The first step of starting a new WordPress website is selecting and registering an appropriate domain name for it.
There are countless places where you can register a domain name these days, so how do you choose the right provider, and what considerations should be kept in mind?
Tips For Choosing Your Domain Registrar
The following are some essential tips to help you pick a good domain registrar where you can get a domain name for your WordPress website.
Pay attention to the renewal price
Many companies offer a discounted price for the first-year registration period and then charge a higher price for renewal. Some of them charge a bit too much for domain renewal.
You want to choose a registrar that has affordable pricing for both initial registration as well as subsequent renewals.
Look for free Whois privacy
Each domain name has its own public Whois record that contains information about the owner (registrant), including their name, address, and phone number.
A Whois privacy feature removes your personal information from the public Whois record and helps protect your data from various security threats.
This is usually offered for free, but some companies charge an additional fee for it. If free Whois privacy isn’t included, it’s better to pass and look for another provider that offers it for free.
Check security features
The security of your account is critically important because if someone manages to gain access to it and transfer your domain out, you may never be able to recover it.
Different security measures can prevent this from happening, including a domain lock feature, two-factor authentication, and a security PIN that is required for making critical changes to your account.
Consider additional services like DNS and SSL
In some cases, you may need to use a third-party DNS service, email, or SSL certificate if your WordPress hosting provider doesn’t offer these.
All of the popular domain registrars give you a free basic DNS service, but email and SSL certificates will cost you extra. You’ll have to look around to find the best deal for you based on your requirements and budget.
Search for genuine user reviews
Another important step in choosing the right domain registrar for your WordPress site is to see what other customers have to say about the company and its services.
You usually find the most helpful and honest reviews on webmaster forums and trustworthy review platforms like G2 and Trustpilot.
You can check out this Reddit post on the best domain registrars that offer free Whois privacy and affordable prices. There are plenty of other interesting discussions on Reddit related to this topic, so do a quick search and you may learn a thing or two.
Recommended Domain Registrars
Namecheap is one of the best domain registrars that many WordPress site owners get their domains from. They have competitive prices with complete Whois privacy included for free.
Dynadot and Cloudflare are also great providers to consider if you are looking for the lowest renewal rates. Dynadot is easy to use for beginners while Cloudflare has a more complex platform and is more suitable for developers.
Other Popular Registrars
There are numerous other popular registrars that run massive marketing campaigns but may not have the best prices or support service.
GoDaddy is the largest domain registrar in the world, but it’s also one of the most expensive with high renewal rates. They charge an additional fee for complete Whois privacy.
Network Solutions and Domain.com are two more examples of popular registrars that charge a high price for renewals and Whois privacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the domain extension matter for SEO?
All generic domain extensions are treated the same by search engines, so it doesn’t matter which one you use for your website.
It’s always better to go with a .com domain name if you can find a suitable one. While it won’t give your site any direct SEO advantage over other extensions, it does look more trustworthy and may help improve your site’s search click-through rate.
Can you buy a domain name forever?
No, it’s not possible to buy a domain name outright and permanently because the maximum registration length allowed is ten years.
Some sketchy companies offer “forever” domain registration by asking you to pay a huge amount of money upfront, promising to keep renewing the domain forever at no extra cost. That would be an unnecessary waste of money, so just say no and register the domain elsewhere for the maximum ten-year period if you must.
Can you get a domain name for free?
Short answer, no! There isn’t any reliable provider that will give you a free domain name, unless it’s bundled with a hosting plan or another paid service.
There are a few companies that offer free domains with unpopular extensions, but you may only be allowed to use the domain while they maintain full ownership of it. You don’t want to use any such free domains for a serious website.
How much does a domain name cost?
Domain names are registered on an annual basis. You pay an initial registration fee for the first year and then an annual renewal fee for as long as you’d like to maintain ownership of the domain.
Prices for domain registration and renewal vary from one extension to another and from one registrar to another.
A fair price for registering a new .com domain name is between $10 and $15. You should also look for a renewal price within this range. Avoid registrars that charge more than $20 for .com renewal because there is usually nothing that justifies such a high price.
