Get a Domain Name + Secure Your Online Presence
For many small business owners, getting a domain name is the first step toward establishing a new business. A domain name, also called a web address, is your own little piece of real estate on the internet, and you need one in order to create a website.
When you hire us to be your registered agent or form your company, you get a FREE domain for the first year (up to $25 value), plus a custom business website, email, and phone service.
All Your Business Support Services ALL Under One Roof
Why bother getting your business services from multiple different companies when you can get everything you need from one? When you use Texan for your business services, you get lifetime support from our Austin-based customer support team.
The best part? Protecting your privacy is at the heart of everything we do. Our clients get a real Texas business address you can use on the state forms to keep your address private. And we NEVER sell your personal information.
This page includes all you need to know about domains, as well as our ongoing support services. Click on any of the links below to jump to that section:
More About Business Domain Names
Three Stages to Support Your Growing Business
1. Establish an Online Presence
2. Protect Your Assets
3. Expand with Ease
Business Domain Names
Domain names are crucial to your business’s online presence. Here’s everything you need to know:
Similar to a physical street address, your domain name is the space your company occupies on the web. For example, our domain name is http://texasregisteredagent.net . When you enter that string of letters into the address bar at the top of a web page, you get to our site. That’s because we own that space. It’s our domain.
Not quite. When you buy a domain name, you’re only getting the web address, which is to say: you’re only getting the space on the internet. It won’t have any content. In order to populate your internet space with words, pictures, or order forms, you need a website.
Read more about getting a business website in our section on establishing your online presence.
Choosing a good domain name is just as important as choosing a name for your business. A good rule of thumb is to make is as easy to find as possible. For example, if the name of your business is “Anna’s Umbrellas,” the best domain name is probably: annasumbrellas.com.
If your preferred domain name is already taken, you’ll have to choose another one. In that case, it’s best to go with something similar, like umbrellasbyanna.com, or something your customers can easily associate with your brand, like elpasoumbrellas.com.
Nope. The end of your domain name, “.com” for example, is known as a Top Level Domain (TLD). While “.com” is the most popular TLD for businesses, there are many TLDs you can choose from, including “.net,” “.org,” “.co,” “.us,” and even “.pizza.”
While you’ll have your choice of TLDs, keep in mind that not all TLDs are priced the same. TLDs are regulated by a public entity known as the Internet Corporations for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), and prices are based on market value, so you’ll be paying a standard rate.
If you choose to get your domain name through us, our customer service representatives can help you choose the perfect domain for your business.
Probably. We say that because smart business owners know they need a web presence to be competitive in today’s economy—and because you’re reading this, it’s clear you’re smart. Even if you have or intend to have a physical storefront, getting online will boost your sales and help you access way more people than you’d ever be able to reach by walk-ins alone.
Why get a domain name?
Getting a domain name is the easiest and most affordable way to make your business visible. If you’re just starting out, you probably have a small operation, perhaps with no more than one employee: yourself. At this stage, getting a domain makes a ton of sense for three main reasons:
1. Ease. You can easily secure a domain name online. In fact, our customer service representatives will walk you through the whole process.
2. Affordability. Our domains are FREE up to $25 for the first year. After that, the annual renewal fee for most of our domains is just $25/year. Compare that to the cost of renting office space, buying advertising, or paying someone to spin a sign on a street corner, and that’s a steal!
3. Brand Protection. Even if you’re not ready to start your website just yet, reserving your domain now ensures that the name you want will be available when you’re ready.
It’s simple. And when you register your domain name through us, growing your business is even simpler.
Three Stages to Support Your Growing Business
So you’ve got a domain… what’s next? To actually start reaching customers online, you’ll need a business website. You should also consider protecting your assets by registering your business as an LLC or corporation. And as your business grows, you may need additional services to keep up with customer demand.
Keep reading for more on these three stages, or click on any of the links below to jump to that section:
- Establish Your Online Presence
- Register as a Business Entity & Protect Your Assets
- Expand Your Business with Ease
1. Establish Your Online Presence
The #1 priority for most small businesses is getting online. Why? Getting online is by far the easiest and most effective way to immediately get the word out about your business and start selling your products and/or services. By now you know that you need a domain name in order to do so, but you’ll also need a website and other services to fully support your online presence.
Texas Business Presence
When you sign up for our Texas Business Presence package (Website + SSL Security, Business Email, and Phone Service), you get a 20% discount on all Business Presence items, which brings the total price to just $21.60/month. Business Presence services can also be added individually when you hire us to form your company or order registered agent service. There are no contracts or hidden fees. If you’re not satisfied, it’s easy to cancel just by clicking the Cancel button inside your account.
| Description | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Domain Name | Your website address, like MyBusinessNameHere.com. | FREE* for one year! Then based on market value. |
| Website | Easily customizable website, no coding necessary. Our web support team can even help you design your site! | FREE for 90 days! Then $9/month. |
| SSL Security | A security protocol all websites need to be safe from hackers. | (Included with Website Service) |
| Business Email | Ad-free email with up to 10 addresses with your company’s domain name (like [email protected]). | FREE for 90 days! Then $9/month. |
| Phone Service | Virtual phone number with the TX area code of your choice. Includes free iOS or Android app, unlimited talk and text, call forwarding, and Visual Voicemail. | FREE for 90 days! Then $9/month. |
*We’ll cover the cost of your domain for one year, up to $25. For domains that cost more than $25, you get $25 off the total price of the domain for the first year.
What kind of website will I get?
Your business website starts with a pre-built template that includes a Homepage, About Us page, and Contact form, all of which you can customize with your own images, text, and videos using drag-and-drop tools. Your website is completely your own and is tied to your domain name. So, if your domain name is “http://MyBusinessNameHere.com ,” that’s exactly what people will type into their search bar to find your website. Not a tech whiz? No problem! Our web support team can walk you through the entire process of designing your website over the phone.
What exactly is SSL security?
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, which is a security protocol used to protect data on any given website. You can see whether a website has SSL security by looking at the URL. Websites with SSL security have a URL beginning with HTTPS instead of HTTP. (The “S” stands for secure.)
The encryption process itself is complicated and involves scrambling data so it’s difficult for outside parties to track it without a digital key. In other words, it’s an extra layer of security protection that’s super important, especially if you plan to make online sales.
If your website doesn’t have SSL security, visitors to your site will see a pop-up message with the warning: “This Site Can’t Provide a Secure Connection.” That doesn’t exactly make a person want to take out their credit card and enter their financial information.
What does your email service provide?
We offer secure, ad-free business email service with up to 10 email addresses ending in your domain (For example, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], etc.). Unlike many email services, we DON’T mine our customers’ data or sell it to third parties, so you can feel safe using this email for confidential business correspondence.
What do I get with my business phone service?
You get a phone number of your choice (with a local Texas area code!) that you can access using any internet-connected device, using a web browser or our free Android or iOS app. Phone service also includes:
- Visual Voicemail (option to view voice messages as text)
- Unlimited talk and text
- Outbound Caller ID Display of your company name
- Call Forwarding to any US number
Ready to get started? Try Texas Business Presence FREE for the first 90 days ($21.60/month after that). Plus get a FREE domain for an entire year (up to $25 value). There are no hidden fees, and it’s easy to cancel at any time.
2. Register as a Business Entity & Protect Your Assets
Eventually, you might want to consider formalizing your business as a Texas LLC or Texas Corporation. Why? There are potential cost savings, and—most importantly—you’ll get liability protection.
Why is it a good idea to have liability protection?
When you run your business as a sole proprietor (which means your business expenses and personal expenses are one in the same), any financial hits to your business also affect your personal finances. This may not be a big deal when you’re just starting out. But as your business grows you’re likely to take more risks, which probably means bigger financial gambles. Creating an entity, like an LLC or corporation, gives you liability protection, which means your personal finances are safe from your company’s losses.
Is it better to form an LLC or a corporation?
Most small businesses are registered as LLCs (or Limited Liability Companies) because they tend to be cheaper and easier to form:
- Cost. While the Texas Secretary of State charges a one-time fee of $310 for both entity types, corporations have to pay corporate income tax. LLCs, on the other hand, have the advantage of being able to choose their tax designation: sole proprietorship (if only one member), partnership (if multiple members), corporation, or S-corp.
- Ease. Unlike LLCs, corporations are required to adhere to strict rules about corporate structure. For example, all corporations in the U.S. must have shareholders, a board of directors, and corporate officers.
That said, the bigger the company, the more advantages there are to incorporation. For example, corporations can make tax-free payments to shareholders, called distributions. In short, whatever you decide should probably be determined by the size of your company.
Do I need a Texas Registered Agent?
Yes. Whether you choose an LLC or a corporation, and regardless of whether you choose to form your business on your own or have us do it for you, you need to obtain a Texas Registered Agent before forming a new business entity.
The best part about forming a business with us? Our top-notch registered agent service is included with formation!
3. Expanding Your Business with Ease
You may not know how your business will grow—who ever does?—but when sales takes off, we’ve got the services you need to help your company grow steadily, without sacrificing quality. Here are two areas to keep an eye on:
- Physical Growth. If your business branches out into new, related business ventures, you might consider using a DBA name. Or, for extra protection, a trademark. Either way, we got you covered! (You can select either service at checkout.)
- Communications. Expansion likely means more communication, including more physical mail. Our Mail Scanning service scans your documents to your secure online account, so you never miss a document. And if you’re always on the go, we offer Virtual Office service, which brings all the benefits of an office space to you, wherever you are.
Why Choose Texan?
We’re your first and last stop when it comes to starting and maintaining your business. Whether you’re launching your first small business or expanding your company across state lines, we’ll support you through it all. Here’s what you get with Texan Registered Agent LLC:
Privacy. At the heart of everything we do is an effort to help you maintain privacy. We started as registered agents to help small business owners keep their names and home addresses off the public record, and that ethos still carries into all of our services today. We’ll help you keep your personal address out of public databases and NEVER sell your data to third parties.
Well-Rounded Services. Though we started as registered agents, we’ve grown to specialize in all business services, from state filings to business websites.
Lifetime Support. Get help anytime from local Texas business experts—real people who care about helping your business succeed. Our 5-star reviews frequently mention our excellent customer service. That’s because we never rush you off the phone or send an automated email response. We actually take the time to answer all your questions!