Expert Roundup : How to choose and purchase a domain name

"What do I need to know before I buy a domain name?"

I'm not kidding when I tell you I've probably been asked that question over a hundred times - and for good reason, too! Knowing how to choose a domain name and figuring out where to purchase it is a major step for any website or business endeavour. Heck, it's usually one in the same so you want to make sure that you've got it right!

Your domain name matters because it is the very first point of contact that your audience has with your brand, your blog, or your business. People will make unconscious biases about your website and business based on your domain name so it's important to be intentional here.

In many cases, your domain name will be the same as your business' name which keeps things simple. But for others, the domain name might not necessarily be the same as a business name... in those cases, wouldn't it be nice if you could build your site first and THEN purchase a domain later? While you can sort of do this with Squarespace (thanks to their free trial), it's not a perfect solution and you shouldn't let the stress of choosing a domain name stop you from getting your website up and running.

Choosing and purchasing a domain name for your website isn't rocket science but it IS a step in the development process that should be considered carefully!

Understanding the .com bias and what it means for your small business

My friends, did you know that we're currently living in the year 2016? And remember back in January when we were all making jokes about "sweet '16, don't be mean"? Considering how brutal this year has been, it's safe to say that many of us wish we could erase it from memory. But we can't. We're still here.

And at this point, did you know that the internet has bee around for....several decades?! About thirty years, in fact! That's a long time - even older than me and I'm basically geriatric.

On the grand & glorious world wide web today, there are over 1 BILLION websites. 1 billion! That number is insane and totally cool. There really is a place for everyone online.

However, the numbers don't lie - although most websites were/are built on the .com top-level domain (TLD), there simply aren't enough possibilities for every single website to be build on it. Eventually, we will run out of .com options and everything will have been purchased already.

With that came the invention of other TLD options. If you're even a moderate web browser (which I assume you are, you savvy thing), you've probably come across them before : .ca, .net, .org, .co., .xyz, etc.

So now that we've established that while many websites end in .com, not all websites have to. That's good news - right?! Well, hold on a minute.

As much as it pains me to admit it, we need to have an honest discussion about the .com bias and what it means for you - and your business.

Choosing a domain for your business is one of the most important steps of starting a website so it's important to have as much information as you can in order to make the right decision for you.

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