Author: N. Fakes

Want to turn a $3K-$5K client into a $20K-$30K one? Luckily, as a WordPress developer, you can do so relatively easily. It’s about your approach, communication, and what to offer. This article covers some tips on negotiating a higher price for your services.

We’ll cover how to ensure you get paid what you are worth when negotiating a price or pursuing a potential project.

And by the end of this article, you’ll be able to see how to negotiate a low-paying project or client into – cha-ching! – $20K-$30K!

I can’t even imagine quoting $5-8k on a job. Those kinds of numbers really flares up the imposter syndrome in me something fierce.

Lawrence – WPMU DEV Member

Hopefully, this quick article will help any WordPress developer realize it IS possible to earn more (and eliminate any imposter syndrome). All the tips are tried and tested – based on common industry practices you can implement.

We’ll be going over:

• Demonstrating Your Value From the Start
• Thinking Long-Term
• Making Sure They Know Your Worth
• Giving Your Price First
• Why Experience Matters
• Defending Your Price with Facts to Back Them Up
• Tips When Negotiating a Price

So, let’s begin!

Demonstrating Your Value From the Start

When you start working on a project with a new client, one way to eventually get to a much bigger payday is to actually offer a discount from the beginning.

You can make it clear that the rate you’re charging is discounted or an introductory rate. This ensures that they’ll know what they’re paying from the start is cheaper than usual, and you can raise the fees accordingly.

Show your value and what a deal they’re getting off the start. Also, make it clear that it WILL go up.

An example of this might be a simple web design for $3K with maintenance for three months. When they want to improve upon the design and want continued maintenance, charge accordingly (e.g. $10K and up) for design and maintenance.

Over time, with continued maintenance, this can easily exceed over $30K (and much more) instead of just a one-off simple web design.

Additionally, when you invoice, be sure to indicate what the normal fee is. That way, when the introductory period is over, there’s no sticker shock.

This offers the basis for negotiation on new work and flips the dynamic. Plus, since you started working with the client, there’s now a relationship. They’ll be less hesitant to pay more to someone they trust and work they like, and most importantly, understand the higher costs.

Thinking Long-Term

As just noted above, in demonstrating your value, you need to think long-term with your clients. Small, simple, and low-cost projects can eventually become major ones. Try not to look at a client as a one-off situation.

You can offer monthly maintenance packages after creating their WordPress site. Or, make suggestions to their current website that adds value for them (and ultimately for you, too).

Add-ons and additions to what they initially contacted for you is the point. Luckily, in WordPress, there are tons of opportunities. There aren’t many other jobs out there that have the road map to include more add-ons than web development.

Be sure to read our article about boosting your web development business with add-on services to get detailed information on including these in your workflow.

Making Sure They Know Your Worth

One way to get a client that originally wanted to pay $3K for a web design to pay $30K is to let them know your worth. Premium design deserves premium rates. Show them why you’re entitled to the costs.

It’s up to you to be clear on how these rates help the client compared to a cheap developer they’ll find on Fiverr for a fraction of the price.

Maybe it’s your experience – or your amazing web design skills. Whatever the case, demonstrate why your asking price is justified and even if it’s a stretch of the budget, serious clients will pay what you are worth.

A few ways to demonstrate value are with a good portfolio, reviews, or testimonials. Also, you can mention what the market is like, and the hours it will take to complete. Be sure to make it clear why you’re worth $150 an hour – or whatever premium rate you have set.

Giving Your Price First

Research shows that the final price is typically closer to the original price than the second. So, though you might want the project and feel like setting lower costs might get a client to work with you, often it’s not going to benefit you in the long run.

They can always come back with a counter offer, but ensure you don’t dip too low beyond what is acceptable on your terms.

All of this can come after an initial lower offer to get started (like we touched on earlier). In general, this puts the ball in your court and lets your client know whether they can work with your budget.

In a nutshell, it’s your move first to name the price – before the potential client. This leads to your asking price becoming more attainable at the end of the day.

Why Experience Matters

When it comes to reviews, testimonials, etc, obviously you’ll need some experience first before those roll in. It may take a while to build some credibility, but it has a snowball effect once you do. You can charge more and more for your services and justify every single penny.

And as you become more experienced, be sure to promote this. Let the client know of the benefits of your years of experience and how it works in their favor.

After all, experienced professionals get paid more – whether that be employment or on their own. Experience typically leads to a bigger paycheck.

Letting a client know about your experience is another way to get them to pay more and gives you leverage on why you charge what you do.

Defending Your Price with Facts to Back Them Up

Clients want to know what they’re paying for and why it costs what it does, so back all costs up with facts.

You can include competitive rates from top-notch agencies, market rates, other negotiations with other clients, ROI based on your web design, testimonials (like we just mentioned) – anything that you can show as proof your services are worth what they are.

This will help justify paying more for any project and help put any client at ease knowing their money is going to good use.

Factors to Keep in Mind When Negotiating a Price

Now that we have some essentials to negotiating a higher rate, here are a few additional pointers to keep in mind.

• Show them the estimate with an hourly rate when you give them the price.
• If they push back, say the estimate is right.
• Explain the reason for your rate (e.g. $150 an hour is the standard rate for a developer with this experience level).
• Budget check: Do they have $75K-$100K for major web development? Check this earlier than later to ensure they have the budget.
• Understand what is negotiable and what is not.
• Remember that it’s not all about negotiation. It’s about finding a win-win for both parties.
• Be sure to include payment terms. A good example is 40% up front, then 20% as time goes on.

With ways to make money in the WordPress industry, negotiating a substantial rate is easier than you think when you keep these factors in mind.

The Easy Way to $30K

As you can see, just a few approaches with your messaging, services, and negotiations can turn a $3K client into a $30K one. Even with little experience, you can get there relatively quickly by collecting testimonials, building your portfolio, and showing proof that you’re worth the costs.

For more, read our How To Offer Website Care & Maintenance Services To Your Web Development Clients article to build your web development business and increase your earnings.

With all of this in mind, getting paid $30K is just steps away.

Most clients are great to work with. However, beware! Lurking in the shadows can sometimes emerge an unsavory client that is difficult, demanding, unreliable – downright scary.

This article covers 10 different types of clients you may want to avoid.

Don’t Be Scared…

As a WordPress developer, new business is typically a good thing. After all, potential clients are what you want if your goal is to grow. But sometimes, the payday for a project from a client might not be worth it if you go through hell to work with them.

Luckily, there are some warning signs you can look out for regarding these terrifying clients and also ways to manage them. Plus, if you run across one of these monsters, there’s a lot you can learn from the experience.

This being said, you’re probably familiar with these types of clients. They’re the ones that don’t make life easy for you when all you want to do is your job.

For example, they’re the “can you get this done tomorrow, and I’m not paying you more for your speedy delivery” type. Or, the “I texted you an hour ago, and you haven’t responded!” client.

We’ll break down a few indications of “monsters” to be on the lookout for, so you might think twice before losing sleep after agreeing to develop a WordPress site for the boogeyman.

This article will cover the 10 terrifying clients, including:

1. Talker of Terror: Talks Negatively About Other WordPress Developers
2. The Time Sucker: Expects Responses 24/7
3. The Rabid Revisioner: Wants Unlimited Revisions (for free)
4. The Treatment Tormentor: Wants Special Treatment
5. The Grim Signer: Issues Signing a Contract
6. Silence of the Damned: Awful Communicator
7. The Lateness Monster: Doesn’t Pay On Time
8. The Delinquent Demon: Doesn’t Pay What You Want
9. The Threatener: Threatens Your Reputation
10. Demanding Dracula: Impossible Demands

Plus…

Tips When it Comes to Terrifying Clients

Frightened yet? Let’s begin!

10 Types of Terrifying Clients

1. Talker of Terror: Talks Negatively About Other WordPress Developers

If potential clients start talking negatively about other developers or services they have hired, some red flags should go up. It’s an indicator that this client will be hard to please and that they may turn their negativity on to you, too.

And having a bad-talking client can lead to awful reviews and a bad reputation.

One thing you can do is ask what happened in the past and determine whether their talking points are valid or not. After all, there can be some bad experiences that have left the client to be upset with past developers. Try to find out why and if they had a right to talk negatively about them after what happened.

If they’re talking negatively about a previous developer because of costs, quality of work, or something that might just be an opinion of theirs and not based on facts, then beware. Every story has two sides, and they may turn on you quicker than a werewolf during a full moon.

2. The Time Sucker: Expects Responses 24/7

While it’s okay for a client to communicate via email 24/7 (after all, in this business, clients are worldwide and in different time zones), it’s not okay for them to expect you to get back to them immediately (unless you are okay with it).

Responses can take time. Sure, you want to get back to your client promptly, but they can’t expect you to get back instantaneously.

The worst-case scenario is if they text and expect responses around the clock. Yikes!

You probably work hours that you set (or your agency implements), so ensure that your client is aware of this. You can mention that emails are responded to within two business days, not on weekends. Also, if they have your direct number, make clear that phone calls and texts are not answered outside 9-5 in your time zone.

It’s up to you to decide your hours, but feeling like you’re on the clock 24/7 is a nightmare. Make sure you lay out your guidelines before working with a client. After doing this, if a client expects you to be on beck and call – it might be time to cut them loose, and they can call upon someone else.

If there is a scenario for this, it might be a tight deadline or something urgent. It’s up to you to allow 24/7 calls; if you do, be sure to upcharge accordingly.

3. The Rabid Revisioner: Wants Unlimited Revisions (for free)

“Can you add a bigger logo? Wait… it’s too big. Can you change it back? Now, can you put the logo at the bottom of the page? Actually, move it in the middle.”

From the depths of hell comes the Rabid Revisioner. A client that wants constant revisions and also doesn’t want to pay you for them.

Normally, these are the type of clients that feel like they know what’s best for the project, despite your expertise.

The best way to avoid the catastrophe is to lay the groundwork before getting started. Make sure you and the client are on the same page. Ask many questions and make sure it’s clear for both of you – in writing.

Also, define how many revisions you’ll do when signing on with a new client. That way, they know that there are no “unlimited” revisions and will be satisfied with the results.

4. The Treatment Tormentor: Wants Special Treatment

When a new (or existing) client wants special treatment, that’s a situation to avoid. This client wants you to perform tasks outside your norm, wants special discounts, and expects you to accommodate them at every level – which can be tormenting.

Of course, it’s important to treat clients special – because they are! But this is about the ones that go way beyond that…

With your WordPress development business, you have criteria and specifications for what you do. Of course, you can say “no” to all these requests (and it’s important to do). Be careful, though: this can lead to bad reviews. Just be courteous and mention that you stick to the book.

If you have the resources, you can also help them by referring specific tasks to someone else if it’s something out of your wheelhouse.

As mentioned before, this is why it’s important to state all that you will be doing and can do before starting work. It will help deter this type of behavior.

5. The Grim Signer: Issues Signing Contract

As we just touched on with The Treatment Tormenter, it’s important to lay out what you will perform with the client. The best way to do this is in the form of a contract that breaks down each party’s responsibilities.

For you, it details the project’s scope, timeline, costs, etc. For the client, it lays out the payment plans, how to communicate, etc – all in one spot.

Getting a client that doesn’t want to sign a contract is a huge warning sign. Basically, they’re not abiding by the agreement, and it can become hearsay on what was supposed to be included in the job.

It’s okay to negotiate a contract, make tweaks, and more. It’s NOT okay to not want to sign anything once the guidelines have been established.

A client that doesn’t want to sign a contract is best to avoid. It’s a bad sign of other things to come and can be a mess when completing a WordPress project – which is the stuff of nightmares.

6. Silence of the Damned: Awful Communicator

A good indicator of whether to work with a potential client is their initial communication. Is their email full of typos? Do they not respond to messages? Can they not answer basic questions?

Good communication is key to completing a project to the best of your ability and a client’s standards. Without it, there can be delays, wrong designs, unclear texts on the homepage – you name it!

The good news is that you can quickly determine how good a communicator is from their initial contact. Is the message unclear on what they want to be done immediately? That might be a good reason not to take on the project.

Another good test can be arranging a Zoom meeting and seeing how well they are in person. Some people do communicate better than others face-to-face rather than by email. It might work if it’s okay with you to talk in person rather than by message.

In general, it’s a team effort regarding WordPress development. Sure, you’re the expert, but it takes good communication to get the job done right.

7. The Lateness Monster: Doesn’t Pay On Time

The Lateness Monster can put you in the perils of debt. It can cause you to be late on rent or scrambling to pay that electricity bill.

This is the client type that doesn’t pay on time. Payments are still delayed even when you give them ample time (60-day invoice, anyone).

Having delayed payments can put you in a financial crunch, so it’s best to drop a client that is habitually late with their payment. Not only is it hard financially for you, but it’s also inconsiderate.

A good client knows that you depend on income, and they need to comply and pay on time.

8. The Delinquent Demon: Doesn’t Pay What You Want

This client type believes you charge too much, doesn’t think your service is worth it, and wants to negotiate waaaay down below your worth.

Speaking of worth, this client isn’t worth your time. They’ll continue to lowball you, and if you get them to pay what you want, they’ll probably be disappointed and upset that they paid so much.

The reality is that your prices may be high to them, and it’s outside their budget. If that’s the case, you’re probably not a good fit as a developer for this specific client – and that’s okay. You can always recommend some budget-friendly resources (Fiverr is a good example), but you can also let them know that you get what you pay for.

9. The Threatener: Threatens Your Reputation

You have probably heard it before, but you can’t please everyone. Not everyone will be satisfied no matter how much you bend backward for someone. Or, maybe you actually did mess something up, and it needs to be fixed.

Instead of them coming to you for a solution to improve things, sometimes they’ll just trash your reputation on review sites or elsewhere.

Getting publicly smeared is never pleasant. If this hellish scenario happens, comment on forums and let readers know your perspective.

Or, if there’s a way to get with the client smearing you and offering to make it right so they can take down the negative review, that’s even better.

On the opposite side of this, if you have an unpleasant experience with a client, be careful not to shame them publicly. It can hurt your reputation as a developer just as much as a client can.

10. Demanding Dracula: Impossible Demands

There’s nothing like getting the life sucked out of you by a Demanding Dracula. These are the types of clients that are demanding and have unrealistic expectations.

You may be expected to drop everything else you’re doing to focus solely on them and the project you’re working on.

To avoid this, on a contract, you give guidelines on your hours, responsibilities, and what the project consists of. If they start acting this way, you can refer them back to the original agreement.

Now that we’ve covered some spooky individuals, here’s some…

Tips When it Comes to Terrifying Clients

As you can see, working with any of these 10 terrifying client types can be a nightmare. There are tips included in each category above on how to avoid each situation, but to help you out further, here’s a few more:

• Never begin a project without asking for at least 30-50% of the project fee. Having a downpayment puts skin in the game on the client’s part and ensures that you’ve been paid at least partial payment to begin.
• Always sign a contract, and include a cancellation clause before starting work on any project. Layout the scope of the project, timeline, costs – every vital detail. Make sure you and your client agree and sign on both ends.
• Try never to take on a project if the client has no vision. It’s best if the client has some groundwork (what needs to be included, some copywriting, etc); otherwise, it might be a lot of back-and-forths determining what exactly it is you’re creating.
• Set strict deadlines, work incrementally, and deliver everything promptly (by outlines laid out in the contract). Basically, live up to the agreement on your end. This should keep terrifying clients somewhat happy, even if they’re hard to work with, and discourage them from writing bad reviews.
• Go with your gut! Often your instinct is right whether to work with someone or not. If it feels “off”, it probably is.
• Breathe. Do yoga. Meditate. Whatever it takes to keep it together when dealing with a bad client. Look at it as a learning opportunity, and know that you can move on.

These simple tips can help you avoid or handle terrifying well. The last point is especially important: you can move on from a bad client and learn from them. That’s how you avoid working with a particular client type in the future.

Don’t Be Scared When it Comes to Clients

Now that we’ve covered these terrifying clients, you can rest easy knowing there’s nothing to be afraid of. Unlike a monster under your bed, scary clients can be real. However, there’s nothing to worry about if you handle them a certain way or avoid them in the first place.

It’s all part of being a web developer. Not every client and circumstance is the same. But as frightening as that is, you don’t have to spend all your time with a bad client and have them haunt you for the rest of your career.

Just remember that they are out there in the shadows looking for their next developer, so beware, avoid, or handle them accordingly. And try not to lose any sleep over it.

Our new Global IP Banning feature saves you loads of time securing sites. Simply create your IP block and allowlist once, then automatically sync to some or all of your WordPress sites with a few clicks.

A global IP allowlist and blocklist feature has been a top Defender security request for a while. So now…

“I logged into a client site this morning and saw a notification about the new global IP list-banning feature that allows us to sync our IP ban lists across Hub sites. I have raised this request in previous topics with Support and I am sooooooo happy that it has been made live. You guys rock!”

Andre – WPMU DEV Member

It’s here, free to use, and managed directly from your Hub! As you’ll see, it’s easy to quickly apply the same allowlist and blocklist IPs to all of your sites in bulk.

This article will cover:

• Why Block and Allow IPs?
• IP Banning and Allowing From The Hub
• Selecting Sites to Block or Allow IPs
• Syncing IPs with WordPress Sites
• Global IPs From Defender’s Dashboard

So, let’s show you how it’s done! First though…

Why Block and Allow IPs?

Just to touch on it quickly, there are many reasons for configuring a WordPress site to allow or block IPs.

For example, maybe you want to monitor online behavior (e.g. to restrict specific web platforms from accessing an educational site). Or, to protect your website from attacks. Also, you may not want a particular country or place to access your online information.

So, there are practical scenarios (like not allowing access to unwanted sites) and security protocols (preventing unwanted or harmful sites or servers from connecting with your network or computer).

Whatever the purpose, allowing and banning IPs should be in your control. With Defender, they are.

Let’s show you how our Defender security plugin makes it easy.

IP Banning and Allowing From The Hub

The Hub makes it easy and simple to create and manage IP Banning.

You can block and allow IP addresses from this area and automatically sync those lists with all or several of your WordPress sites.

The IP Banning section is located in the My Sites menu area.

In this section, you can see your Global Blocklist and Global Allowlist, where you’ll add your IPs.

Simply insert one IP address per line and keep in mind that IPv4 and IPv6 are supported. Plus, IP ranges are also accepted in CIDR or hyphenated format.

Ever want to edit? It’s no problem. You can add and remove IPs at any time!

Selecting Sites to Block and Allow IPs

It’s up to you to determine what sites of yours you want IPs blocked or allowed. So, before syncing IPs with sites, decide what sites you want to associate with IP block and allow lists.

Head to Activate on Site(s) to pick what site you want to include.

After clicking, you’ll see all the available sites to activate global IP banning.

You’ll also be able to see any website that doesn’t have Defender activated and any other issues that would affect syncing.

If you want, you can search with Filters & Labels when browsing through your websites. There are options for filtering by ‘Hosted with us,’ ‘Hosted elsewhere,’ favorites/non-favorites, and labels.

Plus, you can enter a site title and search relevant sites.

When your sites are selected, tap Activate – and that’s it! It takes just a few moments for the sites to be included.

With that being said, it’s time to…

Sync IPs with WordPress Sites

It takes one click to sync your IPs with your WordPress sites. Just tap on the bright blue Sync IPs with Sites, and all the selected sites will be synced.

A message informing you of what is about to take place will pop up to ensure you’d like to proceed.

Sounds good to still sync? Then click Continue.

After hitting Continue, you can sit back and relax as all of your chosen sites are synced with IPs on your blocklist and allowlist! It takes just a few moments.

Global IPs From Defender’s Dashboard

Now that you know how to set up global IPs from The Hub, you can also monitor and sync IPs in WordPress under Defender > Firewall > IP Banning.

After syncing, all the IPs you have entered in The Hub will be in a list.

One thing to note is that you can’t add new IPs from Defender’s WordPress admin. Simply add them in The Hub and re-sync – and that’s it!

It’s also an area where you can enable and disable the global IP feature anytime.

Allow and Block Global IPs with Ease

As you can see, allowing and blocking global IPs can be done in just a few clicks with Defender and The Hub. It’s never been simpler to control global IPs across any number of sites simultaneously!

If you aren’t using The Hub yet, sign up for free. The same goes for Defender, which also doesn’t cost a thing from wp.org.

And now, blocking and allowing IPs is a breeze!

There’s more to choosing a domain provider than just the price of registering domains. Sure, the cost is something to consider; however, many factors come into play. This article shows you what to look for.

There are some questions you should consider when picking a domain provider. Like, do they offer bulk domain purchases for your agency? Or, can you quickly transfer a domain? What about customer support? And more…

So, how do you determine which domain provider to go with?

We have a breakdown in this post, along with some insight on what registering a domain entails, to help you make a good decision. Plus, we’ll show you a glimpse of why you should consider choosing WPMU DEV (wink, wink) for your domains!

We’ll be looking at domain-related topics, such as:

• What a Domain Provider Does
• Factors When Determining the Best Domain Provider

1. 1. Paid or Free Domain Protection
   2. Extension Options
   3. Simple Domain Transfer
   4. Purchasing Domains in Bulk
   5. Include Hosting with Domain
   6. Expired Domains Policy
   7. Support
   8. Reputation
   9. Registration Period
   10. Price
   11. Domain Managment Console

• Average Cost of Domain Name
• Domain Extension Differences
• Why WPMU DEV is a Good Choice for Domains

By the end of this article, you should have a good idea of what to look for before registering your domain(s) with a specific company — and feel good about your choice!

But, before we begin, let’s quickly touch on…

What a Domain Provider Does

In a nutshell, a Domain Provider is a company or business that handles the reservation of domain names and the assignment of IP addresses for those domain names.

They permit the purchase and registration of domain names that are accredited by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). ICANN supports domains by helping companies apply for accreditation to become domain registrars and sell them to the public.

Domain name registration is allowed by ICANN to make adjustments to the domain name’s information in the database on your behalf.

There are over a thousand domain registrars available for this service.

Factors in Determining the Best Domain Provider

With all of the options for domain providers – how are you supposed to choose? There’s a lot to think about, so let’s break down some components that might help you make a clear decision.

Here are the main factors to consider:

1. Paid vs Free Domain Protection

There are precautions to take when purchasing a domain, so luckily, there is Domain Protection. And depending on your domain registrar, it’s either free or it comes at a price.

Just for context, signing up for a domain also includes providing specifics for a WHOIS directory– a resource database of all the registered domains in a country. It’s available to lookup users who have purchased a domain and/or created an IP address – including the contact info, name, and more.

It’s so that the public can find information about any person with a domain name. So, spammers are big fans of this directory. It grants them easy access to different people all around the world.

With WHOIS Protection, the WHOIS data about your contact information will be hidden. However, it doesn’t hide any DNS records or IP addresses.

When determining the right domain provider, you may want to consider if there’s a fee for WHOIS Protection – or if it’s included. Many other providers have it set up automatically as well.

However, if it’s not included, expect to pay an extra $12-$15 a year for protection.

2. Extension (TLDs) Options

When it comes to domain name extensions (TLDs — Top Level Domains), like .info, .bike, .shop, etc. – make sure the company you’re with has plenty of options or specific ones you want to use.

A good domain provider should have ample extensions to choose from.

3. Simple Domain Transfer

Ensure that the domain company you decide on makes it easy to transfer domains.

It’s probable that you will transfer your domain (or many) at some point. Making sure that the domain company that you’re with has a clear path for domain transfer is vital.

Remember that transferring a domain can take a while, and very few domains don’t charge a transfer fee (about 5%). Though there’s usually a fee when you transfer a domain name, you get an extra year of registration along with the transfer.

4. Purchasing Domains in Bulk

Bulk purchasing domains are the norm if you own a web development company. Therefore, check and see if the domain company has bulk purchasing options. Also, see about a bulk discount.

If they do, make sure it’s simple to do. Plus, ensure there are no upsells or hidden fees.

5. Include Hosting with Domain

Many companies offer to host services with domains as bundles – or discounted rates.

Though getting a discount is tempting, be careful lumping the two together. When doing so, you lose some flexibility that you may want down the road. For example, if you ever want to change web hosts or domain registrants, you may encounter some complications.

However, there can also be advantages of having everything under one company, such as it’s easily manageable and accessible.

Be sure to know how simple it would be to transfer services (e.g. domains) to a new company if you ever decide to do so and how it would affect the price.

6. Expired Domain Policy

Considering domains are registered for a specific amount of time, be sure you know what happens when they expire with your company, and there’s a grace period.

In most cases, features like autorenewal can prevent expired domains, but look into the domain company’s expiration policy. Do they have an ample grace period?

Also, what’s their redemption period? The domain might be released to the general public when the redemption period is over.

Rules can differ for this, but this process of expired domains is generally the norm. So, make sure you know the guidelines on this to prevent any mishaps down the road.

7. Support

Does the company you purchase domains through offer good support? You shouldn’t need them in most cases (if transferring, implementing, purchasing, etc., is simple to do – which it should be); however, ensure that they are accessible if needed.

24/7 support is the best bet and shows a dedicated company’s seriousness about its domain business.

8. Reputable

Make sure that the company you’re with has a good, established reputation. Look for things, like Trustpilot, on their website. Or reviews from other sources. After all, you’re looking for a long-term relationship when it comes to domains, you want to ensure that you – and the domains – are in good hands.

9. Registration Period

Check and see what type of registration period the domain company offers. For example, do they have it, so you can register a domain for more than a year? Also, do they have convenience, like auto-renewal?

Most domains can be registered for up to 10 years at a time, so ensure that you have some flexibility when registering.

(And, if you didn’t know, you can’t permanently purchase a domain. Think of them as a lease – not permanent — unless you renew regularly.)

10. Price

Many companies offer a low price to get clients “hooked” into purchasing a domain and then become sticker shocked once up for renewal. Make sure you read the fine print and ensure the renewal price won’t break the bank.

All of this information should be easy to find in any good domain registrar. Plus, a good business model is not to hike up the prices tremendously (or at all) upon renewal.

11. Domain Management Console

Easily managing domains and having them under one roof in a domain management console is great for running your WordPress development agency.

Any management system that allows you to bill, renew, edit contact information and more can save you a ton of time and streamline the domain management process.

This is especially useful if you’re managing multiple domains for numerous clients as an agency.

What Are the Average Costs of a New Domain Name?

Now that you know what to look out for, it’s good to be aware of what a fair price to pay for a domain is as you decide which company to go with.

They all vary by companies and extensions, so there’s no exact figure for them; however, for a regular .com domain, prices tend to range from as cheap as $7 to $15 per year.

Also, some offer package deals, such as a free domain with hosting. Or discounts and promos are often available (especially for new customers). Additionally, discounts can be added if you pay annually instead of monthly.

All this being said, often, renewing a domain can cost more. Hence, if you know you want a domain for the long term, it’s usually a good idea to purchase for an extended length of time (e.g. ten years) right away.

A Note on Premium Domains…

If you purchase an existing domain, the owner can determine the price. This can become very expensive, depending on the domain and business. It’s different from buying a brand-new domain at a regular price.

Domain Extension Differences

We mentioned that it’s important to see what extensions a domain provider includes if you wish to use some specific ones other than .com. That being said – what’s the difference between them?

The most popular is .com. Then some other popular TLDs include .org, .net, .edu, and .gov. There are thousands of others to choose from.

A big difference between them all (as we touched on earlier) is the expense. Some extensions (such as the ever-growing .io and .co) are becoming more popular, thus, more expensive.

Also, some extensions are restricted, and you can’t purchase them unless you meet specific requirements. Several of these include .edu and .gov because they are related to education and government.

Probably the biggest reason for various extensions is to be unique to your site. Have a dance studio? You might want a .dance to fit in with your business.

An extension often won’t make or break a website, but that being said, they do make a difference and should be unique to your specifications.

Why WPMU DEV is a Good Choice for Domains

We’ve covered quite a bit of information in this article (whew!), and we’d be doing ourselves a disservice if we didn’t mention our domains here at WPMU DEV. Why? Because we check a lot of the boxes on what to look for when choosing a domain provider.

After all, our main goal IS to be the best domain provider around, so we want to make sure we have as much covered on our end, and make you aware of it, too.

Here’s a rundown of what we offer.

Paid or Free Domain Protection: Our domains automatically come with WHOIS protection, so it’s covered without additional costs.

Extension Options: We have over 120 extensions — and will be adding another 100-150 very soon.

Simple Domain Transfer: Coming soon, you’ll be able to quickly and easily transfer 3rd party domains to WPMU DEV, and if you need to transfer out of our platform, that will be simple, too. Stay tuned for updates on this…

Purchasing Domains in Bulk: Considering we sell our domains purely at cost, we don’t need a bulk domain discount. They’re already as low priced as they can get. You can purchase as many domains as you need.

Hosting & Domain: Though they are two different features (domains are not included with hosting), we have fully dedicated hosting and credits with our Agency plan.

Expired Domains Policy: An expired domain will enter into a 40-day grace period and can be renewed during that time by simply paying the renewal costs. Then, the domain enters a 30-day redemption period.

Support: We offer 24/7 support.

Reputation: We’ve been around for a while (since 2006!) and have extremely high marks from Trustpilot. Additionally, we’ve been a repeatedly “Top Choice” for web developers, won awards for our plugins, and have high reviews from over 5,000 places worldwide.

Registration Period: Domains can be registered for 1-10 ten years (except for a few examples, like .co — which can only be registered for five). Read more about registration periods in our documentation.

Price: As mentioned earlier, with purchasing domains in bulk, we charge purely at cost and won’t sticker shock you on renewal. We offer domains exclusively through our Agency Plan, so we can keep them at a discounted rate. It’s strictly for our members’ benefit to have domains; we’re not in it for profit.

Domain Management Console: All domains are in one place in The Hub. From here, you can set up auto-renewal, edit information, set registration periods — and much more. Be sure to read our article about setting up domains from WPMU DEV.

For more about our domains, be sure to visit our domains page for more info — or to get started!

Providing You Info for the Right Domain Provider

Hopefully, this article answered some questions and helps you understand what to look for in a domain provider. Whether it’s price, the convenience of a domain console, or support — whatever it is, it’s important to choose the right company to go with. After all, there are over a thousand options out there, and it’s not always simple to decide on a single platform.

On top of that, you got a glimpse of what we can offer regarding domains here at WPMU DEV. We’re proud to be able to offer them at cost with our Agency plan and provide the best in many categories when it comes to domains. If you’re not a member yet, give us a trial run (for free!) today!

Make sure that whatever domain provider you go with, make sure it’s (dot)amazing!

Register, manage, and connect unlimited affordable domains directly from WPMU DEV – making creating websites for you and your clients easier than ever!

Domain registration is all done right from WPMU DEV’s Hub. It just takes a few clicks, with unlimited options for picking top-level domains.

As you’ll see, domain management has been streamlined for web developers on our Agency Plan. Especially when managing domains for multiple clients.

In this article, we cover everything you need to know about using domains with WPMU DEV, including:

• • Register a New Domain
  • Add Domain to Hosted Site
  • View Your Registered Domains
  • Confirm Your Registrant Information
  • Domain Management in The Hub
  • Domain Overview
  • Contact Information
  • Manage DNS
  • Filtering Domains
  • Connected Domains
  • Client Association

If you’re a member, you can get started here. Not a member yet? Get started with a trial of our Agency plan today!

Now that you’re ready to go let’s…

Register a New Domain

Registering a New Domain is quick and simple. Whatever domain you’re looking for, we have 120+ extensions — whether it be .com, .org, .shop — you name it! They’re all affordable. (And P.S. — We’ll be adding another 100-150 TLDs VERY soon.)

It’s also important to note that domains are for Agency Plan members ONLY. We can only offer this kind of service at wholesale pricing by making it exclusive (just as we did with Quantum hosting).

We provide domains purely at cost (purchase and renewal), with no margin for us (except to cover transaction fees) so that you can resell them to your clients with your own markup and save money on your existing provider.

So, now that you know the gist of our domains, here’s…

Where to Begin

Registering a new domain starts from the Domains tab and Register New Domain. Just type the domain name you want to use.

Once you type in the domain name you prefer, a list of options will appear with various prices.

In this example, I’d like to register the name ‘awesomewebguy.’ As you can see, many top-level domain options appeared (e.g. .org, .net, .online, etc.) under Matches.

Want to see other options? Click Load More, and you’ll get others.

WPMU DEV domains also have Suggestions for a new domain based on your search criteria.

Once you have a domain name, click Buy Now. And that’s it!

You’ll be directed to a registration page. From this page, you pick out the Registration Terms. This includes the Registration Period, Renewal Price, and Auto-Renew.

To start, select a Registration Period. This can be anywhere from one to ten years!

Choose between 1-10 years in a click.

Also, determine whether you’d like to auto-renew or not (you can always change this later – as you’ll see).

Just to note, Domain Privacy is automatically incorporated with every domain.

Next, enter the Registrant information. From here, you can also associate the registrant information with a client from the dropdown (we’ll have more on associating domains with a client later in this article).

This is information about you as the domain owner. None of this information is publicly shared or on WHOIS.

Once your domain is successfully registered, you can automatically add DNS records by clicking connect to a hosted site. If you don’t want to connect your domain to a hosted site – no biggie. Click Skip for Now.

That being said, let’s say you want to connect domain to a hosted site. Here’s how it’s done…

Add Domain to Hosted Site

Adding a domain to a hosted site with WPMU DEV doesn’t take much at all to set up.

You can do this while creating your domain or after the domain is verified and completed. Just select from the dropdown what site you would like the domain to be hosted on.

Add your domain to a hosted site at any time. From the Domains tab, you’ll see by your site a Link Icon.

Just click Connect to a Hosted Site, and select from the dropdown what site you’d like to use.

Click Save, and you’ll see your domain’s DNS status. It may take a little while to complete. You can recheck your status by tapping Settings (the ellipsis).

Below this area, you’ll also see the DNS information for the site you’re using with your domain. It includes the CNAME Record, A Record, and AAAA Record.

Note: if you use the Connect Domain feature, you don’t have to manually add any DNS record.

Ready to go live? We have an awesome guide that takes you through how to do it step by step.

View Your Registered Domains

Once you register a new domain, it will be located under Registered Domains. If you view it soon after registering a domain, you’ll see that its Registrant Status maybe be ‘verifying.’

A message will appear indicating that as well.

So, how do you go about verifying the registrant status?

Confirm Your Registrant Information

Once you register your domain, you’ll receive an email. This is to ensure that you are who you say you are regarding your domain ownership and to complete your registration.

Whatever email address you include in your Registrant Information is where this email will be sent. Once opened, this is what it says:

It contains two links: one is to review ICANN’s Policy, and the other is to continue on with verification.

When verified, you’ll get notified immediately.

Please keep in mind that if you don’t verify within 15 days, the domain will be suspended until you verify it. So, make sure to complete this important step.

Domain Management in The Hub

All of your domains are in one place in The Hub under Domains. This is your one-stop area where you can new, update, manage, and more.

By clicking on the ellipsis by individual domains, you instantly have access to key features, such as:

• Manage Domain
• Renew Domain
• Update Contact Information
• Update Nameservers
• Update DNS

To make it easier for you and your clients, you can activate Auto Renew in one click.

Click on the name or status of the domain to get to the Domain Overview page. From the Overview, you can view a ton of information. Everything from Domain Status, Registration Date, GDPR status- – and more!

Be sure to check out our documentation for an in-depth look.

Domain Overview

Get a 360-degree view from the Domain Overview.

This is an overlook where you can see the domain status (active or inactive), expiration date, whether auto-renew is activated – and more!

Perform tasks from this area as well, such as renewing a domain, activating auto-renew, and implementing transfer lock.

Find out more in our documentation.

Contact Information

All the contact information regarding the domain Owner, Admin, Billing, and Tech are in the Contact Information tab. You can always adjust, add, and delete information.

Manage DNS

All of the current DNS records are located in the Manage DNS area. From you, you can add a Subdomain, email, or custom DNS records.

Learn a lot more in our guide on how to add a Subdomain.

Filtering Domains

Filtering domains is a way to quickly and easily find specific domains, organize the list of domains you want to view, find who’s registered for domains, and more!

Once clicking Filter, you have options for:

• Domain Status
• Registrant
• Registrant Status
• Auto Renew
• Hosted Site Status

Each option has different varibles in their dropdowns. For example, if you choose Domain Status, the dropdown includes Active, Suspended, and Expired.

Connected Domains

View all of your Connected Domains in one place. This section displays all your connected domains and their status (e.g. propagated correctly or pending).

You can Manage DNS, Recheck DNS, and Delete on the ellipsis.

If you click Manage DNS, you can add the Nameservers and view Records (e.g. AAAA and A). It also displays the TTL for each record.

It also indicates where it directs to by each type of DNS record.

Client Association

The Client Association feature lets you associate a domain with a client from your Clients & Billing portal. Additionally, it allows you to easily change or remove the client that you may have associated with the domain when you registered it.

By associating a client with a domain, it automatically populates the Owner Contact Information of that domain with the client’s information, making it quick and less time-consuming to input. Also, this can be edited at any time.

The Client Assocationa section is located under any specific domain. Or, as mentioned earlier, you can select this from the dropdown when creating a new domain.

Click Add Client to get started.

From there, there’s a dropdown where you’ll choose the client to associate with the domain.

That’s it! Your client is now associated with this domain.

You can remove clients at any time, and also, if you have granted the client a Client Role that includes View Domains, they can do just that and also change information — if allowed. For more information, be sure to read our documentation.

Domain Management Made Simple

You can see how simple and easy it is to set up, implement, and manage domains with WPMU DEV and The Hub! With a new domain, you can be up and running in just a few clicks.

Plus, coming soon in 2023 — you’ll essentially be able to create your own GoDaddy! More on that to come…

So, what are you waiting for? To get started, if you haven’t tried our Agency plan, start your 7 day no obligation free trial today. And if you are already an Agency member, begin registering domains immediately!