{"id":2682,"date":"2012-12-05T08:00:53","date_gmt":"2012-12-05T15:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.websitespot.com\/blog\/?p=2682"},"modified":"2012-12-05T08:00:53","modified_gmt":"2012-12-05T15:00:53","slug":"do-i-need-my-own-domain-name","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.websitespot.com\/blog\/do-i-need-my-own-domain-name\/","title":{"rendered":"Do I Need My Own Domain Name For My Free Blog?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Do I need my own domain name?\"<\/strong> <\/em>This is an\u00a0incredibly\u00a0<\/em>common question, especially among new bloggers and website owners. The appeal of a free site on WordPress.com or Blogger<\/a>.com is overwhelming, especially compared with the time, effort, and money that often goes into building a website. Instead, there are all of those nice drag and drop options, and you can play everything safely.<\/p>\n

But, are you here to play safe, or are you here to stake a claim?<\/em><\/p>\n

There are many pros to registering your own unique domain name, including the fact that your website will receive more search engine traffic, can be customized much more easily, and could even be far cheaper.<\/p>\n

How can paying for a domain be cheaper than using a free blogging program?<\/h2>\n

Simple. Many people realize that these free sites just don't cut it anymore. Sure, they're great for smaller services, but a real business needs a domain name. But you put countless hours into this former free site and you're pained to toss it all away just to start over. Instead, you use one of the many paid plans on those formerly free sites, and now, you're paying two to four times as much as you would if you'd just self-hosted to begin with.<\/p>\n

By registering your domain name, you're granting yourself access to all of the rides in the park.<\/h3>\n

Domain registration is a surprisingly inexpensive venture, especially for most people striking out on their own. Unless the keywords are incredibly popular, you can make it out alive with a simple domain. You pay an annual domain registration fee and monthly hosting charges. It's a very low entry fee for so many capabilities.<\/p>\n

Registering a domain name goes hand-in-hand with self-hosting, which requires regular payments. That can be tricky for some, and is a bit of a commitment.<\/p>\n

You need<\/span> to register a domain if:<\/strong><\/p>\n