Domain Names 101

Somehow you've found your way to the internet, and if you're reading this article, then you are one step closer to registering your first domain name. Whether you're looking to register a name for a personal blog, or for your online business, the right domain name can mean the difference between success and failure.

Once you are familiar with the basics, you will feel confident enough to make a sensible decision, and find the best domain name solution for your specific needs.

What is a domain name? The best way to understand the concept of a domain name is to think of it as a mask, or the alphanumeric equivalent of an ip address. This mask allows you to access web pages on the internet in an easy to remember way. For example the domain name for this site is www.DomainBash.com. That is a lot easier to remember than something that looks like 24.195.85.161, which is what the ip address that the domain name is masking. Your domain name will essentially become your online identity, and how your visitors will be able to find your website in the endless sea of sites that is the web.

Understanding the parts Now that you have a basic understanding of what a domain name is, you are ready to understand the individual parts of the domain name. Again we will use www.domainbash.com for our example. The www stands for “world wide web” which encompasses all things accessible on the internet. The second part, which is the part where some minor creativity will help, is the domain name – in our example, this would be domainbash. This, more often times than not, is also the name of your website, or business. Last, we have the TLD – Top Level Domain, or the extension. There are various extensions available for your consideration.

TLDs In Depth TLDs can be further broken down into gTLDs (generic top level domains) and ccTLDs (country code top level domains).

Generic Top Level Domains gTLDs .aero – airport industry .biz – business .com – commercial, unrestricted .coop –cooperatives .edu – US education .gov - US government .info – informational, unrestricted .mil – US military .museum – museums .name – individuals .net – networks,unrestricted .org – organizations, unrestricted

Country Code Top Level Domains ccTLDs There are over 240 ccTLDs which correspond to country codes. Some ccTLDs offer open registration, while others restrict their usage. Some that offer open registration are .cc – Cocos (Keeling) Islands, .bz – Belize, and .ws – Western Samoa, to name just a few. The entire list can be found at the Globe Domains Blog - http://www.globedomains.com

Using ccTLDs that are available to you in your area is a good way to get a quality domain name that suits your website or business.

Using a ccTLD is no different than using the more popular gTLDs, and you will have a better chance of obtaining the domain name you really want, rather than settling for a .com domain name that is just so-so.

Where should I register my domain? I have been dealing with domain names for quite some time now, so I've dealt with many domain name registrars. An important factor that you may not consider right away is how much control you have over your domain name(s). The key is going with a company that has a well known reputation. Reputations speak for themselves. The company you choose should have outstanding customer support and a simple control panel so that you can easily control your domain name settings.

For domain name registration, I recommend two companies. 1. GoDaddy.com and 2) eNom.com.

Both of these companies have outstanding reputations, plus offer the best control panels I've seen. The last thing you want is to be overwhelmed by your domain name. If it so happens that you don't like the registrars I've recommended, feel free to do your own research, and find a company that works for you and your business.

The Aftermarket

Unless the domain name you want to register is very unique, I wouldn't count on it being available for registration using the .com extension. That's not to say that it's not for sale, however. After you try to register your name, and you find that has already been registered, go directly to the web address on the net, and see what's there. Sometimes there will be a developed website, sometimes there will be nothing but an error page, and sometimes you will find that the domain name is for sale by owner. You can then attempt to contact the current owner to purchase the domain on the aftermarket.

Domain names are generally more expensive on the aftermarket, so expect to pay more than you would if you were registering the domain name through a company like GoDaddy.com. Keep in mind the domain name market is competitive. The cost can be tremendous depending on the demand for the name. If you are just starting out, using an alternative extension would be a better option for you. Those will a larger budget should seriously consider investing in their first choice domain name if the option is available.

Whatever you decide to do, remember that your domain name is your web presence. You want people to remember your domain name, and never forget it. Try to choose something that represents your website or business, while being memorable and pleasant to say aloud. People tend to forget cumbersome domain names with too many words. Try to keep it as short as possible, if possible and let it flow.

I chose DomainBash.com because it related to domain names, without being restrictive. It is also unique which allows me trademark or brand the name. Combining a more common keyword, in this case “domain” with another word that is less commonly used “bash” is always a good idea if you want to include keywords in your domain.

If you have any questions relating to this article, and you still don't feel prepared to register a domain name, please feel free to contact me by visiting one of the sources below, and I will help you in any way that I can.

The A-B-Cs of Domain Name Registration

Before registering a domain name, know the facts. Domain name registration is easy - finding the perfect domain name for your personal or business website is not! There are thousands of possibilities for your domain name, but you can only choose one domain name for a website. So, you must make it count! Here are some pointers to get you started with domain name registration. It's easier than you think.

Keep your Domain Name Simple

A domain name should be simple so visitors will remember it easily. What's easier to remember - three or four words, or only one or two words? Obviously a short, simple domain name is easier to remember. The shorter the name, the less likely people are to misspell it as well. Your goal in choosing a domain name should be to find one that is easy to remember, easy to spell, and will stand out in the minds of visitors. It should be related to your products and services, or personal website theme.

TIP: Avoid using your company name initials or your own name initials. These do not describe anything at all about your website's theme. Visitors will not remember it unless you promote it heavily on national television and all over the Web. But, we'll leave that to "Corporate Web" for now!

Domain Name Registration Pricing

Don't be fooled by high domain name registration prices. Whether you pay a cheap domain name registration fee or a high fee, you're still getting the same thing - a domain name! There's no secret add-on service that can benefit you unless you're getting web hosting or a low-cost web site with your domain name. Otherwise, domain name registration is the same whether you order a cheap domain name or an expensive one. Be sure to shop around before you register.

Checking Domain Name Availability

You can visit almost any web hosting site to check the availability of a domain name. Never assume a domain name is available just because it doesn't show online when you try to bring it up in your browser. If a domain name is not showing online, it could be that the site's server is down at the moment, the owner is still designing a new web site and hasn't put it online yet, or the owner might be trying to sell the domain name. When you check to see if the domain name is available, you do not have to purchase it from the site where you checked. You can purchase it from any company that offers domain name registration once you know it is available.

Beware of Expired Domain Names

If you are considering buying an expired domain name, do research before completing the domain name registration process. You could be wasting your money! Ask the registrar questions about why the domain name has expired, what type of site it was before expiring, etc. Some expired domain names have been banned from the search engines all together because they were used by spammers or those selling illegal products or services. If that were the case, you'd be better off finding another domain name. Once a site is banned from the search engines, getting it listed again is almost impossible. Your chances for good, targeted traffic are next to none.

Web Hosting and Domain Names

Some companies offer both web hosting and domain name registration. Others might offer one or the other, or a combined package where you can get a low-cost web site along with a cheap domain name and web hosting. Though it's easier to keep up with billing and expenses if you do all this through one company, you are not required to host your site with the same company where you register your domain name. It will not affect how your web site services are handled, or how you operate your site.

Domain name registration can be an easy process once you decide on the right domain name. Your domain name will be a key player in your online success, so take your time to choose a winner!

The Creation of Global Domains International

Global Domains International is rated #37 of the top 500 fastest growing privately held companies in the USA. What this means is that this company is successful. For the customer it means they can trust in this company and ensure their website is secure. Global Domains International sells domain names and hosts websites. They have capitalized on a unique idea that has moved this company quickly into the forefront of the world wide web.

A domain name is a websites address. The domain name extension is the part at the end, dot come, for example. Website addresses are used instead of IP address which are a long series of numbers that would be difficult to remember. A typical website address looks something like this: www.onlinewebsite.com or in the case of Global Domains International the website address would look something like this: www.onlinewebsite.ws.

When the internet first became largely popular everyone was using domain names ending in dot com. The founders of Global Domains International, Michael Reed and Alan Ezeir realized that finding a domain name extension other than dot com would become something valuable. They looked at the country codes assigned to each country. For example, the United States has dot us and the United Kingdom has dot uk. They focused on a small country that had yet to capitalize on their domain name extension - Samoa. Samoa is a small country in the South Pacific with a population of less than 200,000.

There domain name extension is dot ws. Mike and Alan immediately recognized the marketing potential of ‘ws’ when used as an abbreviation for website.

The reason a good alternative to dot com was needed is that as more people began publishing websites the available names with the dot com extension were dwindling. That made it difficult for a business or person to register the domain name they really wanted. Eventually all the good, easy to remember and logical dot com domain names would be taken. The extension ‘ws’ was perfect because it is easy to associate with the word ‘website’. This is what Michael and Alan recognized and why they set out to convince the country of Samoa that they could profit from their country code.

Michael and Alan met with leaders in Samoa and with the local technology company who had the rights to the code. They told them how they could make a profit off the dot ws and how beneficial it could be to their country. They also explained how they would sell the dot ws domain names. The leaders agreed and allowed Michael and Alan to use the dot ws extension.

Global Domains International quickly took off. The Samoa government told Michael and Alan that they would need to sell 15,000 domain names in the first three years in order for them to continue using the domain extension. This task was completed in the first month. Today Global Domains International has sold domain name registration to large companies like Yahoo! And Intel. The Samoans receive a percentage of sales and is pleased with the partnership with GDI.

GDI has been so successful because it fills a need. The dot com websites soon did become obsolete and other domain name extensions were needed. Mike and Alan have created a user friendly product and offer templates and hosting to help customers build their website. Global Domains International is at the top of its industry because of the hard work and dedication of Michael and Alan.

Domain Names: The Remembrance Factor

When choosing a domain name, it is tempting to choose a name based on convenience or to accept a suggestion from the domain provider. Which approach is right?

Maybe neither proposal is entirely appropriate.

The more pristine your domain name the easier it will be for potential customers to find you. If, for instance, your business were named Ed's Grommet Shop, you would likely do best to acquire a domain that is very simply named www.edsgrommetshop.com . The use of hyphens or underscores is confusing for visitors.

Some netrepreneurs will also try to find a domain name that accentuates a 'cute' factor. They might look at a name like www.grommetsrus.com or www.yeswehavegrommetstoday.com. The result is a cute name that is easily forgotten.

You might even try abbreviating the name such as www.edgromshp.com Invariably your abbreviation will be different than the way others might shorten it. In the end your potential customers remain confused.

If you are still working on the development of your online business it might make sense to investigate several business names and discover which names might be available as a domain name.

By simultaneous branding your business name with your domain name you will find it much easier for clients and potential customers to locate your site.

It is possible to choose a name other than your business name, but you may have to work extensively to market the new domain name. Some existing businesses have used their toll-free number as a means of identifying their online presence. There is a well-known flower distributor that lists their online presence with their 800 number and work hard to brand that domain name along with the toll free number for contact. In essence they kill two marketing birds with one domain name – website and personal contact.

Some businesses may also make the mistake of selecting a free online hosting site with a domain name that has little to do with you or your business. The belief is that this no-cost solution is a help to the development of your online company. Most of these sub-domains are largely ignored by online users and may not rank well in search engines.

If you haven't had the opportunity to launch your ecommerce site yet, take some time to research not only your business, but a name that can be easy for customers to remember if for no other reason than it is your actual business name.

Traffic at uTube Surges 440%

Traffic at uTube.com recently jumped more than 440%. The website is operated by Universal Tube & Rollform Equipment Corporation a company that "specializes in buying and selling used tube mills, used pipe mills and used rollforming machines".

On its homepage, the company proudly proclaims:

"Our machines are stored in our 125,000 Sq. Ft, Perrysburg Ohio Warehouse. We have the ability to rebuild, retrofit or recondition each piece of equipment in our inventory. We are committed to being the number one supplier of used Tube & Pipe equipment in the world!"

Unfortunately, the company recently encountered a major setback in its effort to become the world's number one supplier of used tube and pipe equipment. Last week, the company's website was paralyzed by the actions of a large (allegedly "not evil") American corporation in an entirely unrelated field of business.

On Saturday, October 14th, Universal Tube put out this press release:

"We apologize to those who have tried to view our webpage during the last few weeks and were unable. The uTube.com website is now up and running strong after being paralyzed this week by the announcement of Google purchasing the popular YouTube.com video website for $1.65 billion. Millions of people inadvertently typed the URL uTube.com coming to our site instead of the YouTube.com they were actually trying to reach. The heavy traffic flow shut down our website again and again. We have moved our website 4 times during the last week to servers with additional bandwith capable of handling our own customers and reps along with the influx of video searchers."

Others in the financial media have already reported on this story. However, I had to address the topic myself, as they've clearly missed the point. They tended to focus on the fact that millions of people typed in an incorrect web address after seeing television and newspaper accounts of Google's acquisition of YouTube.com.

After visiting uTube.com, I am now convinced the real story is Universal Tube. Any company that can put an exclamation mark after a statement like "we are committed to being the number one supplier of used tube & pipe equipment in the world" and puts out press releases on Saturdays is clearly worthy of an investor's attention.

Sadly, Universal Tube appears to be a privately held concern.

On a related note, I suspect Universal Tube & Rollform Equipment Corporation's accountants will be pleased to know their job has been made a lot easier. I'm guessing their periodic review of the uTube.com domain name will find that the asset's fair value is at least equal to its carrying value.

However, the company's lawyers may find they have more work rather than less. May I be the first to suggest they press Google to change the newly acquired web property's slogan to: "You Tube, Broadcast Yourself – not affiliated with Universal Tube and Rollform Equipment Company".

Choosing a Domain Name

The domain name of a website is often one of the most overlooked aspects of web development. Yet, when it comes to marketing, it is potentially a very powerful tool. Businesses looking to establish an online presence should use their website to assist in company or product branding whereas stand alone websites can promote their pages in the search engine results.

Company Branding

Company branding is a big part of business. Being recognized by your existing and potential customers can increase your likelihood of a sale and repeat custom. In order to achieve good company branding you should attempt to emulate your company name perfectly as your domain name. Often, however, this isn't possible because your domain is already owned by another webmaster. Attempt to procure a domain that is as close as possible to your company name.

Keywords

Even if you are unable to get your company name as your domain ensure that it is logical. This means there must be some kind of link between the domain and your business. If you can use one or two relevant keywords in the domain then this will help with search engine promotion. This is a hotly debated point with many SEOs and webmasters but it can help give your site extra credence, a greater position in the search engine result pages, and will help when other sites want to link to you. The use of a keyword in the domain means that the anchor text used to point to your site will always contain your keyword.

Make It Catchy

Domains should always be memorable and catchy. Generally speaking, the shorter the better to aid visitors in remembering your URL next time they look for your service. Long domain names are very easy to forget or remember incorrectly. Avoid using slang that is not in very common use and always avoid using txt tlk as well.

Make It Smooth

Do not use hyphens. Generally, visitors will remember the words but forget the hyphens and there is a very good chance you will present your potential customers to one of your competitors. In terms of the search engines, this is important too. Search engines like Google deem sites with an overly large number of hyphens to be spammy sites and they will punish you accordingly.

Make It Com

The TLD domain is the last section of your URL. Some examples include .com and .net. The former, .com, is by far the best option. Visitors will almost always remember your site as a .com even if it isn't. Again, you could be gifting your competitors with your potential customers. There are very few exceptions to this rule. One notable exception is the latest .mobi domain names, designed specifically for sites that are meant to be viewed on a mobile browser such as a cell phone.

Make It Simple

When there are two or more similar domains that could easily be confused by your visitors, including something as simple as a plural of your domain, you should consider buying all the relevant domains and using redirects to point to your main site. This ensures that you still benefit from any errors in typing. You could also consider purchasing several top level domains if you want to be on the safe side. It may certainly be worth buying up local domains such as .co.uk or .us.

Expired Domains

Expired domains offer huge benefit. When a popular domain expires it still tends to receive traffic and will also retain its search engine listing for some time. By buying an expired domain you could have a ready made database of visitors before you really get going.

A domain name is generally one of the very first things that potential visitors will see of your site. For this reason you should make it short, snappy, and memorable. If possible try to match your domain to your company name to assist in brand recognition but if this isn't possible, certainly try to include one or two major keywords. .Com is the ideal top level domain but you may also consider buying other top level domains to ensure you benefit from your marketing methods.

Domain Names: So Many to Choose From

The use of multiple domains is something that many online businesses are happily participating in. You may wonder why someone would go to the added expense of purchasing additional domain names they may not even use.

From a marketing standpoint there are three solid reasons why ‘the more - the merrier’ is a concept that may make sense when it comes to the acquisition of domain names.

1. Misspellings and Confused Destinations

If the title of your domain contains words that are often misspelled by others it may make sense to purchase the domains that contain those misspellings. The reason this makes sense is that if a visitor tries to log on from memory and misspells your name ‘correctly’ they can still be directed to your primary website.

This may sound strange, but if even a small percentage of those challenged at spelling ultimately make a purchase it is marketing money well spent.

2. Eliminate the Copycats

Even if your domain ends in .com it may make sense to purchase the same domain in .net and other domain extensions. All these extra domains can be redirected to your primary website.

This approach provides two separate benefits.

a) Visitors can access your site even if they have forgotten what domain extension you have.

b) If the site becomes popular, you may not have as many copycats who try to find a website name that is similar to yours. They may also look for the exact same name under a separate domain extension. You may also wish to have your site name trademarked to minimize the possibilities for a copycat website to develop.

3. Resell Domain Names

Some online marketers have selected names that have to do with their product or services that may be general in theme. A motivated site developer may be willing to pay a significant price to acquire the domain name. Many marketers will check trends and acquire short domain names associated with the trend for the purpose of reselling at a higher price.

The growth of the Internet has made a good website name a commodity that has value. When you select your ecommerce domain name chose carefully and keep it as short as possible. If you can find a one word name for your website you may have a positive domain name. The use of the business name is a highly valued consideration, although if there are multiple words in the business name title (i.e. Ted’s Taxidermy, Bait, Convenience and Taco Stand) you might find the primary purpose of the business and find a domain name that connects with site visitors.

How To Find The Right Web Hosting Company

I don’t know about you but I have been in this situation more than once. You sit by your desk and get an idea of a website that you would like to build. Maybe it’s just a personal or family website or maybe it is a business website. It doesn’t really matter as both are sites that you would like to have online fast and be able to access where ever when ever.

So after building your content (or some of it) and deciding on what domain you think would fit your website then you come to on of the tasks that I have personally had a lot of difficulties in dealing with. That is the choice of the company to host your new website.

If you are completely new to this then I suggest that you go visit Google and try searching for “web hosting”. At the time of this article there are 214 million pages competing for the term. So how are you supposed to pick the right one? Well at first I didn’t have a clue my self.

One option would be to go through the first ten or twenty web hosts and pick the one that you feel has the solution you are looking for. But what if two or more of them offer the same solution? Do you go for the lowest price, the best service or is it something else that will trigger the decision?

Luckily there is some clever people that has already found out that this is more than the average person can cope with and they have therefore create the site called FindMyHosting.com. When I first started building websites I didn’t know of this site but boy it would have save me a lot of time looking for the right host.

At first the site might look a bit confusing because of all the information gathered in one place. However if you focus on the middle section of the site you will quickly find that they have a searc option where you can choose between Country, Monthly Price, Hosting Platform, Disk Space, Data Transfer Limits and Number of E-mail accounts.

This is basic stuff for the experienced website builder, but if you are one of those I’m sure you already have a favorite web host and then you don’t need to go look for a new one. But as a newbie the basic stuff is mostly more that enough to make a fair choice of a new web hosting solution.

If you are on a low budget you can find hosting solutions down to $1.50 a month. Companies like InMotion Hosting and 3Essentials offer hosting solutions for $1.50 a month with about 1GB of storage space, 10GB of traffic, 15 e-mail accounts etc. Now this seems like great solutions for a new person launching a website.

BUT... before you make the final choice of web hosting company you must take some time to search the internet for information about this company and their solutions. Use Google to find out what other people think of their solutions, their support and their general business ethics.

Personally I would never choose a host based solely on price. Make sure you go with a web host that other people have had good experiences dealing with. If you can find any positive comments or even any comments I suggest that you move on to the next one. It might be a new company and who knows whether they will be here in one or two years?