It really annoys me when I speak to business owners and they tell me that they paid HUNDREDS of dollars for their domain names – there is no need to pay this much!

Business owners are experts in their own fields, and any naivety when it comes to all things online, should not be exploited. So please, let me give you a crash course on where a domain name fits into the scheme of things…

A typical website contains the following elements:

• Domain name
• Website hosting
• All the files that make up the website

Website hosting houses all the files that make up the website, and the domain name is what people type into the address bar to find your site.

Domain name registration gives you the rights to a domain name for the given registration period – “.com.au” domains are registered for two years at a time, and anything up $40 for this time period is an acceptable amount to pay. If you shop around, you can even get your domain name registration included with your hosting. If for instance you get a website built with Get-online-now.biz, the first two years (for .com.au domains) is included in the set-up prices, as is the the first 12 months hosting. Domain name registration fees apply only after the first two years, as per the price schedule below.

Below is a list of prices you will pay with Get-online-now.biz:

Have you have already registered your domain name with a more expensive provider? It’s not too late to save your money! You can transfer your domain to another provider (won’t cost you a cent), this of course means that when your domain comes up for renewal you will pay the lesser amount for it!

How do you transfer your domain names?

Transferring your domain names is really quite simple. The information you need to do this is your domain name and the domain password.

1. Log into one of your current domain registration accounts
2. Select “Manage Domains”



3. Click on the domain name in the list
4. Select “Domain Password”



5. Go to Transfer Domains and use this information to transfer your domains into a new Get-online-now.biz hosting account

These instructions will work for most domain name providers.

One more thing I want to bring to your attention – make sure any domains registered for your business are registered in the name of your business (or you), NOT in the name of your web developer or web hosting company. You can check this information when you are logged in to any domain management account (as per transfer instructions).

You can use multiple domain names to point to your website. You can register variations of your primary domain name to avoid other businesses moving in on your business and reputation. You can also register a domain name that consists of your main keywords, eg www.mechanic-victoria-park.com.au

For more hints on chosing a domain name check out this link