Why You Should Consider a Cheap Domain Option

Your domain name affects your website’s branding, traffic, and credibility. Come up with a fun, catchy domain name, and your visitors will be tripping over themselves trying to share it with as many people as they can. But choose the wrong name and watch your website gather nothing but cobwebs and tumbleweeds. Everyone knows how important domain names are. That’s why coveted domain names can sell for millions. (Lasvegas.com famously sold for more than ninety million US dollars.)

But here’s an idea: Instead of choosing an expensive domain name, buy a cheap domain name and focus your time and money on branding your website.

Why are some people afraid to buy a cheap domain name?

Cheap domain names get a bad rap, and some of them earn it. Some domain names have extensions that are so obscure that they make your website look sketchy, and some people buy cheap domain names from an untrustworthy domain registrar, only to run into tons of trouble later.

But you don’t have to be scared of buying a cheap domain name. If you follow the same strategies that go into buying any high-quality domain name (no hyphens, no numbers, no frequently misspelled words), you can get a domain name that attracts visitors like a magnet without having to take out a second mortgage on your house!

Buying a cheap domain name doesn’t mean you should settle for less than the best. There are four reasons why buying a cheap domain name might be better for your website.

Four reasons to choose a cheap domain name

1. You can start your website more quickly

A cheap domain name is easier to buy than an expensive one. For one thing, it takes longer to come up with the capital you need if you want an expensive domain name, and for another, when a domain name is too expensive, it’s harder to justify the purchase to yourself and to whomever else you need to convince before making such an important decision.

When you buy a cheap domain name, you can quickly get started on creating your website.

2. Buy cheap domain names in bulk and resell them for a profit

Domain flipping is an exclusive, little-known industry in which people buy cheap domain names and resell them for a profit. (Remember how much Lasvegas.com sold for?) A good way to dip your toes into this business is to buy lots of cheap domain names that you think might be valuable in the future. Then, when a buyer comes along, you get to name your price!

Some people start off by buying expensive domain names, but there’s no guarantee that you’ll get more money for a domain just because it cost you more to buy it. So, if you want to get started with domain flipping, buy a few cheap domain names first, then when you feel more comfortable, you can reinvest your profits in more expensive ones later.

3. Expensive domain names aren’t necessarily better

Expensive domain names aren’t necessarily better than cheap ones. People who visit your website will connect most with your brand and with the way they feel when they visit your site. You don’t need an expensive domain to do that.

All you need to do is to focus on making your visitor feel comfortable when they visit your website. For instance, make sure your website is up more often than it’s down (to guarantee this, you’ll need great web hosting), and make sure your pages load quickly and that your website is easy to navigate, whether your visitors are using their laptops or their cell phones.

Your domain name should be memorable and evocative of your brand, but “expensive” doesn’t mean “better”. Focus your money on things that have a bigger impact on your website – like creating engaging content and marketing your website on social media.

4. Cheap domain names can offer a unique branding opportunity

Domain names that end in extensions like “.space”, “.tech”, “.org”, “.online”, and “.shop” tend to be cheaper than domains that end in more popular extensions like “.com”.

But sometimes, an unconventional domain extension might be just the shot of novelty your website needs to stand out from the crowd. The right domain extension can be a way to quickly communicate your website’s purpose, and it can also be a way to show off your creativity and form a warm community with your visitors. For instance, if you’re creating a website for your sewing club, why not choose a “.club” extension? And if your website is dedicated to astronomy enthusiasts, why not use an extension like “.space”?

A “.com” extension is the popular choice for most websites, but that’s also why “.com” extensions don’t really stand out. Give your domain some extra razzle-dazzle by strategically choosing a cheap domain extension.

The Takeaway

Expensive domain names aren’t necessarily better than cheap ones. Cheap domain names are a great opportunity to try your hand at domain flipping, to quickly get your website off the ground, and to generate some much-needed buzz for the launch of your website!