Operating a website can be incredibly easy and cheap. If you want to start up a site, you may be curious how much it really costs — you may be surprised to learn that the price is relatively low. There are several companies that offer web hosting for less than $10 per month. However, if you want more, there are other options based on the type of site you want to run. Here’s a cost breakdown of web hosting.
“.com” Domains
The most common domain will end in “.com” and are the cheapest available. Sites like A Small Orange offer a domain for only $5 per month. It comes with 24/7 support, so if you have an issue, then you can call any time of the day, whenever you need. While you can pay per month, most websites allow you to pay a lump sum for the year and save money. A common “.com” sites you may have heard of is GoDaddy — this site offers domains for as low as $11.99 per year.
Other Top-Level Domains
Other than “.com”, there are several domain names you can choose from including “.net”, “.org”, “.guru”, etc. Different domain names are often used to denote the type of site you’re running. For example, if you want to start a small business, you may consider getting a “.net” domain name. If the site is for an organization, you’ll need the “.org” domain — these domain names are usually more expensive. GoDaddy offers “.net” for $11.99 per year. A Small Orange also offers business domains starting at $20 per month. With this package, you get free storage, bandwidth, SSL certificate, and more.
Auctioned Domains
If an owner no longer wants a domain they own, it may be auctioned. The auction works similar to other sites like eBay, where several people make a bid and the highest bidder wins. Because it’s a bidding environment, domains prices can vary significantly — most sites, like Bido, have a $100 minimum.
Another site you can bid on domain names is Afternic. Domains on this site can go for thousands of dollars depending on the name. Thousands of domains are purchased on a daily basis, and new domains are going up for auction constantly — it isn’t rare to see the same domain put up for auction several times.
Purchasing Domains
If you want to skip the auction scene, it’s possible to purchase a domain service. GoDaddy allows you to buy domains for varying prices. Most of these sites contact the owner of the domain and act as a broker between the two of you. Google has just started to allow the purchase of domains through a new service called Google Domains; again, prices vary here significantly because the owner often sets the price for their domain.
