Do I Need A Domain For A Landing Page: The Pros And Cons

Do you want to create a landing page? If so, do you need a domain for it? This is the question that many people ask themselves when they are trying to decide if they should purchase or rent their domain. In this blog post, we will discuss the pros and cons of purchasing versus renting your domains.

What is a domain?

A domain is a unique name that identifies your company or website. For example, the domains google.com and yahoo.com both have their own identities that set them apart from other companies on the Internet as well as each other. Some domain names do not come cheap though because they can be hugely valuable assets to any business owner’s online presence.

landing page custom domain name

Do I Need A Domain For My Landing Page?

If you do not have a website or blog and only plan on having one landing page that is for a very specific campaign, then it depends on how long the traffic to your site will last. If you do not expect much traffic in general to your site, then chances are renting would be best because there is no need to purchase a domain when buying one from GoDaddy or Namecheap does not cost all that much money.

However, if you do expect good amounts of visitors coming through to your single landing page every day/week over a longer period of time (meaning at least months), then purchasing may be something for you to consider. There are many benefits associated with owning rather than just renting domains including complete control over said domain so nobody can do anything with it without your permission, not having to search for available domain names when you want one because you already own the desired name, and do not have to pay to renew each year.

If this is just a campaign that will last only weeks or months then renting would be best but if visitors are expected every day/week over many more months then purchasing may be better off! Do what works best in terms of money spent versus time-length of the project so there is no disappointment down the road. As long as people can find your landing page easily online though, all should work out fine in the end regardless!

Another option is to use landing page builders like Unbounce. There you can build your landing page without a domain name. You don’t need a website or buy/rent a domain for your landing page. And at these page builder companies, there’s software available to help with that! Just use some of these tools and create an awesome web form quickly – have something ready in just hours instead of days or weeks.

Do I need a custom domain landing page?

Do I need a custom domain landing page?

Not necessarily. If you do not plan on having your landing page up for very long, then it is okay to just use a generic domain name like Unbounce or Leadpages that do not require purchasing of domains because there are no additional benefits associated with using these services (unless they offer free trial periods, etc). However, if the site will be running campaigns over extensive periods of time and visitors can expect consistent traffic flow through this single landing page every day/week, then buying one from GoDaddy or Namecheap may be something to consider rather than renting via other companies online.

Keep in mind though that even when getting a custom domain name like YourBusinessName.com for your website instead of leasing elsewhere; do keep an eye out on prices because they do change all the time. There are a lot of different factors to consider when buying a domain name and some do not come cheap, but if there is value in having one for your company/website then it should be considered regardless!

If nothing else though renting (if offered) would always be an option here too since purchasing does cost more money overall. For instance, Namecheap offers free website transfers with each new purchase unless you want them to do it sooner than what their schedule allows – which can sometimes take up to thirty days depending on who hosts, etc so keep that in mind also! Buying or leasing? It really depends on how long this campaign will go for; if only weeks then renting may work well but if visitors can be expected every day/week over many more months then buying may work out better!

In case you decide on a custom domain name landing page, here are ideas for subdomain names for landing pages.

benefits of a domain for my landing page

What are the benefits of a domain for my landing page?

You do not need a domain for your landing page, but it is highly recommended that you do. There are many reasons why purchasing or renting your own domain can help with the success of your business in general and here are just some of them:

  • It sets you apart from other businesses, which makes your business more professional
  • It is easier to do SEO with a domain than without one
  • You can take full control of any website issues that may arise rather than having the hosting company do it for you. This gives you complete ownership and autonomy overall content on your site.
  • With marketing automation software like Marketo, Pardot, or Hubspot, you can track landing page information so no matter what traffic source brings them in, they will be added to the correct contact list within your CRM (customer relationship management) system automatically! All this saves time because there’s less manual labor involved when using digital tools! They also save money by reducing errors as well.

Conclusion

In short, do not purchase a domain for your landing page unless you plan on using it long-term. In that case, purchasing the right domain name can be beneficial to your business in many ways including marketing automation and better search engine optimization results overall! Just do not do so if there is no need since renting one from either GoDaddy or Namecheap only costs around $12-$15 per year at most anyway. Renting may seem like an unnecessary expense but when done correctly it helps businesses save money by reducing time spent contacting web host customer support lines etc., saves the frustration of technical issues arising unexpectedly because everything runs smoothly without any problems, and enhances online sales via enhanced SEO efforts beyond just lead generation websites alone.

In case you want to build a landing page, here’s a post about what are the key components of a landing page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I absolutely need a domain name to create a landing page?

No, you don’t need a custom domain to create a landing page. Landing page builders like Unbounce and Leadpages allow you to build pages without purchasing a domain. However, a custom domain enhances professionalism and SEO if you plan long-term campaigns with consistent traffic.

What’s the difference between buying and renting a domain for a landing page?

Buying a domain gives you complete ownership and control, typically costing $12-15 annually with no renewal concerns. Renting through builders offers flexibility for short-term campaigns without ownership. Choose buying for long-term projects expecting daily/weekly traffic; renting for campaigns lasting weeks or months.

How long should my landing page campaign be to justify purchasing a domain?

If you expect consistent visitor traffic over several months or longer, purchasing a domain is worth considering. For short-term campaigns lasting only weeks, renting through a landing page builder is more cost-effective. Evaluate your projected campaign duration against domain costs to determine ROI.

Can I use a landing page builder without a custom domain name?

Yes, platforms like Unbounce, Leadpages, and similar builders provide built-in subdomains so you can launch landing pages instantly without purchasing a domain. This is ideal for testing campaigns quickly or running temporary promotions within hours rather than days.

What are the main benefits of using a custom domain for my landing page?

Custom domains enhance professionalism, improve SEO rankings, provide complete control over your content and technical issues, enable better marketing automation integration with CRM systems, and increase brand credibility compared to generic builder subdomains.

How does a custom domain improve SEO for landing pages?

A branded custom domain improves SEO because search engines recognize it as a legitimate business entity rather than a generic platform subdomain. This boosts your domain authority, increases click-through rates from search results, and improves overall ranking potential for targeted keywords.

Should I buy my domain from GoDaddy or Namecheap for a landing page?

Both GoDaddy and Namecheap are reputable registrars offering affordable domain registration around $12-15 annually. Namecheap offers free website transfers with purchases, though transfers may take up to 30 days. Choose based on customer service preferences and any promotional pricing available.

What happens to my landing page if I don’t renew my domain?

If you fail to renew your domain annually, you lose ownership and someone else can purchase it. Your landing page becomes inaccessible. Setting auto-renewal prevents accidental lapses and maintains continuous access to your landing page and associated SEO authority.

Can I use a subdomain for my landing page instead of a full domain?

Yes, subdomains like campaign.yourbusiness.com are effective landing page alternatives. They’re included with your main domain and cost nothing extra. However, subdomains inherit less authority than branded domains, so consider your SEO goals and campaign importance when choosing.

How does a custom domain integrate with marketing automation and CRM systems?

Custom domains enable seamless integration with platforms like HubSpot, Marketo, and Pardot, automatically routing visitor data to correct contact lists based on traffic sources. This automation reduces manual data entry, minimizes errors, and streamlines lead tracking across your marketing stack.

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Author: Richard Buettner
Richard Buettner is a Berlin-based Fractional CMO with 20+ years of marketing leadership experience, helping B2B firms grow through strategy and AI.

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