You have choices. Which one is it going to be?

Today’s lesson is going to be short – and for good reason. Choosing a domain name is something a lot of people spend far too much time on and end up overthinking. Today we are going to take a look at the best way to choose your domain and the impact it will have on your overall brand. Let’s Get Started…

Free Domain vs. Paid Domain

If you’re looking to get started in affiliate marketing and want to minimize your startup costs, there is absolutely nothing wrong with using a free domain name.

You can get your free domain name and free website using SiteRubix

As you can see, your domain will have a .siterubix.com appended to the end of it. Now, these websites will rank – there is nothing wrong with using them.

By using the above widget you can secure your free domain and build your website in under 5 minutes. The process is super fast and super easy. Additionally, you don’t have to worry about web hosting. Part of the trade off of free domains is that they also provide you with web hosting.

With that said, once you get more serious about building a brand and establishing yourself as an authority (A topic we will discuss more later) you will eventually want to consider buying your own domain name.

Having your own .com domain name has several benefits. The first of which is that little extra pride in knowing that it belongs to you. Your domain is your property. With a free domain, you are technically borrowing that domain.

If you are just getting started and unsure if you want to really put the time into building an online business, I suggest getting started with a free domain. Your free domain can always be transferred to a new domain down the road should you decide to buy one.

However, if you know you want to succeed in making money online, and you are serious about building your online business- go for a paid domain. They generally range from $10-$15 per year. Keep in mind though that with a paid domain you will have to have that domain hosted somewhere.

My #1 recommended host is Wealthy Affiliate. Not only can you host up to 50 websites, you will also be surrounded by like-minded individuals who want to help you succeed. Additionally, the cost to host with Wealthy Affiliate kicks the crap out of most web hosts, especially if you consider all the other features you get such as:

• HTTPS
• 24/7 Site Support
• Site Speed Optimization
• Domain Privacy
• Much, much more

I promise you, you will not find that many hosting features for such a low cost anywhere else.

Learn More About Wealthy Affiliate Here

Your Domain Is Your Brand

A big mistake I see people make often is trying to get related keywords in their domain and focusing on “SEO Friendly Domains”.

Trash that thought right now.

While keyword-rich domains used to help some with SEO, those days are long gone.

What you want to focus on is choosing a strong, memorable domain. In the internet marketing world, your domain is your brand.

Imagine down the road, you’ve built a successful online business. This online business becomes enough to be your primary income, so your website is essentially your job.

Now imagine introducing yourself to someone, “Hi, I’m ______ from [INSERT WEBSITE NAME]”.

Would you rather have that website name sound like a bunch of strung together keywords? Or would you rather it sound like an actual company?

Now I know you can’t answer me, but I’m hoping you chose the company option.

Keep It Memorable

Building off the previous section, you want to make sure your domain isn’t super long. Something short, sweet and memorable is your goal.

Once you’ve established yourself in your chosen niche you want people to be able to type your URL into their browser and be brought right to you. This is known as Direct Traffic, we’ll discuss this more in a later lesson.

When that imaginary user is typing in your domain, they are recalling your business name. Make their lives easier. Keep it short and sweet. Also, avoid choosing commonly misspelled words.

Check Out This Video on Buying a Brandable Domain:

Additional Resources:

GoDaddy’s 10 Tips for Choosing the Perfect Domain – Though I don’t agree with their suggestion of using keywords

Website Setup’s Tips for Choosing a Domain

Conclusion

As I mentioned in the beginning of the lesson, this one is going to be short. Choosing a good domain name for your website shouldn’t be difficult. Don’t overthink it. I have friends in the online marketing space that have domain names that literally have nothing to do with online marketing. Pick something short, sweet and memorable that you would be proud to be affiliated with.

Your Homework

After watching the video above I want you to first make a choice: free domain or paid domain.

Then, I want to you to go and secure that domain, either by using the SiteRubix widget from the beginning of the lesson, or by going to a site like GoDaddy and buying it there.

Finally, I want you to come back here and share your domain.

Added bonus: This will get you some free exposure and traffic!

Remember, if you choose a paid domain, it will need to be hosted somewhere before you can add a website to it.

As always, let me know if you have any questions, comments or concerns below.