Register Your Domain Online

 The registration of your chosen domain name is extremely important in the steps to build your online home business. A domain name would serve as your business identity and would be essential as you set up your business website.

Knowing when to register your domain name for business is something that not everyone are able to ascertain. Most people just pick a domain name at the time that they have come up with a business idea or concept. Some do it when they already have a business plan. However, there are many that do the domain name registration once they already have the products ready to be sold.

A lot of people have good reasons as to when they choose to register their domain name. Those who choose to register early say that they want to make sure that their domain name is ready for use, as it may become unavailable in the future when they are ready to launch their business.

Different groups we just mentioned give their own reasoning for their choice. Each one argues about pros and cons of their own timing.

Those who register early say that they wish to capitalize on an early registration if ever the domain name would be unavailable once it is already needed. Those who register later on say that they want to make sure that everything is already in place before they have their domain name registered, as there still could be some aspects and elements that could need revision.

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 Just been giving some simple advice to a friend of mine that is about to embark with an online shop regarding what to do when you purchase a domain…ie. wait until site is complete or launch straight away?

This advice was mainly geared towards the Google search engine as this is notoriously the hardest, in time terms, to get into. Although it is also valid for any other search engine that you can mention.

The two simple steps are :

Firstly, upload several pages of keyword rich and subject relevent content to your domain. Now there are two ways of doing this, either it is written by you or you pay someone to write something for you. Ensure however that it is readable and informative content and thus promotes a quality image for your site.

The design of these pages is not majorly important, at this stage, because they are aimed purely at the search engines and not human readers. When you are at go live time they can be reformatted to fall into the same format as the rest of your site. A key factor here is to write one more page of content than you actually plan to upload because this is the way that you will get the search engines to your site.

Now the second step :

Do not bother submitting to the search engines directly, instead take this ‘extra’ page of content and upload it to one of the higher PageRank rated article directories.

When this article is accepted, which it will be if you followed the quality content instruction, this article then gets published onto the internet and other publishers are given the opportunity to display it on their websites also. Now the benefits are two fold here, firstly the search engines will follow the links displayed and get to your site and ’spider’ your pages and you will also be building backlinks for your site before it is even completed.

The reason I gave this advice, relating to Google, was that Google operates a filter which is commonly referred to as the ’sandbox’. This sandbox has been developed so that Google can ensure that your site is not using any ’spamming’ methods so that your site climbs the search engine ranking pages (SERP’s) quickly. Remember Google is aimed at developing a quality search engine, hence the reason for quality content.

Now concentrate on developing the rest of the site and work happily knowing that you have created content that will help you to start to build backlinks and also advertised your site to the search engines with a view to starting to climb the SERP’s. Basically you are putting your site one step ahead of the rest of the sites that are coming online on a daily basis.

Mike - Webmaster and eBay Power Seller at Online Auction Trader

We offer free templates, information and product sourcing to enable you to develop your online auctions into a sustainable, long term income stream.

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Your domain name is considered the center of your online identity. It is the name by which you are recognized by online users and the single element that separates you from millions of websites in the World Wide Web.

Here are the latest methods that you can utilize to impact your domain names:

1. Keep it short and sweet. This is to make sure that your domain name can be easily remembered by your target market so they won’t have problems when they type it in their browsers. Experts agree that the best names run anywhere from 7-16 characters, as these type of online names promote easy recall.

2. Go for .com. This is highly recommended for webmasters who are running business sites. Online users usually use this suffix when they are trying to locate certain websites and they are not used nor train to use other suffixes like .org, .tv, etc.

3. Register your domain names right away. Once you have thought of great names that have huge potential, don’t waste a single second and register it at once. Why? There are so many name marketers these days and they can easily steal your great idea in a blink of an eye.

4. Register your domain name using all possible suffixes. This is to make sure that when your website has started making waves online, your competitors will not duplicate your name using other suffixes.

5. Avoid using special characters. Online users are not very used to typing dashes, exclamation point, periods, and other special characters on their browses, thus it is a smart idea to stick with letters so your domain name can be easily remembered.

6. Make sure that your domain name is easy to pronounce. Your visitors might find your website very interesting and would want to share it with their friends over discussion or phone call. If your name is easy to pronounce, you can be assured that the receiver of the information will not have a hard time in locating your website over the internet.

To learn more, download my free guide, “How to Generate $15,000 Per Month Online” here: “How to Generate $15,000 Per Month Online”

Sean Mize is an internet marketing mentor who teaches people to generate over $15,000 per month online via automated systems and product funnels.

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 What’s in a name? Yes, it’s a clichéd question, but it is of paramount importance when it comes to your Website. The seemingly trivial task of “pick a name” takes on a whole new meaning when you must consider the way that the Internet handles domain names.

You will find yourself having to answer a series of other questions in order to make the right decision. Will your domain name “work” (will it be understandable) when you remove the spaces between the words? In addition to the .com and the .net variations, should you also protect your identity by getting the .info, .biz, .org, etc? Should you register it for one year, or for several? Is your name easily misspelled, and if so, should you also register the common misspellings so customers “accidentally” find you on purpose (or intentionally find you by accident, depending on how you look at it)?

Now that you have all of those answered, you go to register your well-conceived name. But alas, it isn’t available. You’re back to the drawing board! For Pete’s sake, how hard can it be to pick a name? (And you thought it was a two-minute process!) REGISTERING the name is a two minute process, once you find one that is available. Getting to that point involves (potentially) a lot more work.

Here are a few points to ponder when you set out to pick a name. This guidance is in addition to the advice I provide in the book, Website 411: Business Survival in an Internet Economy.

Search engines have started looking at the length of time that domain names are registered. Since so many scams, “link farms” and other gimmicks typically only use domains with one-year registrations, you have a better chance of being found if you register your name for 3 or more years, ensuring that you renew it before it is within a year of expiring.
Domain names do not use spaces, and they do not use punctuation beyond underscores (”_”) and hyphens (”-”). Your company name might look cute and memorable on a business card when punctuated properly, but it may not represent you so well as a domain name. For example, if you have a shoe repair business called something like “Shoes Heal Sew Fast”, will your customers intuitively remember the correct homonym spellings of your name? Was it “Shoes Heel Sew Fast” or was it “Shoes Heal So Fast”? In this case, neither. What if you ran a newsstand called “Your News Exchange”? Take out the spaces, and is it “YourNewsExchange.com” or “YourNewSexChange.com”? Identity crisis! You may find that you are attracting a different audience than you intended.
It’s an unfair practice (and unethical in my opinion), but your Web-savvy competition may register the variations of YOUR domain name and point them to THEIR site… Because of that, it’s a good practice (and cheap “insurance”) to register the variations yourself at the time you register your main domain name. Protect your identity!
Domain registrars (the companies that sell domain name registrations) don’t like to leave money on the table. Therefore, if someone has shown interest in a domain name by checking its availability, registrar companies collect the information of domains that have been checked-but-not-purchased, and they sell the lists to bidders. Then, if any of the checked domains seem “catchy” or worthwhile, the domains gets purchased and auctioned by the person/company who bought the list. In other words, if you find a domain you like, BUY IT… If you wait, you’ll probably lose it and have to potentially pay hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars to get it back!
Beware of bogus renewal notices. It’s a common practice (much like long-distance companies did in the 1980’s and 1990’s) to solicit customers and try to get them to swap providers. Unless you have registered a private domain and kept your contact information confidential, it is easy for companies to find out who owns a particular domain name. Most domain registrars have a link to the WHOIS database (an acronym created from the words “Who Is”) that lists the contact information and expiration details of each public domain name. You will get unsolicited mailings from predatory companies urging you to renew your name before it expires. (In fine print, the paperwork will notify you that the mailing is an advertisement, not a bill… but it will sure look like a bill). If you unwittingly send the “non-bill” back with your payment, the fine print also states that you are agreeing to transfer ownership and registration to THEM… at which point they own your identity, and can charge you whatever they want to let you use it!
It’s a shame that I need to share all of these warnings on how to protect your interests… the list goes on. In a perfect world, there wouldn’t be a need for it, but then again, we’re not in a perfect world.

Now for a piece of advice on email accounts using your domain name. This overlaps into the topic of marketing, but it’s worth mentioning here. When you have your domain name, what’s your next step? What do you do with it besides connect it to your Website? (Your Web developer can help you do that. It’s pretty straightforward.)

Email addresses, you may have noticed, all end in .com, .net, .org, etc. They are tied to domain names. You may be using email that your internet service provider supplies to you, using their domain name (like verizon.net, comcast.net, earthlink.net, cox.net, etc.), or you may have an email address from a third party provider that you check by logging into their Web-based service (like aol.com, msn.com, yahoo.com, hotmail.com, gmail.com, etc.). Either way is fine.

Once you have your own domain name, why not start using it for your emails? It’s part of your identity and marketing. You’ll have more credibility and better exposure when people go to YourName@YourBusiness.com rather than SomeNickname@AnotherProvider.com. Give it some thought. I’ve even seen some Website designers (usually small freelancers) that either don’t have their own site, or if they do, their email address is linked to a generic email service provider… It makes me scratch my head. Along the same lines as the old expression “Never trust a skinny cook,” how experienced and savvy is a Web developer without a Website, or one that doesn’t have an email address from their own domain? Pet peeve of mine… Things that make you go “hmmmm. ”

Just the same, you should work under your own flag versus flying someone else’s. If you are “married” to your third party or Internet service provider’s email account (meaning that you don’t want to stop using or miss anything going into those accounts), most of them allow you to forward incoming message to another account (Your domain’s).

The best advice I can give you is to find a reputable service provider that offers complete solutions (including domain name management), get a consultation to define your identity online, and let them register it on your behalf (ensuring that YOU own the rights to it.). You can manage your domain name(s) yourself, but if you’d rather not tangle with the process, your Website solution provider can handle the technical details, annual verifications, and periodic renewals.

Please visit http://www.website411book.com and http://www.webdrafter.com for more information on Websites, search engine optimization (SEO) and marketing (SEM), domain names, hosting, e-commerce, merchant accounts, and more.

Tom Elliott is the author of Website 411: Business Survival in an Internet Economy, the president of WebDrafter.com, Inc. and an international Internet trainer.

His undergraduate degree is from Purdue University, and his Masters in Information Systems is from Florida Institute of Technology.

He served 13 years as a United States Naval Officer, followed by two and half years as the Director of Internet Training for a large marketing company while simultaneously building his own business. He is a Board of Directors member of the Central North Carolina Better Business Bureau, and has been the president of a Business Networking International (BNI) chapter. He also serves on the bachelor degree advisory board for a technical college, and is a keynote speaker.

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 When you launch a new website you must register a unique domain name with an authorized registrar. When the internet was first starting, all domain names and IP addresses were registered through one organization, Internic. Eventually Network Solutions took over the role as “keeper” of the internet domain names. Today, there are hundreds of websites where you can register your domain name but Network Solutions still maintains the main database of domain names. Some websites charge as little as $2.95 per year for your domain name while others charge as much as $35 per year for the exact same service. Some even offer one year free if you register your domain name with them and host your website on their servers. Why pay $35 when you can register your domain name for much less at another website?

So why does Network Solutions charge $35 a year if they are the keeper of the database and their resellers charge a fraction or even nothing? Who knows and who cares! Register your domain with one of the cheaper providers and you’ll be fine. A word caution - be care who you choose to host your website. Getting a free year of your domain name isn’t worth it if your webhost is unreliable and your website is down more than it’s up.

You pay for your domain name on a yearly basis. It’s a separate charge from your webhosting bill. When you register your domain name choose the autorenewal option if it’s available. This way your domain name will not expire if you forget to renew it. If your domain name expires, it’s free for anyone else to register so you need to stay on top of when it’s expiring. Also registering your domain name for a 3 to 5 year term will often save you money. For example, godaddy.com charges $8.95 a year for your domain name but only $7.25 a year if you register for a 5 year term.

When you register your domain you can create different contact names. The three contacts are Administrator, Technical and Billing. Most of the time the same person is all 3 contacts. If you web designer registers your domain name for you, make sure you are designated as the Administrative contact. This gives you control over the domain name and you must be notified if someone is trying to make changes to your record. If you aren’t one of the contacts then someone can transfer ownership of the domain name without your permission.

To see a record of your domain name, go to www.networksolutions.com and use their WHOIS utility which is located in the bottom left corner of their home page. Simply enter your domain name and click Search. You’ll see the complete record of your domain name, where it’s registered and where your website is hosted. For a complete video of how to use WHOIS, visit www.valiss.com/video/whois/whois.html.

When you register your domain name you’ll have to the option of making it a private registration. I highly recommend paying the additional fee to make your information private. If you leave your registration public anyone can look up your domain information which includes your home or business address and your email address. Many spammers scan public domain registration records to find valid email addresses to spam.

I always use a yahoo or hotmail email account when registering my domains. This way if spammers to find my email address, I can just get a new “throwaway” email address and I won’t receive spam at my primary email address.

Always make sure your domain record remains locked. Locking your domain name is a feature implemented a few years ago. When you want to transfer your domain name to a different registrar you must unlock it. Once it’s unlocked the new registrar can “pull” your domain name from your current registrar. Once the transfer is complete, the domain name will be locked to prevent anyone else from “pulling” your domain away from you.

About The Author
Ted Prodromou spent over 25 years in the computer industry working for IBM, Digital, and Cellular One. Today he’s the owner of Valiss IT, a consulting firm that provides personalized web design and small business marketing solutions. Visit http://www.valiss.com for lots of free “how to” articles about marketing your business online. Copyright 2005 Valiss IT, Inc. All Rights Reserved This article may be reprinted only if it remains unchanged.

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 The cost of registering domain names has decreased dramatically over the years. Only just several years ago, it cost someone $30 to register a domain name. Now you can get them for as little as a few dollars, not more than the price of a coffee and a croissant at your nearest eatery.

Not many people register domain names for the same reasons. Some want to register URL’s to resell, others want to create an empire of Google Adsense sites, while others just want to set up a single ecommerce store. Yet more others register domain names to resell domain names or create communities like forums, where the satisfaction is with creating community, rather than making a profit.

The first step in registering your domain is to find out whether the domain you want is available. Most web hosting companies have a simple search function where you can find out in a matter of seconds whether your domain name is taken.

The general advice is to register your domain name only for one year. If your website doesn’t succeed after one year, you can scrap it and do not have to pay excessive fees. However, if you’re confident your website will succeed, register for longer period such as 3 or 5 years.

Before you register your domain name, it is important to check if your domain name violates any trademarks. You can do this search usually from a government portal. It is important not to violate any trademarks that other companies may have registered.

Fabian Tan is the author of the free 51-Page Report:

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 By now you should know what a domain name is if you are planning on creating your own website. If you do not know what a domain name is then it’s the name which makes up the address of your website.

The right domain name

This is the most crucial part of building your website as you should choose the right name that goes with what your website is about. You should at no point register a domain name which contradicts what your website is about. This is actually your first step to get your website online so you definitely have to do it right.

There are a variety of domain names ending in .com, .org, .info, .net and so much more. The decision is up to you on how you want your domain name to end depending on whether you want your website to be local, national, organisational or international. Again you have to get this right because it might affect the visitors you expect to visit your website.

Another important point to consider is the search engines. If being found in major search engines (Yahoo, MSN, Google) is important to you then your name should contain your major keywords but this is up to you. If you are running a registered business it might be difficult to choose a domain name different to your company name. But the majority of people searching in search engines search by subject. For instance, a domain name like ComputerComponents4Computers.com would be better than SimonsComputerCity.com. This might be of great help if you want to receive traffic from all angles of the web but again its up to you. When making this decision keep in mind whether you want to get your traffic from all over the web or you just want local traffic. If the latter is the case then you can register your business name as your domain. If you are just serving local clients in Southampton then you might not mind of someone in New York finding your website on Google.

Tips

Register a domain name that your visitors can easily remember. Keep in mind the fact that not everyone who will visit your site is going bookmark it.

You can secure your name by registering multiple domain extensions like .net, .com, if you don’t want anyone to copy your domain name. This keeps you safe from the copycats.

Try not to register domain names that are too long and have too many syllables. For instance, thisiswhereyoucancomeandgetcars.com. GetaCarhere.com would be much better.

If your domain name is going to be more than 3 words then use hyphens.

How do I register a domain name?

Domain names are very easy and also cheap to register. They can be as cheap as $1.99. You can also reserve your domain name before purchasing it if you wish to.

All you have to do is shop around for the cheapest domain registration companies. There are thousands of them if not millions of them online. I’ll give you one company which you might opt to register your domain name with. www.One.com. It is cheap to register your domain with One.com right now at the time of writing, they have an offer where you get one year free web hosting. That’s a really good offer you might want to go for.

What you need to do is go to the domain registration companies website and you will find a box where you can enter the name you want to register your domain name as. If it’s available you will be notified immediately and you can change your name options if it is not available until you find a name that’s not registered by someone else.

When you have found the name you want then you go on to the registration process where you have to give your personal details and then make a payment. Most companies give you the option to register your domain name for as many years as you want or you can register for a year and at the end of that year you have to extend your registration.

Privacy

When registering your domain name you will normally get the option of keeping your domain name private. This will keep your account details (email address, name, etc) from the international internet database.

Don’t forget to setup domain forwarding as well. This comes in handy if you want to register the .com extension of your site and other extensions as well. For instance, you can have your website in .com and have the .net extension forward to your .com website.

In conclusion

When you have taken and applied all the above on board you are ready to register your domain name. This then takes you to the next step which is a very vital part of your project. This is web hosting. It is crucial to select the right web host because this is where you build, maintain and publish your web pages.

All the best and enjoy registering your domain name. Hopefully, you find it easy to accomplish.

Find us at: http://www.netbizguides.com

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