Do you own a business? Like you signed up with the state, make money from your business and file taxes? Awesome! Now do you own a domain?

Let me guess, you’ve told yourself, and maybe others, “I don’t need a website I can just use a Facebook page.” Yes, you most certainly can have a Facebook page, and I highly recommend it. However, Facebook does not replace owning digital space on the world wide web. You don’t own Facebook. If Facebook crashes, or ends one day, so does your page. Yikes, scary huh?

Own your own space.

Think of a domain, your url, as real estate. You’ll own a space on the world wide web. No social media network owner can take that from you. You have the power, and that’s fun.

Now lets talk money. Another attractive thing about owning a domain is, they’re usually pretty cheap. However, there is a lot of competition. So much that when I start a new business, or even before I file my paperwork, I’ll start the search for domains. And if there’s a good one I want available, I’ll snag that sucker before anyone else can. If the business idea doesn’t come to fruition, I can let it go the next year.

Choosing your domain name.

Choosing your domain name can be a little confusing if you’re a first time domain owner. You don’t want to switch if you don’t have to. You will have some limitations as to what is available to purchase.

Think about when you go to type in a URL, it stinks when it’s so long you cant remember it or worried if you made a typo. Do you feel me? I know we’ve all been there. You want your domain name to be as short as possible, while still serving your business. For example, if you have a long business name and you’re trying to shorten the domain, you don’t want to make your URL an acronym that no one is going to understand. However, if you use that acronym in business frequently, it may work.

You also want the credentials in your domain to accurately depict your business. Which is why it’s important to have a fairly concise business name. You don’t want a business name so long it requires a period at the end. Ya feel me?

How to choose a domain suffix.

What is a suffix? Easy peasy, it’s just the end of the domain (.com, .co, .net, .org, .gov, etc.). The most recognizable suffix is .com. It’s been around since the beginning.

If your first choice of domain names is available in a .com, snag it! If it isn’t, I suggest brainstorming another domain name that would work. If you can’t change it, my second choice would be .co, as it’s rapidly gaining popularity and recognition.

If you’re a non-profit or charitable organization, choose .org. The .org suffix was originally only accepted for non-profits and charitable organizations, but in 2019 an investment firm purchased the domain name registry, so technically for profits can use .org but I HIGHLY recommend against it.

Using your domain.

Now that you’ve purchased your domain, you can take a big sigh of relief. It’s yours. As long as you pay your annual dues, you own a piece of digital real estate. And that’s wildly valuable.

Now it’s time to build your online empire. The distant dreams of 30 years ago of building a business is now a reality for everyone. It no longer takes a giant amount of capital to start a business. Online businesses are within reach of just about anyone. Empire may sound extreme, but it’s very achievable. And it’s why helping people build an online business is my passion. So, if you own a business, you should 100% own a domain.