What is a domain?
The first step of setting up a platform is to acquire a domain for your website. The domain is the first part of any web address. The part after the www and before the first slash. When you visit most webpage, the domain is actually just one section of the longer web address or URL.*
Domains are unique to each website.
In order to use a specific domain for your website, you have to claim it for your own use. The organizations that assign domains to individuals are called domain registrars.
Because you purchase your domain through a domain registrar, we say that you have “registered” your domain. When you register your domain, you are claiming the unique right to use that domain for your website or email addresses.
Where and how do I register my domain?
There are many organizations licensed to register domains.
You have probably heard of many domain registrars: GoDaddy.com or Namecheap.com. I like Hover.com because I can easily add a single email account too. (That’s handy for freelancers and writers.)
Some business are only domain registrars – that is their only service. However, many shared hosting companies offer domain registration too. Some will offer you free domain registration for your first year if you sign up to host your website with them. Popular examples are Bluehost, Hostigator and Siteground.
Many platforms (such as Squarespace or Wix) can also register your domain.
Although it is certainly convenient to have the domain and the platform together, in many cases I prefer to register domain with a company specializing in that service, and keep it separate. It often proves easier when or if you end up changing services later on.
How much does a domain cost?
Domains typically cost between $12 and $30 per year. Often you have the option to add-on “domain privacy” for an additional charge. (Although sometimes the domain privacy option is included for free.) I recommend budgeting $15 a year for domain registration and another $12 for domain privacy.
Whether or not it is free, domain privacy is usually something I recommend. The primary advantage is to reduce spam.
Domain privacy is often an add-on charge, for an additional $15-$30 per year.
Your domain is for emails too
Your domain is also used for your custom email addresses. It is the part of an email address that appears after the @ symbol. You can have as many email addresses using your domain as you want. (Or as many as your e-mail account provider allows.)
How to choose your domain
Usually a writer will register their full name or pen name. Generally the platform you are trying to establish is a writer’s platform, so using the name that people will remember, and that is associated with all your books, is ideal for an author website.
There are exceptions to this rule, and sometimes a writer will register a domain name using a book title, especially if there is a goal to build community around a specific series.
You want to be easily found and easily remembered. Often it is easier for someone to remember names than a book title. Most of the time it should be your author name – your pen name.
You can have more than one domain
Really can’t decide? You can register more than one domain and have them point to the same website. Or you can have a domain that forwards to a specific section of your website.
You will always have a “primary” domain, but a secondary domain can be useful for specific campaigns and situations
Footnotes
- URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. And that is exactly what it is…a uniform way to indicate the location of a resource. (The resource being a web page or image or .pdf or video, etc.)
