Before You Choose Domain Name

10 Commandments of Domain Name Value

2011-06-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

Domain Name 10 Commandments - BEFORE you choose or buy a domain name; understand the ten issues involved in choosing the right domain name the first time. First, the list that we work from when conducting a custom Domain Name Analysis (DNA). Then the explanations of each commandment follow.

TEN COMMANDMENTS OF INTERNET DOMAIN NAME VALUE
1 - The name shall have Development Value
2 - The name shall have .Dot value
3 - The name shall have Brand Recognition
4 - The name shall be Search Engine Friendly
5 - The name shall be Linguistically Viable
6 - The name shall have Traffic or Revenue
7 - The name shall have Industry Strength
8 - The name shall have Sales Value History
9 - The name shall have Intrinsic Value
10 - The name shall have Market Potential

1 - Development Value
A names base line value is based on the ability to use it. One of the primary issues we address in our DNA (Domain Name Analysis) is - Can this name be built into an instantly recognizable site whose name becomes synonymous with its content?
2 - .Dot Value
Dot.com's are, and probably always will be, more valuable than any other .dot designation. Even Dot.net's, and Dot.org's are by their very nature worth less on the open market. There are many reasons for this. One reason involves search engine rankings. Other issues pertain to the consumers hard to break habits. Note that .com is the internationally recognized extension for serious Internet business sites.
3 - Brand Recognition
Simple, familiar words work better than complicated, hard-to-spell ones. Short, catchy names in attractive industry segments are also very valuable. Kleenex is an example of brand recognition in the brick and mortar world. The brand name Kleenex was originally associated with facial tissue made BY KLEENEX ONLY. Because of powerful brand recognition however the name Kleenex came to literally equal ANY brand of facial tissue. "Will you hand me a Kleenex please". This is one of the areas where we rely heavily on our point of contact research and specialists experience with domain names. It is an area we do not analyze via computer algorithm. Rarely will any name receive an excellent valuation under this commandment unless it meets the above criteria AND carries the .Dot com extension.
For explanations of the rest of the Commandments 4 - 10, visit http://extraordinaryartist.com/domain-name.htm It's FREE and will ensure you don't make a mistake right up front when trying to establish a viable Internet Business.

Buying Domain Names Like a Pro

2011-06-03T03:49:00.000-07:00

If you want to be taken seriously as an online presence, domain name registration is a necessity. You can choose a domain name and register it through many different domain name registrars, but from there it can get tricky. The original registrar will create a record on its domain name servers to tell other computers where to find your website address. Once you choose a web hosting company, you'll have to get the DNS record switched over to your new host, which can be confusing if you've never done it before.

The easier way is to choose a web hosting company and register for a web hosting account that includes a free domain name registration as part of the account package. Registering a new domain name - especially registering your first domain name - that way streamlines the process so that you don't have to worry about switching name servers and adjusting the records - the web hosting company does it all for you. You just tell them your desired domain name and the tech folks at the company will do the rest.

Before you take the plunge, though, be sure to ask the web host whether they register a domain name under your name or theirs. Some companies register all domains under their own name, which can become a problem if you're dissatisfied with your hosting experience and decide to move your website to another host. When the domain name is registered in your name, you control where the site is hosted. If the web hosting company registers it under their own name, they hold the control. If you want to move your site to another host, you may have to pay for them to release it. If you've spent time building up your web site visibility, or have invested in advertising materials that feature your website address, it can feel like your domain name is being held hostage. Avoid the issue altogether by asking up front what their policy is when a customer wants to move a domain registered through them to another hosting company.

In addition to control of your own domain name, you should look for a number of other features in a web hosting company. Find a host that offers a full package, including storage, email servers, databases and easy installation of blogs, photo albums, content management systems and other popular website features - all for one low, monthly price. Avoid a la carte packages, which may seem lower at first glance but charge you extra for basics like email servers, blog setup, databases and access to applications like blogs, content management systems, photo albums and email forwarders.

While you're at it, choose a web hosting company that allows you to host multiple domains under one hosting account. Once you understand how easy it is to set up your own website, you may decide that you need more than one. While most hosts only include one free domain name with a web hosting account, many will allow you to add additional domain and host other websites on your account. In most cases, you can register a domain name through any registrar and host it on your current account at no additional cost.

http://www.gossimer.com/domain.php

International Domain Names with Internet Explorer 7

2011-05-24T15:28:00.000-07:00

IDN stands for Internationalized Domain Name, also known as multilingual domain names. It allows you the possibility to use more characters in domains names, besides letters and numbers. It uses characters available in other alphabets, like accents and uses a non roman style ( non English ) languages.

What browsers support IDN names today?

Only the latest version of Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 2 support IDN Names directly entered into the browser.

IE6 and earlier versions will not support IDN's.

What TLD's or ccTLD's support IDN?

First of all what I am saying with that question is what extensions can be registered like and IDN.

Here is a list of the ones that I have registered:

.com

.net

.tv

.cc

.jp = Japan

.cn = China

.de = Germany

.gr = Greece

.tw = Taiwan

Do all Registrars support IDN registrations?

No, as of writing this Enom.com does and so does Domainsite.com There are others that do but most do not. Please check with your registrar BEFORE you register any or you will get stuck with a long name that has no value whosoever.

What IDN's should you register?

You should use the same principles that you have learnt while registering English domain names. Go after the higher paying ppc terms first. Make sure if there are more than one way to say a word in any language that you get them all as you never know which ones will have the most traffic. I have registered quite a few dual meaning words and it's never the one I think that has the most traffic.

Most IDN's with Google over 1 million will have some traffic unless you get ridiculous generic terms like 'the' - which have no value whatsoever.

Also, as with English domains, dig a bit deeper. If loans is taken in the language you want go for things like home loans, car loans, boat loans and so on.

How to find and register IDN's?

There are many ways to find and register IDN domain names. The best way is obviously if you speak the language but even then you must be careful. Just like in English some common words will not actually be used and a short form may be used. In English most people know the word automobile but rarely would use it. Most would use the word car.

This can be illustrated by the two overture scores:

1572 automobile.com

18016 car.com

Now this does not mean automobile is not a good IDN to register, it just means go after the one that is more likely to be typed in a browser.

Now if you don't know anyone that speaks a language you are going after, your only choice is to use a good translator software, I suggest you use logos.it

When you enter a word it gives you results in multiple languages at one time and makes it really easy to get a keyword in multiple languages.

I have found that just like domains, the one I think will get the most traffic, surprisingly won't, but the languages I have never heard of get some traffic.

Now let's see how you go about registering IDN names:

Let's go to logos.it and look up the Russian word for weasel as an example. Take that word and so now I go download the IDN Domain Conversion Tool located at dnforum.com under the tools menu, then open it up and paste the russian word into the space under the heading IDN Domains and hit the ok button. You will get a code called a PUNY code which is: xn--80aa3ac5a, then take that and add a .com on it and you will end up with this xn--80aa3ac5a.com. Now check a whois or try to register xn--80aa3ac5a.com and see if you get it. To keep it organized and try to keep my domains in one place I register most of my IDNs at Enom. There are other choices if you like. You can take the actual ID code and go to and type in the IDN and it will tell you if it's available without doing the PUNY conversion but you should know how to do it anyways.

If I find an IDN like xn--f9b5b1c6b7k should I register .com or .cn or both?

This really depends on how strong the term is, if it's a great term and you have the $, by all mans register them both. If you don't my suggestion is get the .com. You will need to do some research here as every country operates differently. Some countries are big on their ccTLD's while others go for the .com first and only if that's taken will grab their ccTLD after that.

Personally, I have been registering the .com's and if it's a great term I get the ccTLD for that country if its available.

To learn more about IDN Names visit the Domain Name Forum where all the domain experts hang out and chat.

Are all the good IDN names taken?

Absolutely not, take your time and do some mining and you will find gold in them mountains.

Remember don't expect miracles from IDN domains now, the miracles will come once most of the world has a browser that can support it.

Should you expect to make $ from your IDN's now?

No, if you are lucky you will have a few that make something. I have registered thousands of these and at least half have traffic so that's good enough for me to know the future will be great for these. Be patient they will be worth it in the long run.

Is there anything else I should know about IDN's?

Yes, there is lots more, please take the time to learn about Domain Names and feel free to ask and post your questions as there are many IDN experts at dnforum.com and they will usually answer you within a few minutes.

I hope this helps some of you get started in what should be an interesting area of domains.

WHOIS Domain Name Search

2011-05-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

Have you ever tried looking for a domain name with the use of the WHOIS domain name search? If yes, then great for you! But for those who haven't heard about the WHOIS domain name search, then you should read on for you to discover the wonder of this particular thing.

On the Internet, every domain registrar maintains a WHOIS database containing all contact information for the domains they 'host'. This WHOIS database contains information about a domain name including name server, registrar and full contact information. Internet Network Information Center (InterNIC, http://www.internic.com) maintains a central registry WHOIS database that contains only the registrar and name server information for all .com, .net and .org domains

So, when we perform a WHOIS domain name search, we are using a WHOIS tool to look up contact information for a domain name from one of these WHOIS databases on the Internet. The WHOIS database will return the registration information that is intended for domain names. The name and the contact details for the domain name holder and the domain name administrator will be presented. It is important to know that the contact information for domain names under the hands of the WHOIS domain name database may vary depending on the registrar.

WHOIS Tool

You can use the following tools to run a WHOIS domain name search:
? http://who.godaddy.com/whoischeck.aspx
? http://www.checkdomain.com

The Use of WHOIS domain name search

1. Check Your Own Domain Name: Many experts said that it is necessary when you do a WHOIS domain name search on your own domain name, you should verify that your contact details are accurate. If you encounter errors in the domain name details, you could fix errors on your domain names by contacting your web hosting company.

2. Website Background Check: You can find out how long a website has been around, who owns it, and where that company or individual is actually located by doing a WHOIS domain name search. You will be able to spot a scam operation by comparing the information you find from the search with the information that is shown on the website. For example, if a website claims that it has been in operation for many years but your findings show that the domain name they use has just been created a week ago, you may not want to trust this website.

In some cases, you may not get any information from WHOIS domain name search if the domain name is protected by domain name protection service.

Domain Name Protection

Some web hosting companies provide domain name protection service that will help a website owner to protect his or her privacy. Domain name protection service protects website owner's identity from domain-related spams. With this service, only the domain name protection service contact information will be shown in the WHOIS domain name search. Website owner's contact information is kept completely private. The website owner still owns the domain name. He or she can cancel, sell, renew or transfer the domain.

Think Before You Purchase Domain Names

2011-05-07T08:52:00.000-07:00

Here we will try to give you some tips that may be help you to purchase domain names you need.

Purchase domain names in the extension that is as much relative to your business organizational model as possible. For example, .ca means your business is based in Canada and .de clearly explains your German location. However, there are global domains, such as .com or .net.

Be careful when choosing a domain name registration service provider. Some of them are scammers and after you tell them the name you want to register, they do it themselves and then make you buy it from them. They may also charge you for more money than you though from the initial offer. Do some research - scammers are usually mentioned at least once on the Internet. Telephone support availability is a good sign your domain name registration service provider is a serious business and it is simply comfortable to settle up problems instantly by placing a call. Besides that, look for accreditations, for example from ICANN. Serious companies try to gain as much accreditations as possible so that it improves their image and guarantees their security. If a domain registration service doesn't have any accreditations, it shouldn't be considered to be a scam or alike, but it is a warning sign.

Try using keywords when choosing your domain name. Some search engines, like Google for example, do take keywords in the domain name into account so this may help you rank a little bit higher in search results. However, choose the shortest name possible so that it is easy to spell and remember.

Make sure you purchase domain names that are not potentially dangerous to be sued for. Avoid trademarks infringement and don't try to squat someone's domains. This is simply not fair and may cause problems.

If the domain name you want is available in several extensions, we recommend you to consider buying as much of them as possible so that no one can take advantage of your success.

Let's imagine you've found a company you like. Hit Google to search for example for "domain registration" or "domain names purchase". If you find information about the company your chose in the first several pages of results, it means the company has been operating in domain registration business for quite a long period of time. If you can't find any traces of the company in search results and/or observe it only in AdWords, for instance, this is just another reason to check everything once again.

Therefore, when you purchase domain names, remember to go through careful planning and research. Choose the companies you trust not only because you want to. Register domain names that will appeal to your visitors and won't infringe someone's rights...

Domain Hosting - Your Success Lies on Choosing the Right Company

2011-05-02T06:10:00.000-07:00

No matter in which business you are involved in it certainly demands a website of your own. In today's Internet Age, a business cannot make as a brick and mortar alone. This is why domain hosting would be an important term for you to learn and understand. Many hosting providers offer domain hosting today at very cheap and affordable prices. What you have to do is to find the best with unlimited domain hosting offers, as well as security and maintenance. However, do not be lured in by the Multiple domain unlimited hosting, stick to the single domain unlimited hosting as many multiple domain hosting providers oversell their servers. Just like on an airline when the airline oversells the seats on the plain, then they have to make special offers to have people volunteer to take the next flight. Well with hosting, there is no next flight and the oversold servers cannot keep up with demand, so your site will not be reachable.

Many hosting companies offer a free package which shows very attractive at the beginning but comes out with a negative outcome most of the time. Before you make your domain name registration, you must be sure that no other company or individual is using your name. The registration is offered online by the hosting companies. So you have to be very careful about choosing the right domain host for you, it is not all just about cost, most of the time it should only be about quality. Pick the web hosting company that is offering the highest quality of service as well as the free services available. Some offer privacy protection, an email account, dns services and even chat services for free with every domain name registered.

Picking out the best hosting among so many is a very big problem. Many things need to be considered, mainly the companies are offering you and what services will be best for you. If you are thinking about owning several sites, then you must look for a multiple domain hosting. All of your sites will be maintained under one panel. Be sure the hosting company provides you adequate space, sufficient bandwidth, strong security, regular maintenance and last but not the least a very spontaneous customer service. Your domain registration should be seamless and many hosting companies also offer secure web certificates. You need to look at everything and ensure you are relying on the right hosting company. And remember, watch out for domain hosts that are trying to offer unlimited hosting with multiple domains, multiple domain hosting should never be unlimited hosting.

Domain hosting is essential for every sort of business; it doesn't matter if you own a hot dog stand or a multimillion dollar investing firm. Your domain hosting provider will provide you with a domain name such as.com,.net etc., if possible get a.com as it is the most recognized. But many web hosting companies are giving you the opportunity of hosting many websites with a single account. This is undoubtedly a risky feature.

What is multiple domain hosting? It is actually in high demand if you have several websites and you want to reduce the costs remarkably. You are running your several websites under one control panel. Only one hosting account is needed if the company offers you unlimited hosting "run". Let me ensure this is clear. In multiple domain hosting you are to select a primary domain and then define the other sites as sub domain and this will reduce your total maintenance cost. It also offers you the optimum utilization of your space and data transfer rate (bandwidth).

Before registering with domain hosting companies, be sure you are the owner of the domain. Read the terms and condition carefully, all web hosting companies are not created equal; depend on a quality company like Gossimer instead. Many web hosting companies offer an unlimited bandwidth and space. But most of the space and bandwidth is not utilized by the customers. The load on the server is kept down because the basic website requires very few resources and this feature allows the hosting company to spread the load amongst a larger customer base.

Many cheap domain companies may offer you unlimited bandwidth, unlimited space and many more eye attractive offers. Is it possibly true? The answer is No. you have to understand they are not for a community service. Most of them offer you a shared server. So security is a big question. Moreover, if you carefully examine the website hosting terms and condition you will be able make sure you understand the entire thing and will not lose your domain because the host decides to claim it. Their offers most often indicate some limits of traffic or something. So, don't run after the free offers.

If you are about to decide for a domain hosting company the last thing to check are the security facilities. You should make sure about your authorization of ownership, your unique domain name registration, the validity of your domain registration and the check out whether the terms and condition of the domain hosting provider are favorable for you or not. Do not look for the multiple domain hosting offers. It is worth the additional cost to host each domain name separately.

Domain hosting is the primary step of bringing your site into the global arena. So your business success lies immensely on choosing the right domain hosting company. Keep the words above in mind. Stay focused.

Buying Domain Names Like a Pro

2011-04-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

How To Point A Domain Name To A Website Hosting Account

2011-04-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

Once you register a domain name, you need to point it to your hosting account in order for your website to display. How is this achieved? It's not all that difficult.

Pointing a domain name is also known as "delegation". A couple of other examples of jargon you'll need to know about in connection with delegation are the terms are "name server" or "DNS server"; which are essentially the same thing.

A DNS (short for Domain Name System) server translates a name into numbers. You add your website host's name server numbers to your domain name's settings. That tells the Internet browser or other application where to search for the website for the related domain. At the other end, the web hosting server receives the request, looks at which name it is associated with on the server, searches for and then retrieves the right pages. All this happens automatically and incredibly quickly.

Each domain name needs to have the details of 2 name servers recorded. These are known as primary and secondary DNS servers. The secondary setting is there just in case the primary server is not functioning or is inundated with requests.

So, how do you get these DNS server details?

When you opened your website hosting account, your host probably provided the details in a "welcome" email. The DNS server details will usually follow this sort of format:

ns1.srv2320.com.au (primary DNS or name server)
ns2.srv2320.com.au (secondary DNS or name server)

If you no longer have these details, just ask your web host for them - they may even be listed on their web site.

You'll then need to visit your domain registrar and log into your domain name administration interface. When logged in, search for options such as "delegation" or "nameserver" - try the domain registrar's help or search feature if these aren't apparent.

In the nameserver editing screen, there should be 2 or more boxes where you enter the nameserver details. Note that only the first 2 need to be entered in most cases, the rest can be left blank. Be sure that the primary DNS server goes n the first box and the secondary in the second.

With that done, save the changes and you should be set.

Bear in mind that it can take up to 24 hours for the new information to propagate throughout the Internet. During this "propagation" window, in some locations your domain name will be linked to your website hosting account and in other location it may not be until later on during this phase. Once this 24 hour time frame is over, the name should be fully associated with your web hosting account from any point on the planet. Author Resource:- Michael Bloch currently consults for Domain Registration Services, an Australian registrar - start your domain name search or review their website hosting plans.

How to Sell Domain Names for profit

2010-03-03T13:58:00.000-08:00

There was this person who purchased an outdated music player in the hope of earning profits by selling it. The end result was as expected and he was not able to the sell the same just because it had no resale value.

His friend was much brighter and had an eye for the future. Because he was sure that they would be in demand in the future, he had stocked up on a particular item. That the second person managed to sell off his goods at an enormous margin is obvious. The concept is the same as far as selling domain names are concerned.

Look at the length of a domain name while purchasing it. The shorter the name, the brighter are your chances of selling it because nobody has the time to type in long names and nobody can remember them too. To sell a domain at a good price it should have a good page ranking and should already have lots of visitors coming to the same.

You should keep this thing in mind while purchasing. One of the best ways to make money on domains is to purchase a site that has a low page ranking and is not optimized properly for the search engines. By spending a bit of money and time a professional can boost the page rankings of that site and then you can sell it off for a good profit.

If done properly, selling domain names… which is a lucrative business… shall help you earn lots of money. The reality is that there are many individuals who earn their living by selling domain names. By purchasing domains with a short name and selling it off immediately for a reasonable profit is how some people make fast money.

However, the real trick lies in holding the domain for some time and enhancing its page ranking during that period. This procedure enhances the amount of profit gained by disposing off domain names by a great margin. Domain names are up for sale on a number of sites and you can buy them from there. After you have enhanced their page rankings you have the option of selling them off on those same sites. You can also try out your luck on various domain related forums.

Simple Steps To Getting Cheap Domain Names

2009-10-04T15:16:00.000-07:00

Whether you are into a big or small business enterprise, it does not matter when it comes to availing a domain name for your business’ web site. To register a domain name is one of the major steps in building a web site. This name is actually your main identification online. Once internet users see you web site address with your company name on it, then you must have grabbed yourself a good internet address. Most web site owners these days are particular with having their company’s name, niche or important keywords in their web site address. Yes, it is now possible to get cheap domain names since there are individuals or companies on the internet that sell these online addresses.

Do not fret because even if some names are cheap, they can still be professional and sophisticated. The tag price is not really a basis on how a domain name will fare online. Getting cheap but really good internet address is like hitting a jackpot as well. So, you may conclude that the best domain names are not exactly those that are highly-priced. However, you have to be careful when you search for cheap domain names for there could be people or companies that will mislead you. After web site owners get cheap domain names for their web pages, they can now focus on designing and developing their pages.

The designs should basically be based on the niche that you are into. Your web pages must be congruent to the products or services that you are promoting. Further, you also must keep in mind the preferences of your target customers and site visitors. For profitable domain names, you have to ensure that the name that you will register is easy to remember for internet users. It is important that people will get to remember your web site address better. So, go for easy to remember names. This will make it convenient for internet users and at the same time, you can also get more traffic when more people get to visit your page. Another technique there is to have keyword-enriched but cheap domain names. Many online marketers believe that it is quite an advantage if you have your keywords included in your internet address.

They think that having these keywords on your address can make search engines detect your web site quickly. However, this is a wrong theory. There is no guarantee that you will get better search engine rankings even if you stuff your address with keywords. There is even no assurance that people will flock your site. Thus, don’t easily believe what you read on the net or what you are told so especially when it is not really backed-up with a research or a study. If you think you are not ready to choose your address online then you can get yourself a guide to choosing domain names.

These kinds of resources will surely give you insights in choosing the best online address for your business. At the same time, you may also learn the other benefits like making money out of your address on the net. There are certain ways you can earn from these names actually but that’s a different issue. What’s more important now is that you learn how to get cheap domain names that will perfectly represent you and your business in cyberspace

Your Domain Name: Why It Matters and How to Take Care of It

2009-09-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

You can't overstate the importance of owning your own domain name. It's your own piece of virtual real estate on the World Wide Web, Just like property in the real world, your domain can become a very valuable piece of real estate if you develop it. Far too many business owners just don't see the potential that their domain name has. They forget to use it in their marketing materials and sometimes even forget to renew it, losing their grip on what could have been some prime property.

The following are some pointers on choosing and using your domain: Choose Wisely When it comes to your online presence, your domain name is synonymous with your brand. Decide carefully on your domain name, since it's going to change everything about your marketing efforts from here on in. A short name is always better, since it's easy to remember.

If your brand name doesn't have the advantage of being brief and catchy or you anticipate that it will take a while to become widely known then you may want to combine it with a keyword related to your business. Try not to choose a name which is very similar to another website which is already up and running; you could end up with some of their traffic and vice versa - traffic which probably isn't doing either of you any good. Domain Extensions What domain name extension you decide on depends on where your business is located, where your largest markets are and of course, which are available. You could choose .com, .com.au, .net, .org and so on depending on location and availability.

If your most important market is in Australia, then .com.au makes sense; it demonstrates to consumers that you are registered as a business in the country. If you're trying to sell worldwide, then .com is the way to go. Of course many of the good .com domains are already taken. If you can, buy both the .com and the .com.au extensions to protect your brand from a competitor setting up shop using a near identical domain name.

Domain Registrar Buy domain names only from a domain registrar with a good reputation. There may be someone cheaper, but you may end up with more trouble (or additional fees) than those savings are worth! Look for good customer service and complete access to your domain for easy account management. Free transfer to a different domain registrar if you find their service unsatisfactory is also something to look for.

Marketing Your Domain Keep your website in the minds of consumers by using it in all of your advertising and marketing materials, company letterhead, business cards, etc. Make sure to change your contact information to reflect your new domain based email address as well - this has a much more professional appearance. Don't Let Your Domain Expire! If your domain is an integral part of your business, forgetting your domain renewal could be disastrous. It's best to renew your domain in advance of the expiry date to ensure that your site has no outages and your email service is not interrupted.

If you let your registration lapse, someone else (probably a competitor) is likely to buy it. Any reputable domain name registrar will send you a domain renewal notice by email to remind you that your domain will be expiring soon. Watch Out For Scammers! There are con artists everywhere and the web has some who sell phony domain name services. These include fake domain renewals and what is called "blackmailing", where a scammer contacts you to say that they have a domain name for sale which is similar to your own - and that someone else is interested.

They'll offer to sell you the domain name at an inflated price of course. If you've received such an offer and suspect a scam, report it to your current domain registrar and ask them what to do. The end result here is that you should select your domain name carefully and then watch over it as you would any other part of your business as you develop this piece of cyberspace real estate into a valuable and profitable part of your business...

http://www.suncoastinternet.com.au/

Importance of having your own domain name

2009-08-10T07:03:00.000-07:00

A question that I frequently hear is "Do I really need to have my own domain name?" The one word answer is "YES.". If you put up your site with some of the free web hosting services, the only company who benefits is the web hosting company.

Importance of having your own domain nameBy Sumantra RoyA question that I frequently hear is "Do I really need to have my own domain name?" The one word answer is "YES.". If you put up your site with some of the free web hosting services, the only company who benefits is the web hosting company. The last person who benefits is you.

There are a number of reasons why having your own domain name is a must:

1) When you have your own domain name, the address of your web site will be of the formhttp://www.yoursite.com. On the other hand, if you put up your site on one of the free servers,the address of your web site will be something likehttp://www.somefreewebsite.com/yoursite/. Which of these two sounds more professional? Which of these two is smaller and is hence easier to remember? I leave you to make the judgement.

2) The only way to make money online is to build up credibility among your customers. Having your own domain name is the first step in doing that. Your customers will feel more comfortable buying whatever it is that you are selling if you have your own domain name. It makes your customers feel that they are dealing with a large, established company, rather than with some fly by night operator.

3) When you have your domain name, you can have multiple email aliases of the form alias@yoursite.com. This allows you to assign different email aliases to different functions, all of them pointing to your actual email address. Hence, for example, for questions related to the products and services that you sell, you can have an email address like sales@yoursite.com. For questions related to the newsletter that you publish, you can have an email address like editor@yoursite.com. For comments/suggestions about your web site, you can direct your customers to feedback@yoursite.com or webmaster@yoursite.com.

Having different email addresses for different functions not only makes it easier for you to filter your email using your email client program (Eudora Pro, Pegasus Mail, Outlook Express etc.), but also gives your customers the impression that yours is a large, established company with whom it is safe to do business.

4) Many search engines give a lot of emphasis to the home page of a particular domain, i.e. other things remaining the same, a home page of a domain will often rank higher for a particular keyword than any other page. When you use some of the free hosting services, your index.html page is the home page of your site, but not of that domain. Hence in these search engines, your site will find it very difficult to make it to the top 20 or top 30, let alone the top 10 for some of the really competitive keywords. Just think of the amount of traffic that you will lose if this happens.

5) Some search engines are now refusing to spider the web sites which are hosted by the free web hosts. For instance, if you have a site hosted by the free web hosts, you would, until recently, have got the infamous error message saying that too many pages have been
submitted from your site if you tried to submit your site to AltaVista. While AltaVista now says that "your URL has been submitted for processing" if you try to submit your site, rest assured that it will not spider any site belonging to many of the free web hosts even though it says that your site has been accepted. Can you afford that?

6) When your site is hosted by some of the free web hosts, you will find it very difficult to get it listed in a major directory like Yahoo!. Although Yahoo! will never admit that it won't add a commercial site which is being hosted in one of the free web hosts, in practice, it will be a miracle if you can get your site listed by Yahoo!!. Listing your site with Yahoo! is difficult enough even when you have your own domain. Don't make your task more difficult than what it needs to be.If you do not currently have a domain name, are you convinced that you need one right now? The small fee that you pay per year for your own domain name is peanuts compared to the benefits that you get. You can check out the availability of domain names and register new domains here

http://www.articles-hub.com

Domain Name Registration Period - Does It Count?

2009-07-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

There is some common advice on the Internet that if you register your domain name for a longer period than the customary 1 year, for example a 2 year or even 5 year period, that it will give you an advantage in the Search Engines. Is this really true?

The length of your domain name registration has a minor effect upon the rankings. All that you really gain from registering for 5 or 10 years as opposed to 1 or 2 years is the added convenience of not having to register your domain name again. In theory, if you register for a longer period of time, Google will place a higher value on your page through Trustrank.

In theory, Trustrank is ranking indicator for your domain that takes both the age of the site as well as the length that it has been registered for, into consideration. There is no hard evidence that Google actually HAS a Trustrank algorithm. Even though there was research done by Yahoo on the concept of Trustrank, and Google has previously registered a trademark for the name, the two has nothing to do with each other and Google has even dropped the trademark. Search engines therefore do not take the length of your registration period into account.

The only age related factor in search engine ranking is the actual age of the site but even this could be due to the fact that due to the mere age of the site, the site has had more opportunity to collect links back to it and would therefore of course do better in the search engines due to that. Once again, the idea that links from well established sites count more than from new sites has nothing really to do with the actual age of the site where the link is coming from, but more with the reputation of the site itself.

After all, some link farms have been around forever, not so? But do make sure that you re-register your domain name soon enough. There are groups of people that scan for soon to be expired domain names with the intention of buying them and exploiting their established business. Luckily most registrars have a grace period of about 45 days available that you can use to re-instate a domain that was deleted due to negligence or by mistake. If you really want to stay ahead of the competition, you might consider registering or renewing your domain name for 100 years.

Currently, Network Solutions (www.netsol.com) is the only registrar offering the 100 year option, which costs $999.00. GoDaddy (www.godaddy.com), currently offers to renew or register a domain name for 10 years, at a discount of $6.95 per year. But all in all, the most important thing is to get a good quality name.

Choose a name that is short, easy to remember, easy to say and easy to spell and use it to build your brand and identity on the web. Good domain names are not easy to get these days but with a little creativity you can still come up with a good name. After all, nobody knew what a 'Google' was in the days BG, Before Google!
http://www.internet-web-hosting.co.za

Is Domain Squatting A Great Business for You?

2009-07-11T10:33:00.000-07:00

Domain squatting is a very unconventional and yet very successful business if you know how to go for it. You can earn good money by selling domain names that you have kept parked. Domain name squatting has resulted in some big money for the people dealing with it! It is a great business to opt for if you want to make some money with very less effort. Market speculation is very important for this and if you are not careful with what you are doing, you may end up with a lawsuit.

Here is some information that will render better awareness about this business. How To Select Domain Names And What Does It Cost Registering a domain name is quite cheap. Moreover, if you are not happy with it, you can cancel it within the first 5 days and get a full refund of the money you spent. However, it can get you a huge amount of money.

Domain names have been sold for as high as 8 million USD in the past! While it is parked, you can even use it to earn some money through advertisements like the pay-per-click programs. Even this can generate some good money for you while you wait for a good offer to come your way.

Try to utilize the forwarding and redirection service of your domain registrar for this. How Else Can You Use The Domain Name While It Is Parked You can even opt for affiliate marketing with your parked domain. Simply use your domain to divert traffic to other sites that have similar content that relates your domain name.

For example, if your domain name is www.greatshoes4u.com, you can tie up with a shoe company and direct your traffic to their website when a user visits your site. This can generate you good money as well. While you wait, check the demand and the market value of domain names similar to yours on the various auctioneer sites.

When you feel that the market is ready to offer you good money for your domain name, make your move and sell your domain name at the price that suits you. The important thing to consider is if you are selecting the proper domain names that will get you good money when you sell them.

Speculate this with intelligence and then choose a domain name that you think will work the best. This will enable you to make good profits and save you from wasting your money on names that will never see any demand...

http://www.richardmoog.com

Cheap Domain Name Registration

2009-07-11T03:14:00.000-07:00

Domain Name purchase and registrations are often confused with hosting fees and other expenses related to starting a web site. Hosting refers to the service provided by companies which have several specialized computers called "servers" which are always on in order to keep a web site. up and running 24/7.

On the other hand, domain name registration is the action of researching, choosing and locking up a web site. name' which is also referred to as a 'dot com' address for your web site. In order to launch a web site., these are two indispensable things a webmaster must have as one can not work without the other.

Ever since the web became popular 'dot com or domain names' have revolutionized the industry as many users would like to lock highly effective-one word terms as their web site. names, a few examples are: buy, men, sell, business, cardiology, seniors, text, local, spices, etc.

Most the one word domain names mentioned above are being auctioned at incredibly high prices (in some cases millions of dollars) because many users will bypass search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc.) by typing the site name directly into their browsers, thus having a greater deal of highly targeted traffic without having to pay for advertising or pay-per-click ads.

What is even more amazing is the amount of money these domain names were originally purchased for! As many webmasters and savvy web users know domain names are very cheap nowadays. Depending on the hosting company used (GoDaddy, Netfirms, Gator, etc) to purchase the domain, users can own a domain name for a period of one up to 5 years for just a few dollars a year (usually between 1.99-9.99 USD) Choosing the right domain name can certainly the the best investment a webmaster can ever do, that is why domains are called 'online real estate'.

A very important aspect to have in mind when purchasing a domain name is to understand the copyright infringement laws, patents, trademarks, do's and don'ts in your country. If a webmaster registers a domain name such as "AOLcomplaints, yourFicoCreditScore, eBayPrograms and such" the domain owner may have to deal with a great deal of 'undesired email' from these companies as those specific names can not be used without their written authorization, so choose carefully and wisely.

Domain name prices usually vary according to their top level domain (TLD) which are coded according to the web site. type for instance, government sites will have a TLD of .gov, commercial sites a .com TLD, educational sites will have an .edu TLD and specific countries will have their special TLD as well. The trick to choose a good domain name is : KISS (Keep it simple stup...!) and choose words which can be easy to remember without using too many hyphens...

http://www.hostingcoupons.org

THE PERFECT DOMAIN NAME

2009-07-10T10:26:00.000-07:00

We all know the Internet is an endless spring of community, entertainment, commerce and information. Unlike traditional mediums (print, TV, radio, brick and mortar businesses), the web promotes interaction by enabling everyone with a computer and a connection to cautiously dip their toes or cannonball full force into the world's biggest pool party.

Encouraging that do-it-yourself spirit in each of us are an endless line of designers, programmers and hosts who are anxious to assist even the most technically timid to sprout wings with their own site. However, you'll never make it out of the nest if you don't have the perfect domain name for your site. And thus, the search begins.

Before wasting time by throwing darts at names on a wall, it's best to maintain focus and recognize a few naming parameters. First off, it's paramount that the domain name doesn't confuse potential visitors. Strive for a site name that sounds exactly like it's spelled so you don't need a search engine to find it.

A quick trip to Alexa's Top 100 U.S. sites shows there are few exceptions to this rule. With most basic words already spoken for, be prepared to get creative, mixing words together or coming up with an appropriate onomatopoeia. While it's a good idea for a domain name to describe the site, it's equally important to come up with an original name that is catchy enough to be passed along at the water cooler. Look no further than domain names Yahoo or Google.

While these names really don't reveal much about two of the web's most visited sites, they're easy to recall and short on syllables, making it simple for first-timers to find. If you're after serious traffic, commit to securing a â€œ.comâ€� name. It only takes a quick trip to Alexa to discourage any thoughts of settling for less popular â€œ.org,â€� â€œ.netâ€� or â€œ.info.â€� Of the Top 100 traffic-ranked sites in the United States, only 10 ended with something other than â€œ.com.â€�

At the end of the day, why argue with 90% of the country's most-visited sites. Now that you're armed with these factors, head over to your favorite domain name registrar. Don't get too discouraged when you discover the fabulous names you've painstakingly researched are already spoken for. This is your opportunity to recruit family and friends to get involved by emailing them your naming guidelines.

Don't be surprised if someone who isn't invested in the project suggests the perfect, available name. The company I work for recently survived the re-naming process and we still have the bruises to show for it. Originally named RadioFire.net, we're a site that allows people to discover unsigned music artists in their own communities and across the country.

With a complete redesign underway to amplify a more community-oriented experience, our design firm said the â€œ.netâ€� name had to go. The â€œ.comâ€� version of our domain name wasn't available, so we followed the steps above. After much brainstorming and research, we feel we've hit a home run that will elevate our site's experience. Curious? You'll have to stay tuned for the re-launch. In the meantime, dive into your own website with a great domain name...

http://www.echoboost.com

Why buy a Domain Name?

2009-07-08T03:08:00.000-07:00

Whether you are young individual trying to make your mark on web or a struggling small scale business wanting to explore the horizons of the internet, one thing that can really change the picture for you in this dot com world is your ‘DOMAIN NAME’!

In fact, the best way to kick start online is to get a short yet descriptive, easy to pronounce and easier to spell domain name for your website.

You may be offering a splendid service and have your website designed by the best designers but if you want to make your presence felt on the internet, the supreme marketing power of a GOOD DOMAIN NAME IS A MUST! Why settle for a domain name that’s not going to do any good to you and your business when you can buy a unique and high value domain name from us for the best prices?

Whether you are looking for a domain name with .com, .net or any other extension, you will be astounded by the splendid options that you can get here at discounted prices! There are several obvious advantages of buying the hottest domain name for your website – You product or service gets a brand value! You derive an identity for yourself and your business!

Good domain names are easy to remember and super easy to spell! So the chances are that you will drive more traffic to your website using simple SEO tactics. Your old clients keep coming back to you and it’s easy to attract new ones as well! You don’t have to bother to change your domain name time and time again if you already have one that easily rolls off the tongue!

Good domain name work wonders for individuals, families, schools, hospitals, companies, small businesses and just about everything and everyone wanting to build a web identity! Isn’t it a great idea to buy a ‘SELLING’ domain name that you can point to on your Myspace or Youtube webpage?

Imagine the kind of traffic that you can drive to your site and the profit that you will make! Soon you will have more and more links to your site and then even the search engines will start liking your domain name!!! May be you are proud of your family name then why not build a family website and get a perfect domain name for it?

The above are just a few benefits of picking a catchy domain name to make your mark in the vibrant web world. So what happens if you don’t have the kind of domain name that you ought to have for your website? Well, the exact opposite of the points mentioned above!

You’ll remain where you are! No fame, no clients, no business and of course, no money! Try your luck by spending on SEO experts, all will go down the drain! Buying domain names is also a very happening business in itself! So we know why people like Kevin Ham buy thousands of domain names and treat them like a GREAT INVESTMENT! So if you are looking to build a website, you might first want to get a PERFECT domain name for it. Visit our Website to find one and grab it right away before someone else come and snatch it.

Remember, good domain names sell in a matter of seconds and minutes! In everyday business, you may have heard people say "it's all about location, location, location". Well, in today's Internet business world, your domain name "IS YOUR LOCATION". That should answer why it is so important to buy a domain name...

http://www.bendigohosting.com

The Neccessity of a Domain Name

2009-07-07T03:03:00.000-07:00

When you decide to set up business on the internet you do need a domain name. Your site’s name identifies your business online among all others. Think of it the same as the sign out front for a brick and mortar business.

How to select a name to identify your website Give some thought to choosing your domain name. Something short and memorable is best if you can get it. This is not always possible. Much has been written about whether or not adding dashes make a difference in SEO and other factors. I have not seen that it makes a difference.

If you need to add hyphens to get the name you want, I haven’t seen that adding them has any adverse effect. Your domain name should reflect what your online business is about. If your business website is focused on dog training, you certainly want to fit dog in somewhere. This helps searchers know that your website it about dogs, and it also helps with SEO.

As time goes by, and your online business website begins to get links here and there around the internet often it will just be referred to by your domain name. Including your main keyword will be a real plus. Each time a search engine sees your site’s url on another website, even if there isn’t explanatory text the search engine will pick up your keyword in relation to your site.

There has also been a lot of fuss about the length of a domain name and hyphens being difficult to type in. How often do you actually type in a url? Let’s be real. Most people either click on a url, or they simply copy and paste.

How hard is that? If getting a good, meaningful, domain name requires a little extra length or hyphens, I don’t see that it is a big problem. Short is always better, but do what you need to get your keyword included. How long should you register a domain name for? If you are serious about building a successful internet business, you should register your domain name for a minimum of two years. More is better.

There is some evidence that registering for more than a year gives you an edge with the search engines. It is thought that this gives the search engines a reason to believe that your business will be around for a while.

Domain names can be purchased for under ten dollars a year. This is a very low expense considering that the cost is for an entire year. At ten dollars a year, it would cost you roughly 83 cents per month to give your internet business a worthy and relevant name. If you can’t afford that, then you can’t afford to be in business online.

Keep track of when your domain name will expire, and renew in advance. You don’t want to lose it. There are people who watch for expirations and will snap them up. I know this for a fact. A domain name I once owned was bought by speculators. At the present time this exact name is being offered for over six hundred dollars online.

If you use a credit card and set your domain name up for automatic renewal, do be on top of when your credit card expires, and go back to your registrar and update your credit card information. This is how I lost mine.

My credit card renewed, but the registrar had no way of knowing that and could not use my information as it was. So they did not renew it. A good domain name is a real asset to an online business. Protect yours...

Article Directory: http://www.articlerich.com

Choosing a Domain Name for your Website

2009-07-06T01:36:00.000-07:00

Choosing a good domain name is paramount for the success of your website. Whether it’s a personal website designed for a small group of users or a company website competing for the attention of potential customers, the domain name will either make or break its effectiveness.

Make your domain name unforgettable by carefully considering its extension, length, punctuation, and suffix.

The .COM

The first thing you may actually think about before your domain name is whether it will have the original .com extension or not, which is generally considered to be the best because it’s what everyone thinks of first.

That .com would be your best pick is an easy assumption to make, but that is not always the case. It’s standard for many of the bigger corporations to protect themselves by purchasing all the major Top Level Domains (TLD), which can be very limiting and expensive. For some of you reading this article, you may want to consider a .net or .org extension.

If that is the case make sure to advertise your website as much as possible by its full domain name to prevent lost traffic, as most search engines will place .com first.Name LengthA short name may be best in most cases but there are exceptions. Above all you want your name to be catchy and easy to spell and type, whether it’s short or not.

For example, if the name your company goes by is Merryweather Fabric and Designs, merryweatherfabricanddesigns.com may be a perfectly suitable name. However, if merryweather.com is not already taken, it may be a better choice as it’s easier to type. You may also be tempted to use an acronym if your full name is long, but unless your company name is branded as so, it won’t be memorable to your customers.

PunctuationThe only punctuation that can be used in a domain name is the hyphen; however its use is generally avoided. Hyphenated domain names are harder to read aloud, more difficult to type, and some people may not even though what a hyphen is. On the other hand, if your domain name is made up of three or more words which are long, the hyphen makes it easier for a person to recognize the keywords. For example it is much easier to recognize the words “fabric” and “designs” in a hyphenated merryweather-fabric-and-designs.com.

There is also a small chance that a hyphenated domain will produce better search engine results, but as a general rule using hyphens in domain names is taboo.Suffixes and moreThough the plural or singular of an already existing domain name may seem like a good find, be cautious as you consider the minds of your customers. Unless it is an obvious distinction, you may actually be directing your customers to a competitor! For example if your company’s name is Merryweather Fabric and Designs, merryweatherfabricanddesign.com would be a counter-intuitive to your customers and thus harder to remember.

But take it on a case-by-case basis, as plural and singular versions of your domain name may be interchangeable. Above all remember that if it’s not unforgettable, you may want to consider going with another domain name ...

Source: ArticleTrader.com

Advantages of Investing in a premium domain

2009-07-06T01:33:00.000-07:00

Nowadays the market of Domain names has become similar to market of real-estate. For example if a person wants to open a store he would prefer a location where he can get more customers easily.

Hence, the price of land at good location would be much higher than a location which is not in a so good place. Since, nowadays more and more people are opening their Stores online the first thing they need is a Domain name. Each person wants to have a domain name which should be short, easy to remember, and be top-level .

In short, Domain name should be Search Engine Friendly and get More traffic with low efforts .Such Domains are called Premium Domain Names.Premium Domain Names are the Easy way to online Success. With thousands of new domains getting registered every day .Its very difficult to buy a good domain name these days in a competitive niche. Domain name holds the same importance as that of location of store in city.

An excellent domain name guarantees good rankings in search engines and good traffic of consumers who bring their credit cards which are full of money with them. Hence, a person should never ignore the importance of Domain name. If you have a premium domain name then you are sitting on a gold mine. Even if you are not interested in setting up a website right now, you can invest in buying a Premium Domain name because of its financial value .

Big organizations and Business Entrepreneurs spend lot of money to buy a premium domain. Nobody can expect to get top positions at search engines with domain names which they bought at the name of their dog or cat . So , If you have a premium domain you can sell it to them at much higher prices than you bought .

Many sites also offer to auction your domain names for free or with small brokerage fees. If you don’t want to sell your domain name or if you have any plans to use it after many years then also there is an alternative by which you can earn money from it .

You can either give your domain name at rent on a proper contract or you can earn from it by technique Domain parking. Domain parkingis very simple to do as compared to giving it on rent and most of people are doing it these days.

Currently, experts are earning thousands of dollars easily by investing in the business of premium domain names. Even a 10 year old kid or granny of 80 years could buy a premium domain. Investing in a premium domain is the best place to earn easy money in this economical crisis...

Source: ArticleTrader.com