I have had people contact me asking the best place for buying domain names cheap, also, asking about hosting and email. All due to Covid.
Just to clarify here, you can buy a domain name and park it until you are ready to use it.
You do not have to buy hosting or Email for it unless you are setting up a website under that domain name pretty much straight away.
Is Buying Domain Names a Good Investment
The short answer is yes. If you know what you are doing.
If it is keyword friendly and relates to your business, then it is part of the goodwill value of your business. Just like real estate.
So, like a brick-and-mortar business, it can become quite valuable. If the name is affiliated with your business of course. More on this later.
The First of our 4 Domain Name Providers
Google.
For everything you hear about Google, you may not know they sell domain names. Their domains are not available in every country though. A list of countries where this service of Googles is available includes all those below.
| Australia | Mexico |
| Brazil | Netherlands |
| Canada | South Africa |
| France | Spain |
| India | Thailand |
| Indonesia | United Kingdom |
| Italy | United States |
| Japan | Vietnam |
Google only started offering domains in 2015. However one important thing separating Google from other domain name providers is, Google does not offer hosting.
You can purchase hosting here and use the Google Domains interface to point your domain to your hosting service.
Google does have limited hosting in Google suites. Really, it is not suitable for a fully optimized website.
Some of the Pros and Cons of a Google Domain
Pros
- DNS Hosting
- Domain and Subdomain Forwarding
- Email Forwarding
- Part of your existing Google account, no separate login. Also allows for two factor aesthetician.
- A one Click DNS configuration that connects the domain with Blogger, Shopify, Squarespace, Wix, Weebly and Google Sites.
- Free privacy protection
- The Cost of renewal is cheaper than most other big Domain providers.
- It is accredited by ICANN
Cons
- Does not offer website hosting
- Smaller number of domain extensions 100 – to Namecheaps 400.
- Limited country availability
- Can be difficult to contact their site support or receive prompt answers to problems.
- SSL Certificates are an add on. But this is common to the majority of domain name providers.
Google I think you will agree, after looking at the other domain name providers I will look at here is up there, competitive wise.
Certainly it doesn’t go for the carrot (low price to get in ), then hit you with a sledge hammer when it comes to renewal.
How do you rate Google?. This is such a small part of Google business. I wonder why they even started it, particularly when you look at what is being offered elsewhere. Of course Google could be appealing to the domain name flippers.
I think I can give it a 5 for the domain name price and maybe a 1.5 for being Google. But surely, if you are buying a domain name you intend setting up a website? or maybe not! So 6.5 /10.
Bluehost.
One of the best known webhosts around and commonly associated with WordPress. Although it is one of the more “mature” companies in this space it remains competitive and provides its more than 2 million users great 24/7 support.
Since 2010 it has been part of Endurance International Group . Their avatar is to power small business in a big way.
With over 2 million domain names under management and 4,500,000 customers throughout the world, Bluehost is a major part of the group.
Lets look at the pros and cons of Bluehost.
Pros
- Vast Experience with Online Management Systems
- Competitive Price matching around $12.99, for .com
- Accredited by ICANN
- DNS Hosting
- Manage your domain and all of its aspects from an easy-to-use control panel.
- Change DNS records easily across multiple domains.
- 24/7 Support.
Cons
- SSL Certificates are an add-on. This is usual though Some do some don’t offer free SSL certificates.
- There have been complaints over the past couple of years now that Bluescope is part of a larger conglomerate. These include slow Customer service, and server unreliabilty
Step 1 is purchasing a domain name.
Step 2 is providing hosting services for the domain and its website.
Step 3 is providing support hosting and training for Word Press with all the bells and whistles, like search engine optimization, e-mail marketing and social media tools.
As well as Woo-Commerce and other business integrations.
Bluehost has been around for many years. I think my first website was built using “dreamweaver” ?. I never went anywhere with it… ?. Then I signed up with Bluehost, and it was my launch pad into WordPress and building sites with WordPress. I haven’t regretted
But as with many things, it is now part of a larger company, and service standards may not be what they once were.
Finding Domain Names.
Often it is not that great a deal to find a domain name. If you want a specific name then sites such as Sedo, Afternic, Ebay, Namecheap are popular for buying and selling domain names.
Generally though for the average person starting a website for the first time, it is advisable to keep things simple.
When you visit a domain site there will be a search bar for you to type in the name you want. If it isn’t available, alternatives will be offered.
Rating Bluehost is not easy as there are a lot of moving parts, and for a newbie it can be a little overwhelming. My score is a 7.0 /10
Back to our domain review and this is one you may not have heard much of.
Crazy Domains.
Who is Crazy Domains
Crazy Domains was established in 2000, and has gone on to become a leading domain name registrar in Australia, Europe, India, and the Middle East.
Known for its dynamic hosting, Crazy Domains claims to have the most secure and advanced infrastructure across all their server locations, in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania
Like Bluehost above, this is a “mature” company founded in 2000. It also builds custom websites, as well as offering a full suite of options from e-mail, hosting, and marketing.
Lets take a look at the Pros and Cons.
Pros
- Transparent Pricing
- Pricing is in Australian Dollars which is attractive to foreign buyers
- Bulk Discounts
- You can lock in a price today for the next 10 years. Currently about AU$17.00 a year.
- Domain Manager which includes quick set ups and management tools
- Some Domains as low as $1.00
- Free Cloud DNS Services
- 24/7 support and good personal support, including if you want a website built.
- Domain Transfer
- Site Protection
- Great Information on selecting domain names and domain name extensions.
Cons
- The cost of an .io domain at Crazy Domains is one of the most expensive I have seen at over $100.00.
- A busy site with a lot of information. It is best to take a good look around the site before making any decisions. You should do this on any site anyway.
- Many of its addons cost extra. Same as above with Blue Host and Google, E-mail associated with the domain is an expense. Bluehost and Crazy Domains are offering a different suite of programs alongside their domain name registrations than those of Google. So while Google is great to get a low price for a domain, it may not be the best deal.
The personal attention from Crazy Domains is very good and easily accessed, they will actually call you back. Like Bluehost a newbie might be overwhelmed with information. But I think it is laid out a little better than Bluehost. Very transparent. 8.0+ /10
Bluehost and Crazy Domains are both big on WordPress. As are Go daddy and a few other domain name providers
Crazy Domains goes a step further and actually builds websites for business’s. and with a 4.4 /5 rating from 1,913 reviews, you gotta say they are doing a pretty good job.
If you are just buying domain names for your own use or to resell then Google should not be the only place you go looking for domain names. Crazy Domains could be a spoiler.
If on the other hand you actually want to do something with your domain name, then like Bluehost and Crazy Domains, this next business has much to offer.
Wealthy Affiliate
Domain Hosting at $13.99
I have written about Wealthy Affiliate previously on this site, asking if it were a scam. I think at the time I may have been talking about the 4th Industrial revolution too, which looks more than ever to be happening now.
The great reset as some are saying, including colleagues of mine, such as Sirnivasan Mahanti and Helen Gurneva. Two switched on people who have great track records of success, are now suggesting that people start looking seriously for opportunities online, even if it is only a side hustle to start with.
Let’s see What Wealthy Affiliate Offers.
Pros
- Once you are a free member you can see the tips on how to choose a domain name, before choosing one.
- Transparent Pricing
- SSL Certificate Included
- Security Package Included
- Instant DNS
- 24/7 Support
- Domain Transfer
- Domain Management.
- Assistance Given in setting up your website via tutorials and videos, and online help.
Cons
- There are tips on how to choose a domain name but you need to be at least a free member.
- Domain Names are lumped in with hosting, Keyword tools, video training, live training and online tutorials.
- It has a live chat feature which while helpful can be distracting.
My Rating for Domain names on Wealthy Affiliate is 8:5 / 10. It has a very good tool for uncovering available Domain Names. You can see it Here. Just look at the menu and click on Domains.
The pricing is good compared to Bluehost and compares well with Crazy Domains (which is priced in AU), although it is a little dearer than Google which is priced in US$.
Conclusion:
I don’t think it is widely known that Google has Domain Names as part of its offerings. It is very basic, but if a domain name is all you need then, it is the cheapest place to buy a mainstream domain name.
Bluehost offers a full suite of products to get you started online. You need to be careful about differencing between hosting and domain names though. Blue host has them linked in its advertising (as you would expect).
Bluehost is still one of the main players in the online world. Its offerings have got many a start up off the ground, and many “Newbies” have become expert website creators thanks to Bluehost and its association with WordPress.
Crazy Domains like Bluehost offers a full suite of products to get you and your business online including building a website for you. It has a large knowledge section on its website.
Like Bluehost it likes to feature it hosting abilities, which are substantial. Its pricing is in Australian Dollars and this is attractive to people from the UK, USA and Europe. Its pricing is very transparent.
Wealthy Affiliate doesn’t advertise as a Domain Name provider or hosting provider. It is a training type organization.
However Wealthy Affiliate has some serious horsepower under the bonnet. The comparison is not apples and pears either.
Bluehost and Crazy Domains still have a cost, and both are using WordPress as their default Website builder. The same as Wealthy Affiliate does.
Check to see what you need and how much it will cost you, then come back and see what it will cost with Wealthy Affiliate (using the yearly options).
If you’re just starting out in an online business you might be surprised to see that Wealthy Affiliate is more than competitive, and has increasing benefits going forward without the cost increases.
having not just any domain but the right domain is so important I have been using Wealthy Affiliate domain for years now and have never been disappointed. I recommend this platform for anyone who wants to get ahead and a helping hand for every dollar that they spend. With the price that is so low, you will be getting a great deal.
Ok I don’t know Hover. I will have to look into that one.
You have some great considerations. I remember hearing that Google was offering domains but never really looked into the details. On the cons, you have listed that they don’t host but I see that as an advantage. I have been very happy with hosing my Domains on Hover which runs a little more expensive than the ones you’re covering on this, but I like that my domains are not tied to a host which makes moving to a new host much easier as your website grows.
Hi Sinatsir,
You will need to have had your domain for at least 60 days before you can transfer it.
There are other guides. In fact which ever webhost you are transferring to will have all the details of what they require.
Once done everything on your website, the content, the scheme, etc will remain as is.
Hi! Great article you have, my friend, Very concise and informative. It is great to start your online business in the wealthy affiliate community because you have everything you need there to start a website there. I would like to ask a question tho if you transfer your domain name to another hosting how do you do it? and will your date and all the content stay with your domain name after you transfer hosting?