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How to Choose and Register a Domain Name

 

Reserve Your Domain name Now!

How to Choose and Register a Domain Name
(c) Copyright 2002, Angela Wu

Everytime I surf the web, I'm surprised to see how many 'business' sites still choose to use free domains. You know the type; the mile-long, often incomprehensible URL that looks something like:

www.somefreedomain.com/userdirectory/yourname/~yoursite

Instead, for a very small price, you can invest in your very own domain: a simple, professional, and memorable www.yourcompany.com. It adds credibility to your business and shows that you're 'serious', rather than some fly-by-night company or 'hobby' site.

Check to see if YOUR Domain Name is available by typing it into the search box directly below (choose from .com, .net, .org, .info, biz and .us domains). There is no charge to check availability of domains, but if you decide to purchase your domain name now, our pricing starts at only $9.95 - The lowest price you'll find for single year registrations! Compare our prices here! or you can Search the WHOIS database to see who owns any domain! If you want to transfer to take advantage of our lower prices, transfer your domain name.

Here are a few pointers on choosing a domain name. Try to choose one that:

  • Is easy to say and to spell. This is very helpful when you -- or someone else -- is mentioning your site to others. Try saying your domain name out loud before making a decision to purchase it. Would a casual listener be able to figure out how to spell it?

  • Does not contain hyphens. Aside from being hard to type, hyphens are hard to remember and difficult to convey in speech. For example, let's say my company is called "ABC Credit Repair". I could register the domain abccreditrepair.com, easy enough to remember. But what about abc-creditrepair.com or perhaps abc-credit-repair.com? Most people won't remember where the hyphen(s) is supposed to go.

  • Is not likely to be mistaken. For example, a domain called shoppe.com vs. shop.com would actually require you to spell it out to avoid confusion.

  • Ends in .com, if at all possible. Sure, there are plenty of other extensions - but when people think of the Internet, they automatically think of '.com'.

  • Does not violate a trademark! Don't register a domain name that's going to get you into legal trouble, such as McDonalds.com. One place to search for trademarks is at MarksOnline, http://www.marksonline.com/ .

  • Is easy to remember. For example, if you're running a business called, 'Antiques Auction Online', go for something like 'antiquesaction.com' or 'antiquesonline'. Try also to keep your domain name as short as possible; a short URL is more memorable.

Getting a domain is easy. You simply check to see if your requested domain name is available; if it is, you make it 'yours' by paying for it. Keep in mind that you will need to renew your domain registration every year, unless you reserve for more than a year at a time. You can register with any accredited registrar -- to find one, simply type "domain registration services" into the search box at Yahoo, http://www.yahoo.com/.

Domains can cost you less than $10/year... for such a small investment, can you really afford not to get one? People buy from those they trust, and having your own domain will help you to build that all-important credibility.

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Angela is the author of Online Business Basics, a practical guide to building a business on the 'net. It's received rave reviews from eBusiness beginners, particularly for the loads of free and low-cost resources and hype-free tips. Click here for more information: http://onlinebusinessbasics.com/article.html or request a series of 10 free reports to get you started: mailto:businessbasics@workyourleads.com

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Check to see if YOUR Domain Name is available by typing it into the search box directly below (choose from .com, .net, .org, .info, biz and .us domains). There is no charge to check availability of domains, but if you decide to purchase your domain name now, our pricing starts at only $9.95 - The lowest price you'll find for single year registrations! Compare our prices here! or you can Search the WHOIS database to see who owns any domain! If you want to transfer to take advantage of our lower prices, transfer your domain name.

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