Crucial to the success of your website, blog or portfolio is the domain name.
If you want to build a personal blog, an e-commerce site, or a business website, the first step is always to find a domain name.
You may have been working on editing your photos, and people keep telling you that you should sell your photography. So, now it’s time to set up your photography website and pick a domain name.
It’s important to remember, being the first aspect of your website a user will see, the domain name can make a good or bad first impression.
What is a domain name and why do I need to find a domain name?
A domain name is a unique internet address (website name) for your photography website. Or any website for that matter.
For example, my domain name is www.seanmichaelpritchard.com
The top domain registrars to consider:
- Namecheap – Best value for money with complete identity protection
- Domain.com – The best option for low renewal rates
- GoDaddy – Best for beginner website owners
- WordPress.com & Squarespace – Best all-in-one solutions
Think back to your teen years when you thought an email address along the lines of coolsk8rdude69@gmail.com was a good idea. When you entered the world of work, I would hope you realised new employers may not consider the email address to be professional and changed it to one that made a good first impression.
The same goes for your domain name. A simple and clear domain name will stick in your website visitors’ mind and leave a good lasting impression. However, a poor domain name could drive them away.
A well-chosen domain name:
- Looks professional
- Builds trust
- Strengthens your brand
It’s never too early to purchase a domain name, but it may be too late if your name has already been taken!
As a result, I strongly advise securing your desired domain name ASAP.
Being that the world we live in is virtually powered by the internet, there is heavy competition from companies wanting you to register your domain name with them. There are hundreds of places for you to buy your domain from.
That’s why I have put together this list of the top places to find your photography website domain name.
Namecheap – Best value for money with complete identity protection
Namecheap has long been a trusted domain provider mainly for the affordability and user-friendly interface helping you to find a domain name.
Completely ICANN-accredited, Namecheap has evolved to become one of the industry’s most reputable names. In addition, when it comes to balancing pricing and assistance, Namecheap is one of the top domain registrars to help you with your domain name search.
Namecheap also offers more than just a domain:
- web hosting services
- SSL certificates
- security and privacy protection to avoid your domain account being easily accessed and hijacked by hackers.
When you register a .com domain with Namecheap, you’ll also receive free WhoisGuard privacy protection. Many people dislike having their contact information made public, so this is a welcome addition.
With incredibly competitive pricing it’s hard to look past a Namecheap domain.
Domain.com – The best option for low renewal rates
Domain.com is an incredibly popular domain name registrar, and with a domain name as simple as Domain.com you can see why. This website does exactly what it says on the tin: provide Domains.
With over two decades of online experience, Domain.com is one of the world’s top domain name registrars. It has also expanded into web hosting and now offers a wide range of services, including full design and web hosting.
Their handy quick domain search tool easily guides you in your domain name search, helping you find both standard and premium domain names.
Domain.com provides other services such as:
- web hosting
- email hosting
- SSL certificates
- site design and online marketing.
GoDaddy – Best for beginner website owners
GoDaddy claims to be the “World’s #1 ICANN-accredited Domain Registrar.”
If it’s time in the game you value most, then GoDaddy should be your go to for your domain search.
Being one of the oldest domain registration companies GoDaddy is always improving its domain search services with its vast wealth of knowledge.
Keep an eye out for their discounts, as if your timing is right, you might be able to find a big discount on the first year of your domain registration. A GoDaddy domain search might provide an unexpected bargain!
The GoDaddy domain search is super easy to use, however, GoDaddy’s packages include not only domain names, but also:
- website security services
- web hosting
- website building tools
- WordPress hosting
- email hosting, and more…
WordPress.com & Squarespace – Best all-in-one solutions
If you are already considering building your own website with either WordPress.com or Squarespace, then you are in luck!
Both WordPress.com and Squarespace provide a new domain name free for one year with their paid annual plans. They both have inbuilt search programs to help you find a domain name.
With any WordPress.com subscription, you may easily connect a domain from another provider for free. The same goes for Squarespace. In other words, they allow you to easily link up a domain name purchased from one of the other providers listed above.
It is worth noting that although you might jump at the thought of something that is “free” you should research your chosen domain on the other providers listed above first. This is because although you may not find a “free for one year deal”, you may well find the other providers will work out cheaper in the long run.
Conclusion
The overall benefit of the domain name space being so saturated is that pricing is highly competitive.
I definitely recommend shopping around on the above Domain name registrars’ sites in order to find the best deal and website name for your photography website.
Although all domain name registrars enable you to search, register, acquire, renew, and transfer domain names, they differ in the pricing, services, and freebies that they offer with each transaction.
If you intend to move from another domain registrar, make certain that the current registrar you wish to join allows for smooth transfers. This is significant since some domain registrars impose fees for domain transfers.
You should also go through their policies. One thing you should pay attention to is their domain expiry policy. Some domain expiry regulations are more lenient than others, with some domain registrars even providing a grace period after your domain name has expired.
Recap:
- Namecheap – Best value for money with complete identity protection
- Domain.com – The best option for low renewal rates
- GoDaddy – Best for beginner website owners
- WordPress.com & Squarespace – Best all-in-one solutions
My best advice here: don’t stress about it. As long as you get the Domain name of your choosing, you’re already one step closer to making your own photography website.
Now it’s time to find out where to build your own photography website.
DISCLOSURE: I may earn a small commission from some of the links above. For the benefit of the doubt, please assume all links might be affiliate links.
Get the latest news in your inbox
By signing up to my mailing list you will be the first to hear about brand new blogs, new prints and have access to subscriber only promotions!