When deciding on a web address, it can be hard to know if a cheap domain will be suitable. Changing this down the line is a time-consuming and involved process, so there's a lot of pressure to get it right the first time.
However, in practice, the price of a domain doesn't change its quality. In fact, there are several situations in which it might make more sense for you to spend less on your website's address.
In this post, we'll give you an overview of domains in general and what types are available. Then we'll share three reasons you may want to consider choosing a cheap option when registering yours. Let's dive in!
An Introduction to the Types of Domains Available
In order to understand domain name pricing, you first need to understand the anatomy of a URL:
It's made up of three main parts: the protocol, the domain name, and the Top-Level Domain (TLD). The third portion is what determines the price.
There are many different types of TLDs available, including:
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Generic TLDs (gTLDs): The most common domain extensions, including .com, .org, and .net.
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Country Code TLDs (ccTLDs): Used primarily by sites based outside of the U.S., these extensions indicate the website's country of origin such as .uk, .ca, or .jp.
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Sponsored TLDs (sTLDs): Reserved for use by specific entities, such as .gov for government websites and .edu for universities.
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Premium TLDs: Highly expensive domain extensions such as .inc that may provide member benefits for those who register one.
Generally speaking, you can expect most gTLDs and ccTLDs to cost between $10–$50 per year. However, there are some priced at over $100 per year. sTLDs require special approval and aren't for sale on the regular market. Premium TLDs start at hundreds of dollars per year and may run over $1,000.
In short, choosing a domain – including your TLD – is no small task. It will play an important role in your website's branding and identity, and even your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) process. Plus, it's not easy to change it later.
Why You Should Consider a Cheap Domain Option (3 Key Reasons)
As we already stated, generic and country code domains tend to be the cheapest. They're also some of the most popular and therefore the easiest to remember. Here are three other reasons why you may want to choose one for your platform.
1. You Want to Purchase Multiple Domains
If you're going to purchase multiple domains, buying cheap ones will help you keep your expenses down. While it may seem like a strange practice, there are several situations in which you may want to do this, including:
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Defensive registration to prevent others from claiming variations of your domain with different TLDs.
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Registration of the same domain name with intentional spelling mistakes to prevent others from 'typosquatting'.
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Purchasing a large volume of domain names to resell later.
Choosing a cheap domain can make it more affordable to protect your brand from those seeking to take advantage of users who mistype your web address. In turn, this may improve your overall security, credibility, and authority in your industry.
2. It's for Use on a Personal Blog
Small, personal blogs can be of real value to the people who create and read them. However, very few are able to generate enough revenue to justify the expense of a premium TLD, or even a high-end gTLD.
If making money isn't the primary goal of your site, funneling a lot of cash into it isn't a wise investment. Even if you're planning to monetize your blog with ads or affiliate links, it may be a while before you start to see any income from it.
gTLDs such as .com work just fine for small sites without burdening your bank account. If you want to stand out a bit more .blog or .me are also relatively affordable options.
3. They Can Still Provide the Same Features as Expensive Domains
Earlier in this post, we mentioned that premium TLDs sometimes provide membership benefits to those who register them. These may include advertising credits or other services to get your site off the ground.
However, for smaller or newer brands, these features usually aren't worth the upfront cost of registering a domain for thousands of dollars. The features that matter are the same for cheap domains as they are for expensive ones.
For instance, at Hosting.com, all our domains include:
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Custom nameservers
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DNS management
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Optional ID protection
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Domain theft protection
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24/7/365 support
You can get your hands on a quality domain for $15 per year or less without worrying about it impacting the quality of your site. If you're just launching your brand or blog, you can save yourself money and stress by sticking with a cheaper web address.
Conclusion
Knowing if a cheap domain will be appropriate for your website can be difficult due to the number of choices available when it comes to TLDs and price points. However, practically speaking, an inexpensive domain provides most of the same features as a premium one, making them suitable for most sites.
In this post, we explain three situations in which a cheap domain may be right for you:
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You want to purchase multiple domains for defensive registration or reseller purposes.
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The domain is for a personal blog that isn't likely to generate enough revenue to cover the cost.
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You're not in need of any features that would justify the huge expense of a premium domain.
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