At Turnkey Website Solutions we include a custom domain name (ie. mybrand.com) with every website plan for a hassle-free experience.
This feature is optional however, as you may already own your own domain or wish to purchase and manage it yourself.
This article will introduce you to some important considerations when self-hosting your custom domain, along with our recommended business email options.
How To Choose A Domain Name
When choosing your domain ensure that it includes your brand or company name. If you’re in the early stages of brand development, secure your domain before branding your business. Doing so will increase the likelihood your domain name and company name are identical.
If your company is already branded yet your desired domain name isn’t available, you have a few options:
- If your business exclusively serves Canadian customers, consider a .ca TLD (top-level domain) instead of a .com TLD.
- If your business is social in nature, consider a .net TLD.
- If your organization is a non-profit, consider a .org TLD.
- If opting for a .com TLD, add a descriptive word into your domain search that defines what you do (ie. kohrestateswinery.com).
Where Should You Host Your Domain?
There are plenty of options out there including our favorites Namecheap, Bluehost, Domain.com, and GoDaddy.
To narrow it down, here are some factors you should consider when choosing a domain registrar:
Features – Do the included features meet the needs of your day-to-day business operations?
Security – Does the platform offer 2FA (two-factor authentication) sign-in security? Read more about 2FA here.
Ease of Use – Is the user interface easy to understand and navigate?
Customer Service – How knowledgeable is the support team? How quickly do they respond to support inquiries?
Out of the top domain hosting platforms, we recommend Namecheap for your domain registration needs.
Namecheap offers robust features out of the gate with inexpensive upgrade options when your business grows. They provide 2FA security for both domain management and email accounts, have knowledgeable and friendly customer support staff, and offer some of the lowest prices on the market.
Where Should You Host Your Business Email?
Once you have a custom domain (either hosted by you or hosted by us), you can purchase a Google Workspace plan and get as many custom email addresses as you need, like info@mybrand.com.
With Google Workspace get a 14-day free trial to see if it’s right for your business. Google Workspace includes 30GB of Drive storage, as well as Google Calendar, Docs, Sheets and Slides.
An excellent alternative is Namecheap Private Email. It’s hosted on a different server than your domain, so if your domain ever goes down temporarily for any reason, your email will still be active to communicate with customers.
How To Register Your Domain & Email With Namecheap
Below is a video guide walking you step-by-step through registering your custom domain and business email with Namecheap.
Feel free to pause the video at any point so you can follow along in real-time. Namecheap support is also available should you need further guidance.
