A domain name can make or break a whole business. That is no exaggeration! A domain name should be identical, similar, or relevant to the name of your business. Otherwise, people will have a hard time correctly identifying your brand. Be aware that changing the layout or some minor functionalities of a website doesn’t severely affect the income generated. However, a domain name change impacts the branding strategy. Usually, rebranding sets you back considerable amounts of money.
Think twice before buying the domain name for your new website; don’t rush, as your decision has a strategic impact. Luckily, we have many domain name extensions to catch the readers’ attention. Yet, .com domains remain the most memorable extensions.
To save money and time, we did complete research to find the best domain registrars to buy a cheap .com domain.
Traits of a Good Domain Name
Before securing your domain name for your website, you should know what makes a good domain name. What you like isn’t necessarily what works for your business! The price of a domain is a determinant factor in your final decision, but there are a few other aspects of a domain name that should be taken into account. Keep in mind these ideas:
- Short and sweet! A domain name should be brandable, in most cases implying a short and sweet name. The average domain length of the most popular 1000 websites is 7 characters. Sadly, it’s a near-impossible mission to find a short and sweet name under 10 characters at affordable prices. Creativity and domain name generators are your best ally to find a short and sweet name.
- Memorable. Help your future customers by choosing a memorable domain name. We are assaulted daily with hundreds of marketing messages and brands. Unless your name is memorable, people will instantly forget it.
- Brandable and creative. Your domain name shouldn’t be necessarily a word from the dictionary. You won’t find terms like Shopify, Newsify, Coursera, and Hackr in the dictionary, but these instantly suggest what the business is about.
- No hyphens or numbers. Avoid any confusion related to your business domain name by staying away from hyphens and numbers.
Domain Registrars to Buy a Cheap .com Domain
Make sure you check the renewal price and other terms carefully. In general, renewal prices are higher than introductory prices, affecting your budget. Some hosting platforms offer a free domain name under certain conditions, like sticking to a three-year commitment or buying a superior pricing plan. It’s an excellent solution if you plan to launch a new website. Check out our guide to learn how to get a domain name for free.
With the above tips in mind, take a look at the following recommendations for buying a cheap .com domain name.
Namecheap
Namecheap is on the cheapest end of the spectrum. It covers a large set of services, from top-class hosting to cheap .com domain names. The search form sets it apart from its competitors. You can use either the standard search functionality or “Beast Mode,” an enhanced way to find domains name based on a filtering model. It’s a strong choice for not only finding individual domain names but also inspiration. On top of that, Namecheap lets you upload a CSV file containing a list of domains, a great feature for bulk search. You may enter up to 5,000 keywords, single out the preferred extensions, set up a min and max price, and transform the search term (drop the last vowel, pluralize nouns). Clearly, it’s one of the most complete solutions for identifying the best domain name.
“Generator” is another standing apart feature—enter a domain name, select the extension and a price range, and it generates logos and domain name alternatives based on your specifications.
Visit the marketplace to participate in auctions and buy premium domain names. It’s a crowded market where you can purchase ear-candy domains for your businesses or resell them. Those interested in new technologies might take a look at handshake domains. These are a great fit for Web 3.0 projects and are based on peer-to-peer protocols.
GoDaddy
GoDaddy takes a particular approach toward the sale of domain names. It’s one of the best places to buy a cheap domain name. Yet there is a catch: the introductory prices are amongst the lowest in the industry. It’s quite common to get an 85% discount for a year for a .com domain name and a 42% discount for a two-year commitment. That means that you will pay substantially more at renewal. Considering you need more capital in the early stages of a business, it makes sense to buy a domain from GoDaddy and pay more in the future.
21+ million customers, 84+ million domains, and 500+ domain extensions make GoDaddy the largest domain registrar on the market. Finding and purchasing a domain name is as easy as ABC. GoDaddy has its own domain generator for people who need inspiration and a dedicated system for bulk searches. If you are an investor and want to buy cheap domain names, these tools are golden. Moreover, everyone is offered a free domain value appraisal, so you don’t invest blindly.
Bluehost
Bluehost is well-known as a hosting platform but less so as a domain registrar. You get a free domain name by hosting a website on Bluehost. Yet, it’s not mandatory to buy hosting services to secure a domain name. Use its search form to find the desired .com domain name at reasonable prices. The prices start at $12.99/year and an additional $11.88/year for domain privacy and protection. For those who wish to avoid having their personal information exposed publicly, this service is a must.
Managing a domain name through Bluehost is simple and intuitive, thanks to its cool dashboard. It includes all the needed information like auto-renewal, domain lock, and domain forwarding.
Bluehost is one of the few hosting companies endorsed by WordPress.org and, despite some complaints, remains a top-class host. Consider purchasing a hosting subscription to get a domain name for free. Even the shared plans come with added perks much needed for a new website.
Domain
Domain is a well-known domain registrar where you can buy a cheap .com domain. Besides domain names, Domain offers hosting, email and marketing services, SSL certificates, and website security enhancement. You can even hire web designers and SEO experts through Domain. No matter your level of experience, finding a .com domain name is straightforward. You can secure a domain name for five years at introductory prices. The prices start at $9.99/year, with a renewal price of $19.99/year. If you are serious about a domain name, you’d better secure it for several years to save some bucks. Domain allows transferring a domain name from other registrars, quickly and smoothly.
You can go strictly for .com domains, but there are dozens of other trendy domain extensions. Check out this table of extensions available on Domain if you are interested in an original name for your website.
Google Domains
Google Domains doesn’t have the same reputation as Domain or GoDaddy, but it’s a worth-mentioning registrar to buy cheap .com domains. However, it’s a Google service, so its quality and reliability are out of the question. The simple interface and rich offerings are the main advantages of Google Domains. It streamlines the site creation with Google Sites or Blogger, but it suggests also paid alternatives like Wix, Squarespace, Bluehost, Weebly, or Shopify.
Those less trained who want to create a site from scratch should consider Google Domains because it does everything possible to simplify site creation. There are plenty of suggestions and resources to do so. The .com domains start at $12 and the introductory prices are equal to renewal ones. No matter the domain purchased, you get free privacy protection.
Ionos
Ionos uses a tricky selling strategy, but it’s a cheap solution to buy a .com domain name. There is no typo, you pay $1/year for a .com domain name. You have to secure the domain name for at least two years to get this massive discount. Considering that the regular price for a .com domain is $15 it’s still a profitable business to buy a domain name from it. Ionos is a hub for site creators—including WordPress, eCommerce and cloud hosting, business email storage, and cloud computing services. All domain names come with one business email address connected to the domain purchased, 2 GB storage, and free privacy protection.
The shopping experience is a little bit annoying because Ionos floods you with upselling and cross-selling offers. However, many of these are really helpful for setting up an online business.
Wrapping Up
Don’t disregard the role of the domain name. Practically, it’s the name of your business and, certainly, you don’t want to make a poor choice. The above registrars are the best choices for buying a cheap .com domain name. They have powerful search and filter systems, helpful features, and suggestions to help you secure a good domain name. Use any of them because all the prices are relatively low.
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