The four things you need to know before you buy a domain
Without a domain, your incredibly amazing website would never be found...by anybody. Here are some tips about understanding how domains work and why your website needs one.
What's the difference between your domain and your website?
A domain is the unique name that users type to see your website. You register a domain with a company that sends your domain information to a second web host company like Squarespace. That second company is the one you use to build the content of your website by writing text and adding pictures.
What's a good domain name?
Excited to get that perfect domain name before someone else snatches it? Go ahead and research domain names so you know what's available, but it's easier to wait to register a domain name until you've started your website if you'll be using Squarespace. You can also look on ICANN, the international domain registry. If you don’t find a record of the domain name you want, that name is available for you to register.
Naming tips: Use only letters—no spaces or symbols. Make it easy to type and say; try for 6–14 letters for the business part of the name. Try for .com as the second part of the domain name.
What if you already have a domain?
It's most convenient to register your domain through Squarespace so that you’re dealing with one company (they use a third party for domain registration, but you only deal with Squarespace for billing and support). But if you have already purchased a domain from another company, you can usually connect a domain you've already purchased.
The only exception I've encountered is Vistaprint. You don't want to register a domain with Vistaprint because they force you to build your website on Vistaprint or wait 60 days to build it on another product. (I found out about this limitation when it happened to a prospective client who's had to delay starting her Squarespace website.)
Why do websites stop working?
A website is considered "down" when people try to go to your website and your website doesn't show up. To figure out what's happening, I usually call the web host company first. They can often see problems with the connections to the domain as well as problems with the website and can point me in the right direction of what needs to be fixed.
Here are the reasons I've seen for a website going down:
Something has happened to one or more of your domain records, the pieces of information that allow your domain to communicate with the web host company. A record may need to be changed or added. You do this by contacting the domain registration company.
The domain registration has expired. You need to renew the registration with the domain registration company.
The connection from your website to the domain has failed and needs to be reconnected in your website settings through your web host company.
The web host company is having problems and many websites have gone down as a result. Your website won't work until the company fixes the problem, but they usually fix these types of problems quickly. You can check Outage Report to see if your company is having problems.
Related articles
I’ve written several other blog posts about domains that go into more detail about some of the concepts covered here.
Should you connect your old domain to your new website or transfer it?
Your domain and your website are best friends, but they're not inseparable
You may be tempted to rush to buy a domain as the first step to launching your business. However, I recommend waiting until you start your Squarespace website to take advantage of working with one company and receiving a free domain for one year if you purchase an annual website plan. Then enjoy the process of launching your business, with a unique name that is unmatched in the world.
