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.
