Where should I buy my domain from?

Kaytlan — Tue, 04 May 2021 15:51:28 +0000

The first thing on the mind of any starter business is getting their own domain name for their business, this will allow them to get their emails and website set up.
It is also a good thing to do as it stops anyone else getting the domain name before you.

A domain name is like a personalised number plate for the internet, at Stepping Stones Web we have the domain steppingstonesweb.net which is used for both our emails and website.

When searching to buy a domain do not always go for the first option because it is cheap. There are many great introductory offers out there that we all see on adverts like GoDaddy and 123Reg selling domain for £0.99! But this is only for the first year of owning the domain name in the second year this price does go up to £15.99 +VAT a year. So, it is always vital you know what the renewal fee is. You may find that you are paying a lot more in future years which makes up for the discount the company gave in the first year.

We often hear people saying “I’ll buy a domain for 99p here and then transfer to my preferred provider when its up for renewal the next year” that is great but be careful of companies charging transfer out fees this again makes up for the discount at the start.
Then you need to think about who is doing the transfer, all you need to do is change the IPS tag or obtain the EPP code and then if it is a .com domain you need to unlock, transfer, and then lock again. For all the client’s that we hold the domain for, we keep the domain in our control panel so that we can do add/change all records but the domain is in their name as it is their property.

Can anyone build a website?

Kaytlan — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 09:27:56 +0000

Yes anyone can build their own website but there are things to consider – will it be the quality they want, will they have the knowledge to do so and how long is it going to take them?

It is often heard, “I’m going to build my own website”, and why not? There are so many tools out there that allow someone to drag and drop items on to a website, to see it built in front of their eyes.

However, as a web developer, I am continually learning, investing £1000s on continued training, spending lots of time developing new skills and techniques to be able to build attractive looking websites, optimised for search engines. This is what I specialise in.

If someone builds their own website, how much time is taken away from what they specialise in? Could that time have been spent on growing their business? Could that time have been spent on doing work in their business bringing in revenue and profit?

I have a Renault Clio as a car. Why do I take it to the garage to service it? Surely I could just buy a Hayes Manual for £20 and do it myself for free?

Would I do as good a job as a mechanic?

What happens when I don’t understand something and I’m half way through?

What happens when something different happens to what the book says?

How do I get it to the garage to fix if I’ve made a mistake and it stops the car working?

How much more will it cost to fix the mistake on top of actually doing the service I need?

Would it have been cheaper to have just had the mechanic do the service?

How long would I spend on doing the service?

Could I have earned more in the 5 hours it might take me to service the car, vs the cost of a mechanic taking a couple of hours?

So if someone is considering building their own site, will it really be cost effective. In the hours they spend learning these new tools, in the time they spend swapping and changing items, in days they try to solve something not quite working right on their site. Have they really saved any money? How much more could they have done for their business with that spare time?

We do websites for starter companies often ranging between £99 and £349. So even if them creating their own website, only took 8 hours, in 8 hours could they have invoiced more than £350? Could they have built a new relationship with a referral partner? Could they have written up a quote? Could they have closed a several thousand £ deal? Could they have even just spent a bit longer with their children playing?

Free is never really free, there is always a hidden cost, and time is our most valuable resource in our lives.