMAIN?
You purchase/register a domain through a domain registrar or a website platform that offers domain registration.
There are many providers available.
For example, some website platforms allow you to purchase the domain directly through them.
You can also purchase a domain through a separate domain provider and later connect it to your website.
You do NOT have to buy your domain from the company that builds or hosts your website.
🌐 READY TO SEARCH FOR YOUR DOMAIN?
If you're ready to see whether your business domain is available, you can search for and register your domain through:
THE BOSS WEBSITES
The Boss Websites offers domain registration along with other online business services.
You can search for the domain you want, review the available options and decide whether you're ready to register it.
BEFORE PURCHASING:
✔️ Double-check the spelling
✔️ Look at the extension (.com, .net, etc.)
✔️ Review the current purchase price
✔️ Review the renewal terms and pricing
✔️ Read any optional services before adding them
✔️ Make sure the account is created with information YOU control
Remember:
You do not have to purchase every additional service offered during checkout.
Start with what your business actually needs.
🌐 SEARCH FOR YOUR BUSINESS DOMAIN
🧠 THIS IS IMPORTANT: KNOW WHERE YOUR DOMAIN IS REGISTERED
I want you to write this information down.
DOMAIN INFORMATION
Domain: ______________________________
Registered With: ______________________
Account Email: ________________________
Renewal Date: _________________________
Auto-Renew: YES / NO
Payment Method Current: YES / NO
Recovery Email/Phone Current: YES / NO
Two-Factor Authentication: YES / NO
Do not put your password on an unsecured worksheet.
Keep passwords in a secure password manager or another protected system.
🚨 DON'T LET SOMEONE ELSE OWN YOUR BUSINESS DOMAIN
This is one of the biggest lessons on this page.
If someone helps you build your website, don't automatically let them register your business domain under their personal account and information.
Your web designer may eventually disappear.
Your employee may quit.
Your friend may stop helping.
The company you hired may close.
YOU need to know who the registered domain holder is and where the domain is managed.
ICANN explains that the registrant enters into the registration agreement with the registrar and has rights and responsibilities concerning management of that domain.
For a business domain, make sure ownership and access are intentionally set up for the business.
💳 A DOMAIN IS NOT USUALLY A ONE-TIME PURCHASE
This is extremely important.
When people say:
“I bought my domain.”
what they've generally purchased is the right to use that domain for a particular registration period.
Domains must be renewed.
ICANN notes that registrations are typically for periods between one and ten years, depending on the registration arrangement, and the domain must be renewed if you want to continue using it.
DON'T ASSUME YOU OWN IT FOREVER BECAUSE YOU PAID FOR IT ONCE.
🔄 TURN ON AUTO-RENEW
If this is an important business domain, I generally recommend considering auto-renew.
Then make sure:
✔️ Your payment method stays current
✔️ Your email address stays current
✔️ Your phone number stays current
✔️ You actually read domain renewal notices
Auto-renew isn't helpful if the credit card on the account expired three years ago.
🚨 WHAT HAPPENS IF MY DOMAIN EXPIRES?
This can become a serious business problem.
Depending on the circumstances and registrar policies, an expired domain may stop working.
That can potentially affect:
🌐 Your website
📧 Email connected to the domain
🔗 Customer links
🛍️ Your online store
📱 Links from social media
📇 Business cards
📣 Advertising
If you fail to renew and ultimately lose the registration rights, someone else may eventually be able to register the domain. ICANN specifically warns registrants to renew on time because they risk losing the domain temporarily or potentially for good.
Treat your domain like a business asset.
👀 WHAT IS DOMAIN PRIVACY?
Domain registration requires certain contact information.
Depending on the domain extension and provider, privacy/proxy services or registration-data policies may limit what personal information is publicly displayed.
ICANN distinguishes between privacy and proxy services, and the exact setup can vary.
If privacy is important to you, check what your registrar and chosen domain extension provide before purchasing.
For example, Shopify notes that some—but not all—domain extensions purchased through Shopify include WHOIS privacy.
🔒 PROTECT YOUR DOMAIN ACCOUNT
Someone gaining control of your domain can create a major business problem.
Protect the account with:
✔️ A strong, unique password
✔️ Two-factor authentication when available
✔️ Current recovery information
✔️ An email address you control
✔️ Domain/transfer lock when appropriate
ICANN notes that domain locks can help protect against unauthorized changes or transfers.
Don't share your main domain password casually.
If someone needs access to work on your website, first see whether the service allows you to give them appropriate staff, collaborator or delegated access instead.
🔗 CONNECTING vs. TRANSFERRING A DOMAIN
These words sound similar, but they mean different things.
CONNECTING
Your domain stays registered with the company where you bought it, but you point it to your website.
For example:
You purchased your domain from Company A.
You build your store with Shopify.
You connect the domain to Shopify.
You still manage and renew the domain through Company A.
TRANSFERRING
You move management of the domain registration from one registrar/provider to another.
Shopify currently explains the same distinction: connecting leaves management and renewal with the third-party provider, while transferring moves domain management and renewal into Shopify.
You don't have to transfer a domain just because you change website platforms.
Sometimes you only need to connect it.
We'll cover connecting your domain in more detail on Page 6.
🚚 CAN I MOVE MY DOMAIN LATER?
Usually, yes, subject to transfer rules and eligibility.
ICANN gives registrants the right to transfer eligible domain registrations between registrars, although certain restrictions can temporarily prevent a transfer—for example, some 60-day lock situations.
That's another reason it's important that you maintain control of the domain account.
📧 YOUR DOMAIN CAN ALSO BE USED FOR BUSINESS EMAIL
Once you own:
yourbusiness.com
you may be able to create an email such as:
or
But remember:
Buying a domain does not necessarily mean you've purchased an email inbox.
Email hosting may be a separate service.
We're going to cover that on:
📧 PAGE 2 — CREATING A PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS EMAIL
💰 DON'T GET TRICKED BY THE FIRST-YEAR PRICE
You may see a domain advertised at a very inexpensive introductory price.
Before purchasing, look at:
TODAY'S PRICE
AND
THE RENEWAL PRICE
Also look for additional charges or optional services.
Your first-year promotional price may not be what you pay every year.
🛑 DON'T BUY EVERY ADD-ON AT CHECKOUT
Depending on where you purchase your domain, you may be offered additional products.
You might see:
Email.
Website builders.
Security products.
Marketing tools.
Hosting.
Privacy services.
SEO packages.
Other domains.
STOP AND READ BEFORE CLICKING “ADD.”
You may need some of those services.
You may need none of them.
Remember our rule:
WHAT PROBLEM IS THIS SOLVING FOR MY BUSINESS?
If you don't know, research it before paying for it.
📝 DOMAIN NAME PLANNING WORKSHEET
Before buying, write down a few options.
Business/Brand Name:
First Domain Choice:
Second Choice:
Third Choice:
Preferred Extension:
Is the domain easy to spell?
☐ Yes ☐ No
Easy to remember?
☐ Yes ☐ No
Easy to say out loud?
☐ Yes ☐ No
Have I searched the business/brand name?
☐ Yes ☐ No
Have I considered trademark conflicts?
☐ Yes ☐ No
Do I actually need this domain?
☐ Yes ☐ No
🛒 BEFORE YOU CLICK “BUY”
Check:
☐ Domain spelling
☐ Extension
☐ Initial price
☐ Renewal price
☐ Renewal frequency
☐ Privacy options
☐ Auto-renew setting
☐ Registrant/account information
☐ Recovery email
☐ Recovery phone
☐ Payment method
☐ Whether extra services were added to the cart
CHECK THE SPELLING ONE MORE TIME.
Seriously. 😳
If you purchase the wrong spelling, you generally cannot just rename a registered domain to the correct one. For example, Shopify specifically warns that after purchasing a domain through Shopify, you can't change the URL chosen during purchase and domain purchases are non-refundable.
🟢 DO IT YOURSELF OR HIRE SOMEONE?
🟢 THIS IS SOMETHING MANY BUSINESS OWNERS CAN DO THEMSELVES.
You do not normally need to hire someone simply to search for and register an available domain.
If you can:
✔️ Search for a name
✔️ Read the pricing
✔️ Enter your information
✔️ Make the payment
✔️ Save your login information securely
you can probably purchase your own domain.
And there's an advantage:
YOU know where it is.
YOU know the login.
YOU control the account.
If you later hire someone to build the website, they can help you connect the domain.
⭐ MRS. GWEN'S DOMAIN RULES
Before leaving this page, remember these:
1. Keep it simple.
2. Check the spelling before buying.
3. Know where your domain is registered.
4. Keep the account in your control.
5. Keep your recovery information current.
6. Know the renewal price.
7. Consider auto-renew for important domains.
8. Don't buy every add-on offered.
9. Protect the account with strong security.
10. NEVER assume paying once means the domain is yours forever.
✅ BEFORE MOVING TO PAGE 2
Try to complete these:
☐ I know whether I already own a domain.
☐ I know where my domain is registered.
☐ I know how to access the account.
☐ I checked the renewal date.
☐ I checked my payment method.
☐ I checked my recovery information.
☐ I checked whether auto-renew is enabled.
☐ I know whether I need to purchase a domain.
If you're not ready to buy one yet, that's okay.
Knowing what you need is progress too.
➡️ NEXT: CREATING A PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS EMAIL
Now that you understand your online address, let's talk about the email address attached to your business.
We'll discuss whether you actually need a domain-based email, how it works, what addresses you may want and how to avoid paying for more email services than your business needs.
🏠 ONLINE BUSINESS HOME
PAGE 2: CREATING A PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS EMAIL →
⚠️ IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
This information is provided for general educational purposes only. Domain availability, pricing, registration requirements, renewal terms, privacy options, transfer rules and provider features can change.
Always review the current terms, renewal price and policies of the domain registrar or service provider before purchasing or transferring a domain.