Buying a domain name

You already have your website with BizPorch. A domain name just gives people a memorable address (like yourbusiness.com) that points to it. You are buying only the name. Nothing else. Here is where to buy, what to skip, and how to pick a good one.

Where to buy

Buy from a reputable registrar. Any of these is a solid choice. Prices are for a standard .com and are approximate. Always check the renewal price on the day you buy, since that is what you pay every year after.

What to watch out for

• “$0.99 first year!” then a big renewal. The teaser only applies to year one. Look at the renewal price. That’s the real cost. Cloudflare and Porkbun stay flat (~$10-11); GoDaddy renews around $23.
• Paying for “WHOIS privacy.” This hides your name and address from public records and should be free. Cloudflare, Porkbun, and Namecheap all include it. Don’t pay extra for it.
• Add-ons you don’t need. At checkout you’ll be offered web hosting, an SSL certificate, a website builder, “site protection,” and SEO packages. BizPorch already provides hosting, the site, and the free security certificate. Skip all of those. (Branded email like you@yourbusiness.com is the one legitimate optional extra, only if you want it.)
• Leave auto-renew ON. A surprise charge is annoying; losing your domain because it lapsed is far worse. Someone else can grab it. Keep auto-renew on and your card current.
• Fake renewal notices. Scammers mail official-looking “invoices.” Only ever renew by logging into your real registrar’s website. Never pay an invoice that arrives by mail or a link in an email.

How to choose a good name

• Get the .com. It’s the most trusted and the one people instinctively type. If it’s taken, a city + service .com (like denvercoffeebar.com) beats reaching for .co or .shop.
• Keep it short and easy to say, something you can tell someone over the phone without spelling it out.
• No hyphens or numbers. “Is that a 4 or the word four? Is there a dash?” causes confusion by word of mouth.
• Use your business name rather than stuffing in keywords.
• Check the matching social handle (Instagram/Facebook) so your branding stays consistent. A free tool like Namechk checks many at once.
• Quick trademark check. Registering a domain doesn’t give you trademark rights. A quick search avoids copying an existing brand.

Roughly what it costs

For a .com with free privacy at an honest registrar, expect about $10-15 per year, all in. There is no separate hosting or SSL bill. Those come with BizPorch. The domain is your only ongoing cost.

After you buy: one quick step

Once you own the domain, you don’t buy anything else. Add two DNS records in your registrar’s control panel:

Those point your new domain at your BizPorch site (the second one makes www work too). Then enter the domain in your BizPorch dashboard under Custom Domain and we’ll handle the rest. See the step-by-step for your provider for exactly where these go.