Why do you need a domain name?

The most successful businesses use the same set of words and images in all customer touchpoints – on their website, in their emails and order confirmations, on their signs, etc. This is branding at its simplest. And the digital pieces of your brand all spring from your domain name.

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Stake your claim
Registering domains related to your big idea or business name keeps others from using those names to pull traffic away from your website.
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Take control
With a domain name, you can send customers, friends and prospects wherever you want – whether that’s a website, blog, social page or storefront.
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Protect your rights
Your domain gives you an exclusive piece of digital real estate that cannot be used by anyone else as long as it’s registered to you.
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Ready to put your idea online?
Here are some options to get you started.
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Not seeing what you want? There’s more.

Until recently, there were less than two dozen domain extensions to choose from – including .com, .net and .org, to name the most popular ones. Now there are literally hundreds for you to choose from.

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A web address they’ll remember
The new domains are easy to remember because they’re specific to your industry or location. Want to promote your photography business? Try .photos or .photography. Opening a trendy new eatery? Check out .cafe or .pub. And nothing beats .club for your kids’ soccer team or neighborhood book group.
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The chance to promote your location
Got a business that serves local customers? Check out your country’s domain name, .ca for Canada and .co.uk for businesses in the UK. If your products or service are popular in a particular locale, these are a good choice since people often search for “product + location.”
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More choices than ever before
Why limit yourself to the classic domains? The hundreds of new domain names now available multiply your chances to find an amazing web address that truly fits your idea or business.
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Found a great domain? Here’s what to do with it.

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  • Build a new website on it or forward your domain name to an existing website to attract more visitors.

  • Create a professional email address you’ll be proud to share with customers.

  • Make it easy for customers to find you on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social platforms. Learn More

  • Invest in promising names you later sell for a profit.

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A word about privacy.
When you register a domain name with any company, your name, address and phone are published in the public WhoIs database as required by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Email and telephone spammers scour this database, gathering emails and addresses they can use for spam, scams and identity theft. Privacy Protection is the answer.

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GoDaddy didn’t get to be the world’s largest registrar by accident. We can handle all your domain needs.

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Frequently asked questions

  • How do I get a domain name?

    1. Decide on a domain name extension. The extension is the part at the end of the domain name – .net, .biz, .org or .com, for example.

    2. Think about what you’d like on the other side of the dot. It could be your business name or your specialty.

    3. Type the domain you want into the box at the top of this page. We’ll tell you if that particular domain is available and show others you may like better.

    4. Pick one, add it to your cart and check out. You are now the proud owner of your very own domain. As long as it’s registered to you, no one else may use it.

  • Got any tips on finding a good domain name?

    > Make it easy to remember. This is why many businesses get domains with their business names in them. Some people – including Bob Parsons – even choose their business name after they have a domain they like.

    > Don’t register one that’s trademarked, copyrighted or being used by another company. This can lead to losing the domain and/or legal problems.

    > Shorter is usually better because they’re easier for customers to remember. It’s also easier to get matching usernames for Facebook, Twitter and any other social media accounts you have.

    > Got a local business? Include your neighborhood, city or country in your domain so local customers can quickly see where you are. Check the list of geographic domain extensions – .berlin, .nyc – to see if there’s one for your area.

    > Avoid numbers or hyphens. Anyone who hears your web address won't know if you're using a numeral (5) or “five.” If your business name has a number in it, register both versions – with the numeral and with the number spelled out. Dashes are just asking for trouble and generally look unprofessional.

    > Get more than one. As traffic to your website increases, you may attract the attention of copycats who’ll snatch up similar domain names in the hopes of drawing traffic away from you. Register similar or misspelled domains early so this won’t be an issue later.