To get your web site on the Internet, you need a domain name. This article answers frequently-asked questions.
Choosing an effective domain name is important to attract potential buyers, increase visibility, convey a professional image, and inspire trust.
Having your own domain name is a must for a business web site. It is your web address and must be a unique name identifying a specific web site.
You can register your domain name with .com or other extensions, including .net,.org,.info, and .us. Always register the .com name since most people are familiar with it. In addition, consider registering your name with .net to prevent competitors or speculators from registering a similar name.
Follow these tips when selecting a domain name:
* Choose a descriptive name that conveys professionalism and is easy to remember and type.
* Consider a name that represents your business name, product name, or indicates your type of business.
* Consider variations of your domain name like making it plural, adding dashes, or underscores.
* Include relevant keywords to boost your search-engine ranking. For example, keyword-keyword.com or keywordphrase.com.
More tips:
* You can include up to 67 characters, including the .com, .net, .org, .edu, or other extensions.
* You cannot have spaces.
* Domain names are NOT case sensitive, so you can use uppercase, lower case, or a combination of both, e.g. ThisIsMine.com or thisismine.com.
* You can use numbers, letters, and hyphens (dashes), but the web address cannot start or end with a hyphen.
* Special characters such as ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) and ? are not permitted in web addresses.
* Avoid confusing characters like 0 (zero), l (one), 2, s, and z to minimize the risk of typos. The number zero (0) can be confused with the letter O, and the number "1" with the letter "l."
* If you register a domain containing hyphens, also register the same name without the hyphens, for example, my-domain-name.com and mydomainname.com.
You can check the availability of a domain name at godaddy or any of the registrars listed by internic.
Registering
You can register your name yourself through domain name registration services, known as registrars. Internic provides a list of ICANN-accredited registrars (the organization governing domain names). When submitting a registration or transfer, the registrar will ask for the name of two name servers that contain your IP address. Your host will give you that information. Once your name has been registered or transferred, it takes approximately 72 hours before it becomes active.
Fees
Each registrar sets its own price. The fees to register a domain name for one year range from $3 to $35 a year. The typical price today is around $10. It's a small price to pay to gain your prospects' trust. You can register a domain name for one or several years. At the end of the registration term, you must pay a renewal fee to keep your name. If you don't renew, someone else can take your domain name. Some registrars offer free or discounted registration services in connection with other offers, such as web hosting. Make sure they are reliable. Receiving a $10 discount is not worth the delays and hassles you may encounter.
Your web designer can recommend a domain name registrar and assist you with domain name registration.
Leva Duell, Five Star Web Design and Marketing, provides web design built on proven marketing strategies. Visit http://www.fivestarwebdesign.com/ebook.html and get a FREE ebook, Inside Secrets to Developing a Profitable Web Site, providing powerful, non-techie web design and marketing strategies to increase your online profits
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