Do you have young children (future technology customers) or teenagers (then current customers)? In addition, you want to change your Internet provider because the competition offers are very interesting, but you have an email my_name@videotron.ca or my_firstname@bell.ca or any other domain name linked to your Internet provider?
Obviously, you could choose an email address from a provider like Google (@ gmail.com) or Microsoft (@ hotmail.com), but that doesn’t look very professional or very personalized.
It is time to choose a domain name that you like or that looks like you and your mission.
First, you have to choose a domain name provider. There are numerous companies to choose from and the well know are definitely not the cheapest ones or the best offer on the market. They all offer about the same things, but the difference is what’s included and what will be billed as an option. You can choose: Go Daddy, BlueHost, DremaHost, Namecheap and several other providers. What is important to know is that some of them offer you very affordable domain names. Some will offer the first year at a great discount if you sign for more than one year but will rob you every other year. Others have a good starting price but every thin is optional and costly. Here are some of the popular options: domain name redirects, DNS services, email redirects or domain protections.
After validating with various providers, here are the real costs for a domain name over a period of three years and the basic options:
Go Daddy Canada (Canadian dollars):
The first year at $ 2.99, then $ 19.99 per year if you sign up for a minimum of two-year. So, for three years it will be $ 42.97 + $ 29.97 for domain name protection.
For this provider, I was unable to check if domain name redirect, email redirect and DNS were optional. One thing I am sure of is that domain protection will offset you 9,99 $ per year. This makes this offer at 24,31 $ per year. They offer « .CA » domains name.
BlueHost (US dollars) :
Again, I was unable to check for optional DNS, Emails and Domain name redirects without buying a domain from them. What I know is they don’t offer « .CA » domain name. For domain and protection, it will cost you 24,97 $ US per year. They are unable to register « .CA » domains.
Host Gator :
Again, I was unable to check for optional DNS, Emails and Domain name redirects without buying a domain from them. What I know is that they don’t offer « .CA » domain name. For domain and protection, it will cost you 31,26 $ US per year but they offer the first year at 27,98 $.
Namecheap (Canadian dollars):
The amount of CA $ 15.34 includes the protection service, basic DNS, email and domain name redirects. So that’s CA $ 15.34 per year. In addition to having the most comprehensive service, they are the cheapest. Admittedly, I am somewhat biased, as I have been a customer since 2005 and have had several domain names with them as well as a basic email service for the past few years. Their customer service is also very good.
Here is an example of what you need to do to buy from Namecheap:
- Go to their website and press SIGN-UP to create an account
Choose the name of the account and fill the needed information
- Once the account is created, you will be able to choose a domain name by pressing « Domains » then « Domain Name Search »
- Enter the domain name you want and press the Search button :
- Next, choose the domain name if it’s available to buy. You will also see other domains available that resemble your search.
- Add to cart the domains you want to buy and go to cart. You will then be prompted to pay via credit card or PayPal.
So, let’s say you picked your provider and bought the best domain name on the planet. Your choice was based on present and future family needs. So you bought “family-xyz.ca”. What next?
If you don’t want to invest in your domain provider’s email service, you will need to create an email account with your current Internet provider or a free email service provider such as Google, Microsoft, or any other email provider. I suggest Google and Microsoft because these are well established, are easy to set up on a computer or smart device, and they do not require to watch advertising when viewing our emails with a client such as Outlook or the native smart device clients.
Here I am talking about one email account, but you will have to create one account for each member of the family who will have an @ family-xyz.ca email address. Once you have created your new email accounts, you can therefore create addresses for each member of the family which will be redirected to accounts in the domain vendor interface like so:
charles@family-xyz.ca à charles.smith@gmail.com
nicole@family-xyz.ca à nicole.lambert@hotmail.com
chloe@family-xyz.ca à chloe.smith-lambert@gmail.com
mathilde@family-xyz.ca à Mathilde.smith-lambert@gmail.com
You have the idea…
Here is an example of the interface from Namecheap:
Once this is done, all you must do is send an email to each member of the family at their new email address @family-xyz.com. If the mail sent to the new address is received in the newly created public account, you’re all set.
Of course, you will also need to advise all your friends, colleagues and different vendors of your new address but be careful to whom you give this new address. Since you want it to be spam free for a long time, it should only be given to your trusted list.
The forum subscriptions, contests and all not fully trusted publicity-related exchanges should be provided with your newly created public account address (@gmail) not the address from your newly bought domain name (@family-xyz.com). The public account address is a disposable email. You only keep it for as long as it does not get spammed. When it does change, it for a new one and replace it in your domain account manager.