Web hosting domain
The day your parents give you a name, you are transformed from an unknown entity to an individual with an identity. So also with your website: the day you give a name to it, your website obtains its own individual identity amongst a zillion others on the World Wide Web. If you look up the meaning of the word 'domain' in the thesaurus on your comps tool bar, you will see that it primarily means area. Hence, giving a name to your website (area) is pin-pointing the precise address of your website.
Importance of a Web Domain
It gives your website a unique individuality
It draws attention and clicking fingers to your website
It establishes your business firmly on the Net
It is an online marketing tool for your business
It subsequently sends your profit graph upwards
To achieve all of the above, the first step is selecting a good domain name.
Points to Keep in Mind:
Let's suppose you are a florist.
1. What is important is not to merely think of a domain that is fantastic in name only, but which will convey clearly what business you are operating. That is, the business of delivering real flowers, as opposed to a business of a store selling artificial flowers.
2. You need to keep in mind the people to whom you are catering? are you, say, preparing flower arrangements only for celebratory occasions and corporate events?
3. No other individual or organisation should have selected the same domain name. You would not want to be sued for copyright violation!
Can I put in my own name?
Yes, definitely! It could be your first name, your surname, a nickname, or just initials too. A domain name can have up to 67 characters in it, so you can put in a long name. However, the longer you make it, the less likely anyone is going to remember it, leave aside getting annoyed at having to type out so many letters! So avoid giving something like mariannerosesmith.com.It is quite likely that one "n" will be forgotten.
Another drawback to putting in your name is that there is a possibility of another person having a similar name, and watch out if that person is also a florist! Customers seeking you out online will get directed to her business, not yours.
The Little Characters in a Web Domain
Adding hyphens, dots, and underscores expands your domain name. Though it is important not to make it too long, it is these little characters that could differentiate your website from a similar sounding one. For example, if you decide on floralpetals.com for your business, by adding an underscore, you can make it distinctive
As for the use of hyphens, well, that's up to you! Some net-savvy experts recommend that you definitely use a hyphen to break up the words in your domain name. The advantage: it is very effective in directing clicks to your website when words related to your business are entered into a search engine. For example, if you decide on the name floralbouquetsandbaskets, you can put in hyphens: floral-bouquets-baskets.com
Other experts scorn the use of hyphens. They claim that a short single domain name is far more effective, and can even become a well-established brand in itself. Example: Petals.com
The Before and After of a Web Domain
Ahead of whatever name you come up with, you can put in a single alphabet / two-three alphabets, such as 'i' or 'my' (Example: myflowers.com) or even brief words (Example: visit-petals.com). Similarly, at the end of the name, you can put words or characters that stand out, such as bouquets4u.com or petalworld.com
Mentioned often in this article is ".com" This comes at the very end of your domain name, and is considered the most easily recalled and popular characters of the name. Other alternatives are.org and.net.
Registration of your Web Domain You need to browse the World Wide Web for an organization that specializes in domain registration. However, you don't simply pick out the first one that comes in the list of registrars when you type the words "domain registrars" in a search engine. It is better to find out from people who have used their services to get first-hand knowledge of their creditworthiness. You can look up names of domain registrars that have been blacklisted by search engines. Equally important is to understand whether the reins of control over the name are in your hand or enclosed in their tight fists. You generally pay less than $20 to register your domain, but there are also ones where you can pay even less than $10. You should not forget that there could also be additional fees if you wish to transfer your domain to another registrar.
It is important to register your domain pronto, and that means NOW. It is possible that by the time you finish reading this sentence, another brainy person has already registered the domain you thought of. Never mind if your website is still on the drawing board and has not yet been set up. Just go ahead and get the domain registered. It will be safely stowed away at what is known as a parking site by the domain registrar.
Further, and absolutely vital, is to keep a complete and up-to-date record of your domain. This will be an asset if at all a time comes for you to declare a legal war on somebody infringing on your domain. In fact, majority of people happily register their domains, but forget the important aspect of protecting their domain. It is best to consult a legal expert who specializes in this field for some sensible guidance.
To sum up, the Features of a Good Domain Name:
Simplicity
Creativity
Easy to recall
Easy to say and spell
Register, park, and protect your web domain NOW!
Other Articles
