4 ways to gift a domain name (with free printables!)

If you’re looking for a meaningful gift for someone this holiday season, why not consider creating a website?

Registering a domain name and creating a website can be as quick, easy and inexpensive as a medium poutine (or even a small poutine, depending on the promotions .CA registrars have at the time). It can also make a good last-minute gift: you could register a domain name and then make a commitment to work together with your friend or family member to create the website of their dreams later on.

Here’s a few of our gift ideas and some free printable cards so that you’ll actually have something physical to hand over to your loved one. 

And this is meant to be a fun, light-hearted suggestion. If you really do want to gift a domain name, we recommend you do so by either:
a) Registering it under your name and contact info then transferring it over to your friend later, or
b) Printing off the certificate and then working with your friend to help them register it under their name.

1. Give someone a boost for their business idea

If someone close to you is dedicated to their passion project or hobby, registering a domain name for them can be the first step in making the transformation to a legitimate business. With it you can enable them to share their creations with the world, create a professional email address and perhaps even sell their items through an online store.

2. Set up a joke website

If you and your friends have a running joke, why not create a one-page website dedicated to embarrassing them? A simple cheeky website like isitchristmas.ca takes only a few minutes to set up.

For maximum laziness, you can also point a domain name to an existing website. This is called “domain forwarding” and can be done with your Registrar by checking off that option and entering the domain name you’d like to forward to.

3. Get a baby’s personal domain name

If you know someone who’s recently had a baby, you can reserve their personal domain name for them (as in, firstnamelastname.ca). What if that kid grows up to become a famous hockey player? A good parent wouldn’t let someone else to register that domain name for they get a chance to. Bonus tip: many Registrars offer discounts for registering domain names for multiple years at a time; you can register a .CA domain for up to ten years.

4. Create a special space for your memories to live

You can use a website to create a photo gallery – a good idea if you’ve recently gone on a trip, had a wedding, or experienced some other monumental life event or accomplishment that “real adults” seem to have. Creating a website makes it easy to share these special moments with friends and family around the world and gives your photo gallery a more permanent home on the internet.