Reserving domain names

[UndercoverMum]

I'm thinking of starting a blog in the near future (I'm drafting content for it at the moment) but I'm a complete newbie! I'm going to swat up on how to run a blog but in the meantime I was wondering if I should reserve the domain name I want. I've seen co.uk and .com available in different places for 99p/1st year. Is it worth me buying these to secure the name and transfer it to a better host later if I actually go ahead with the blog?

 

[Jon]

I'm thinking of starting a blog in the near future (I'm drafting content for it at the moment) but I'm a complete newbie! I'm going to swat up on how to run a blog but in the meantime I was wondering if I should reserve the domain name I want. I've seen co.uk and .com available in different places for 99p/1st year. Is it worth me buying these to secure the name and transfer it to a better host later if I actually go ahead with the blog?

No Harm in doing that at all.

Everything you need to know about running a blog (and earning the most amount of money you can from it!) you can see at Totally Blogging

 

[The Reverend]

I agree with @Jon - if you can find the .co.uk and .com reserve them now, especially if they are only 99p for a year.

I don’t have many domains but if it is one I really want, and its available, I buy it and worry about it later.

 

[Chammy]

Just watch out for the 99p/yr ones as they'll often want you to commit to the 2nd year to get it at that price and they don't include VAT. So a 99p domain looks great but can often work out at £15+ as you'll be buying it for two years.

Example:
This domain was 99p for the .com for the year and 1p for the co.uk for a year but this is what I'd be paying...



NB: Ignore the domain name...I'm not buying that haha

 

[Chammy]

If I select only a year this is what I pay

 

[Jon]

Jesus what a con!!!!

 

[Jon]

I sill have a fair chunk of credit stuck on vidahost /TSOHost that they refuse to give me in cash and so I have to keep buying domains with them which I then port out..

I own a lot of domains lol

 

[UndercoverMum]

If I select only a year this is what I pay

View attachment 319

Thanks Chammy, I nearly got caught out with this from Go Daddy!

I think I have found some good deals that are 1 year only.
.co.uk on 123Reg for 1 year, total price £1.19 after VAT added
.com from 1&1 for 1 year (had to manually change contract term from 2 years to 1 once it was in the basket), total price £1.12 after VAT

So if I was to go for these deals just to reserve the domains, how would I actually transfer the domains to a web hosting deal (eg Kloudhost) later? Is it difficult? I'm worried my domains will be stuck with the original place I buy them from until the year is up!

I'm really new to this so appreciate the help/advice. Sorry if the answers to these questions are obvious!

 

[Jon]

Thanks Chammy, I nearly got caught out with this from Go Daddy!

I think I have found some good deals that are 1 year only.
.co.uk on 123Reg for 1 year, total price £1.19 after VAT added
.com from 1&1 for 1 year (had to manually change contract term from 2 years to 1 once it was in the basket), total price £1.12 after VAT

So if I was to go for these deals just to reserve the domains, how would I actually transfer the domains to a web hosting deal (eg Kloudhost) later? Is it difficult? I'm worried my domains will be stuck with the original place I buy them from until the year is up!

I'm really new to this so appreciate the help/advice. Sorry if the answers to these questions are obvious!

When you sign up with Kloudhost there is an option to put in a domain you wish to transfer

They then do everything for you

You can just kick back and have a cocktail!!

 

[Chammy]

All you have to do is change the name servers at the place you bought your domain to the ones with your host. If you buy the .com and the .co.uk you only need to change one and set the other to redirect to your main one. So I have my co.uk as my main url and my .com redirects to .co.uk.

I have domains registered across multiple sites because I go for wherever is cheapest.

Some hosts will charge you to transfer your domain to them, I know Siteground charge from £12+.

 

[Jon]

All you have to do is change the name servers at the place you bought your domain to the ones with your host. If you buy the .com and the .co.uk you only need to change one and set the other to redirect to your main one. So I have my co.uk as my main url and my .com redirects to .co.uk.

I have domains registered across multiple sites because I go for wherever is cheapest.

Some hosts will charge you to transfer your domain to them, I know Siteground charge from £12+.

are you sure that's not just for .com's?

 

[JesseEverAfter]

GoDaddy do occasionally have a good offers but you have to be careful as they run similar offers throughout the year - normally 99p domains with varying different value.

Sometimes the offer isn't worth it (as you've seen from above) but other times the offer has conditions which makes them very worthwhile - one has recently ended where it was 99p for a .co.uk domain with no condition to buy the second year (so total for 1 year with VAT came to £1.19) - bought so many because of this.

But then you have to watch out for their renewal fees which are generally more expensive than other registrars (almost double in some cases when you take account of VAT).

I generally keep an eye on GoDaddy offers and when they become attractive use them and then if I decide I want to keep the domain - I transfer them out to a more affordable registrar (eg 123 Reg or Daily (now TSOHost)).

And this is why I own more domains than I care to count...

 

[katykicker]

I buy domains every year, and do nothing with them (haha), for 99p you can't go wrong really.

 

[The Reverend]

I've just got 3 more with the credit on my account with TSOHost.

 

[Jon]

I've just got 3 more with the credit on my account with TSOHost.

We are not helping ourselves when buying all these domain names you know lol

 

[The Reverend]

We are not helping ourselves when buying all these domain names you know lol

Or are we really helping each other?

Really I’m just spending my Vidahost credit that I’ve no idea where it came from.

 

[Jon]

Or are we really helping each other?

Really I’m just spending my Vidahost credit that I’ve no idea where it came from.

Was it people signing up using your affiliate link?

 

[The Reverend]

Was it people signing up using your affiliate link?

I guess so. It was one of my first ever posts.

 

[UndercoverMum]

All you have to do is change the name servers at the place you bought your domain to the ones with your host. If you buy the .com and the .co.uk you only need to change one and set the other to redirect to your main one. So I have my co.uk as my main url and my .com redirects to .co.uk.

I have domains registered across multiple sites because I go for wherever is cheapest.

Some hosts will charge you to transfer your domain to them, I know Siteground charge from £12+.

@Chammy I'd like to to do the same but I've got a bit confused.

Bought the web hosting package on Kloudhost but I set it up with my .com domain instead of my .co.uk. Can I change it?

Do you sort out the redirect on the account where the domain is registered or with the web host?

 

[UndercoverMum]

Also, do you sort out the SSL with the registrar or the web host?