Creating a website necessitates a significant amount of time and thought. It is not enough to simply create a website or find a hosting provider to keep it online. To attract visitors and customers, you must also have a domain name. If you imagine your website as a physical store, the domain name is the address. Potential customers won't be able to find your physical store if you don't have an address, and the same is true for domain names and websites. Fortunately, purchasing a domain name isn't difficult, and there are several options. In fact, for pointers, we have a step-by-step domain registration guide that you should look at. If you're willing to accept a few caveats, you can get a free website domain name for free. We'll walk you through the steps.
What is a Domain Name?
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Your new domain name serves as your online identifier. A domain is the portion of a website's address that follows "HTTP" or "HTTPS" and before any other extension such as ".com" or, in the case of a free Strikingly website domain, the name that precedes ".strikingly.com." "The domain name you select is critical to the success of your website." It's just as important as naming a new baby. Because your brand's logo and reputation will be associated with that name for a long time. It's analogous to owning a trademark to prevent others from using it.
A memorable name is critical for driving traffic to your blog or business, and while you can get one for free, there are always disadvantages.
A fee must be paid to a registrar or the person who registers your unique name. There is no such thing as a free website domain name in that sense, but you can obtain one for free through various methods. Before you begin, consider what you need from free domain name registration. If you're launching a new business and want to establish a distinct brand or want your blog to become the next big thing online, you'll need a customized domain name that you own and manage. The name should be formal and simple to find using a search engine like Google.
At this point, completely free options are rare, but there are low-cost domain name alternatives that offer a lot of bang for your buck. If you're serious about creating a long-term online presence, cheap domain names may be a better long-term investment than completely free website domain names. A free domain name is an excellent option if you don't need any bells and whistles and only need a domain name for a short period. A completely free domain name is uncommon, but there are inexpensive domain name alternatives that offer a lot of bang for your buck.
Here are five different methods for obtaining a free domain name, as well as how the best deals compare:
- Web Hosting Services
- Website Builders
- Top Level Domain Names with Country Codes are available for free.
- Pay for Your Domain Through Advertising
- Pay for Your Domain Through Client Referrals
Domain Name Advantages: For Business
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With so many websites already on the internet, does having a custom domain name still make a difference? Domain names, on the most basic level, influence how easily potential customers can find you on search engines and what a visitor's first impression of your service will be. So, in a nutshell, yes, domain names are important. A free website domain name can help your company by allowing you to
1. Make Contact with Your Target Market
A unique, high-quality domain name enables you to speak directly to your target market by establishing more specific expectations for what your company offers. This saves you – and your customers – time while also allowing you to communicate with them clearly and quickly.
2. Maintain Control Over Your Brand
If you do not secure your preferred business domain name, someone else may purchase it and take control of your brand. Though you are unsure whether you will use it, purchasing a domain name benefits you by ensuring that no one else can secure your name and potentially siphon off your customers (or even maliciously damage your reputation). For example, if you own Holly's Handbags, you'll want a domain close to Hollyshandbags.com.
3. You Can Stand Out and be Remembered
Having a site with a '.blog' before your name makes it difficult for customers to find you in a quick search and makes it difficult to remember your company's URL. Purchasing a free website domain name can assist you in resolving this issue and ensuring that your clients remember you and can find you whenever they require it.
4. Identity and Branding in Online Presence
Your website's name allow you to tell your visitors about your services and main message. A name, when used correctly, can help your overall reputation and branding – and we all know that a good reputation means more customers and sales. A good domain name essentially assists you in creating a vision for your company's identity and securing better online visibility.
5. Boost Your Organization's Credibility and Professionalism
Having a personal free website domain name is a sign of trustworthiness and should be taken seriously.
6. Improve the SEO of Your Website
It all comes down to how your website appears to (and on) search engines. The ranking of your website will undoubtedly be influenced by having a relevant domain name that directly links to your service or product and the words people commonly use to search for them. Of course, numerous factors can influence how a site ranks on search engines such as Google. A good domain name can definitely help boost your site's ranking on search engines and drive more traffic.
7. Create a Competitive Advantage
A personal domain name puts you on a more level playing field than large corporations, allowing you to compete with all of your competitors – even if they are much larger.
How to Get a Free Domain Name that Works?
We cannot advise you on the best domain name for your specific website. We can, however, walk you through the process of making a careful, well-thought-out choice. These aren't absolute rules – domain names aren't a science (you wouldn't have come up with "Google.com" by following these rules!) – but they are excellent best practices for most websites.
a. Keep it Brief and Simple to Remember
Image is taken from Strikingly user’s website
One of the most important considerations when selecting a website domain is brand ability. You want your domain name to be short, punchy, and memorable. The goal is to make your domain name so easy to remember that it eventually takes on a generic meaning. Consider Google or Uber. These names no longer refer to domains but to actions and activities.
If you use a free domain name and web hosting, your website address will be slightly longer because the web host's name is attached to your domain name. Try out a few different domain name options to see which one is easiest to remember given this constraint.
b. Make it Mobile-responsive
When you upgrade your free account with Strikingly, you get free website hosting and a customizable free website domain name for the first year. This allows you to test out a mobile-friendly domain for your website. By mobile-friendly, we mean that users should be able to easily type in the website address using their phones and mobile devices. Consider users who have autocorrect turned on on their phones. Make sure your domain is as short and easy to type in as possible by testing it out on your phone or having someone who isn't so good at typing on the phone test it for you.
c. Make Use of Keywords Sparingly
Another piece of advice when purchasing a free domain name: avoid using generic keywords. We don't think it's absolutely necessary to use keyword-rich domains at the risk of ruffling SEO feathers. A keyword can be useful, but only in moderation. A keyword-targeted website domain used to be an important ranking factor, but as they became associated with low-quality content, search engines became wary of ranking these domains.
d. Confirm that Your Website's Domain is Not Trademarked
Before you go ahead and register your free website domain, make sure you have the legal right to use the name in the first place. You can check the trademark status of any domain name by contacting your local patent and trademark office. You can also search WIPO for global websites with the same name as you chose.
e. Choose an Appropriate Extension
If you're going to purchase a web domain, you should choose the appropriate extension (e.g., ".com," ".org," or ".biz") for your domain. ".com" is still the most popular extension for most websites because it is good for SEO and memorability. You can't go wrong with a ".com" domain. Everyone assumes your domain extension is.com anyway, so you might as well use that.
Strikingly Domain Registration
Image is taken from Strikingly
Did you know that if you subscribe to any yearly plan, Strikingly will give you a $24.95 domain credit for the first year? That's correct! This is your best chance to make the most of your new website! It is important to note that purchasing a free website domain is separate from purchasing a subscription.
Conclusion
At any stage of development, any size of business needs a strong domain name. It will entice customers with a catchy slogan or a unique title, foster a sense of professionalism and satisfaction, and distinguish your company from others in your industry. Consider it like choosing a company logo, because the two should go hand in hand. Your domain name should be simple, memorable, and reflect your brand. Our final and most important advice is to build your business websites with a website builder. Even if you followed the previous steps, everything would fall apart if you didn't have a solid foundation. Begin creating your own website by registering a free website domain name with Strikingly. Strikingly enjoys watching your company grow. You have the option of using the most user-friendly, trendy, and mobile-ready web page creator available. The ability to run a business from anywhere and at any time is the latest business trend. Find a web designer who can provide you with the best assistance. Surprisingly, the team and resources will astound you. Don't worry. Our helpful Happiness Officers are ready to listen to any issues you may encounter when creating a website. We work hard every day to ensure you don't have any. Now is the time to get your company a website.
