Client Resource
Your Domain Name
Your domain is the address people type to find your website — and the one thing you pay for directly. Here's what you need to know about it.
Your domain name — the yourbusiness.com part of your web address — is the most important piece of your online presence. Everything connects to it: your website, your email, your Google listing, every link that’s ever pointed to you. It’s your permanent address on the internet.
It’s also the one piece of your website that you pay for directly, not through me. That’s not an accident. Keep reading.
The one bill you get directly
Most domain names cost between $13 and $17 per year to renew. (That’s for a standard .com — some extensions like .io or .co run higher, but for most small businesses, that range is the norm.)
That bill comes from your domain registrar — the company where your domain is registered — not from me. Everything else: hosting, backups, security monitoring, updates, support — that’s all covered through your care plan. Your domain is the one thing you pay for on your own, once a year, directly to the registrar.
Just so you know
If you’re on my hosting, I’m covering the server costs as part of your care plan. The only recurring fee that comes directly to you is your domain renewal. That’s it.
Where your domain lives
Your domain is registered with a domain registrar — a company that manages the reservation of your domain name. You pay them annually to keep it. The most common registrars I see clients using:
Not sure where yours is? Search your email for “domain renewal” or “domain registration” — the registrar’s name will be in there. Or reach out and I can help you track it down.
Watch out for scams
This is important
Every domain owner receives official-looking notices — by mail, email, and sometimes phone — that are not from your actual registrar. Some charge five to ten times the real renewal cost. Some are dressed up as “domain listing services” or “search engine submission” (not a thing you need). Some are outright attempts to get you to transfer your domain to them. If the notice isn’t from the company where your domain is actually registered, ignore it. Renew by going directly to your registrar’s website — never by clicking a link in an unsolicited email.
Why I don’t hold this for you
Some web designers register domain names on behalf of their clients. I understand why — it feels helpful in the moment, one less thing for the client to worry about. But it’s a mistake, and I won’t do it.
Your domain name is a business asset. In some cases, it’s one of the most valuable digital assets your business owns — built up over years of search rankings, customer recognition, and online presence. If it ever gets locked inside someone else’s account, getting it back can be slow, frustrating, and sometimes impossible.
Think about what happens if your web designer closes their business, gets sick, loses access to their account, or you simply want to work with someone else. If your domain is in their account, you’re at their mercy. I’ve seen this cause real problems for real businesses.
Bottom line: any web professional who registers a domain in their own name “on your behalf” is not doing you a favor. They’re creating a dependency that serves them, not you. Your domain should be in your account, period.
What to stay on top of
1
Know which registrar has your domain
GoDaddy, Namecheap, Squarespace Domains, Network Solutions — whoever it is, you should know. Search your email for “domain renewal” if you’re not sure.
2
Make sure you can log in
Log in to your registrar account now — before there’s a reason to. Confirm the email address on the account is one you actively use and can access.
3
Turn on auto-renew
Every major registrar offers this. Turn it on. A domain that expires because you missed a renewal email is a completely avoidable disaster — your site goes down, your email stops working, and getting it back can be a headache.
4
Keep your payment method current
Auto-renew only works if the card on file is valid. When you get a new card, update it at your registrar too. (It takes two minutes and can save you a real headache.)
The one rule
Auto-renew on, valid payment method on file, email address you actually check. Do those three things and you will almost certainly never have a domain problem.
That said — if you’re ever unsure about a renewal notice, a registrar login, or anything domain-related, just ask. It’s worth a five-minute check-in to make sure something this important is in good shape.
Questions about this? Reach out — I'm happy to walk you through it.