Don't worry. Your free trial domain is just a temporary domain that is only for the duration of your trial. We use a combination of your first and last name to auto-generate the subdomain. Should you decide to stay with us, your OPP website can be at whatever domain you would like, as long as it is available for purchase.
Sure thing. Unlike most other art website services, the cost of one new domain name is included in the price of your website! We'll take care of buying, managing and renewing it for you, so you don't need to worry about it. Other companies don't want to hassle with domains, but we take the hassle on for you, so you can spend more time in your studio. Sweeeeeet.
We can buy domains ending in:
If you'd like a domain ending in something else, such as .co.uk, .ca, or .mobi — that's no problem. Just buy the domain from from the domain registrar of your choice and note that you already own the domain when you go through the activation process. When comparing domain registrars, good price for a domain name for one year should be around $10 to $15.
You can definitely keep your preexisting domain and use it for your OPP site.
When you activate/pay for your site, just type your domain in as the URL you want, making sure to indicate in the drop-down menu that you already own it. When we set up your site, we'll give you access to an easy walk-through on how to point your domain to your new site.
There's no need to transfer the domain to us or elsewhere — you can maintain ownership of it at your current registrar. You'll simply be making a small change to the domain's settings, called “changing the nameservers.”
If you are currently paying for a hosting package, feel free to cancel that, as hosting is included in the cost of your OPP website. Make sure, however, not to cancel your domain name…
Because we buy our domains in bulk, the cost of them to us is so low that we are unable to offer a discount to people who already own their domain.
However, you are still, of course, entitled to the one free domain name (since it is included in your subscription fee), so please let us know if you would like us to purchase another domain name on your behalf.
If we do so, the domain we purchase for you (and not your previously owned domain) must be your main OPP site URL. You can then forward your already owned domain to your OPP site.
Unfortunately we cannot have your domain transferred to us or buy your expiring pre-existing domain name.
When a domain expires, it generally goes into a period called redemption (usually a month long) in which only the owner can buy back the domain. In addition, it's not a good idea to ever let your domain expire, since it's possible for domain snipers to buy it our from under you. Yikes!
Unfortunately, domain transfers are not an option either, since they are generally long and unpleasant processes that in the past left both us and our customers unhappy. It's best just to keep and renew your domain with your current registrar. Hopefully they're not too expensive…a domain shouldn't be more than $10-15 per year. You can transfer your domain to a cheaper registrar if it's not in this price range.
If you'd really like us to pay for your domain name, we're always happy to buy you a NEW domain, which is included in the price of your OPP site.